Tennis legend Venus Williams will look to snap her lengthy losing streak when she competes at the Hong Kong Tennis Open next week, her final tournament of the 2026 season.
Undoubtedly one of the greatest tennis players of all time, 46-year-old Williams has received a wildcard into the WTA 250 event, joining the likes of Sorana Cirstea — competing in the final event of her career — and Alex Eala in the main draw.
The American will be hoping to return to winning ways in Hong Kong, having now lost her last 16 matches on the WTA Tour.
After a 15-month absence from the game, Williams returned to action at the Citi Open in July 2025 and memorably defeated Peyton Stearns in the opening round, though has failed to win a singles match since then.
The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion tasted defeat in her remaining three matches of 2025 after that victory against Stearns, and has now lost all 13 of her singles matches in 2026.
After tasting defeat to Sofia Kenin in the opening round of the US Open back in August, Williams returned to action at the Guangzhou Open this week, falling 6-2, 6-2 to fourth seed Lilli Tagger — who has since gone on to reach the final of the WTA 250 event — in round one.
WTA Tour News
Now, the former world No 1 will look to break her 16-match losing streak when she faces compatriot Mary Stoiana in Hong Kong.
A former collegiate tennis player for the Texas A&M Aggies, Stoiana has won three ITF World Tour singles titles and currently sits at a career-high of 113th in the WTA Rankings.
Stoiana came through qualifying to reach the main draw of a Grand Slam event for the first time at the US Open this year, falling to 17th seed Eala in the opening round in New York and also came through qualifying to make her WTA 1000 main draw debut at the Cincinnati Open in August.
Recently, she came through qualifying to reach the the quarter-final of the WTA 250 Japan Women’s Open in Osaka, defeating seventh seed Oleksandra Oliynykova and Moyuka Uchijima in the main draw before falling to eventual champion Katerina Siniakova.
The winner of the match between Williams and Stoiana could well face top seed Cirstea, who opens her campaign against Maria Timofeeva, in the second round.
Though Williams has struggled in singles this year, she has found some success in doubles, reaching the semi-final of the Guangzhou Open this past week alongside Janice Tjen.
Williams and Tjen picked up two wins to reach the last four of the doubles event at the WTA 250 tournament, before tasting defeat to Timofeeva and Polina Kudermetova.
The 46-year-old has also received a wildcard into the doubles event in Hong Kong, playing alongside Xu Yifan.
