Venus Williams’ preparations for the Australian Open hit another roadblock as the American great bowed out in the opening round of the Hobart International on Tuesday. The 45-year-old was defeated 6-4, 6-3 by Germany’s Tatjana Maria, marking her second consecutive first-round loss in the build-up to the season’s first Grand Slam.
Playing on a wild-card entry, Williams showed glimpses of her trademark power, breaking Maria’s serve in the opening set. However, inconsistency on serve proved costly as she was broken twice, allowing the world No. 42 to take the first set despite Williams’ early momentum.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with a single service break enough for Maria to close out the match in just under 90 minutes. Williams struggled to convert opportunities, while Maria remained composed in key moments.
The defeat comes just days after Williams suffered another first-round exit at the Auckland Open in New Zealand, raising questions about her form heading into Melbourne. Currently ranked 576th in the world, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion is using wildcards to compete on the WTA Tour.
Despite recent results, history awaits Williams at the Australian Open, which begins on Sunday. She is set to become the oldest player ever to compete in the women’s singles draw, surpassing the record previously held by Japan’s Kimiko Date, who played at age 44 in 2015.
Williams has reached the Australian Open singles final twice, in 2003 and 2017, finishing runner-up to her sister Serena Williams on both occasions. This year will mark her first appearance at Melbourne Park in five years.
In other results from Hobart, Barbora Krejcikova, a two-time Grand Slam champion, suffered a surprise first-round loss to Peyton Stearns. Krejcikova, ranked 55th and unseeded, was beaten 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4) in a tightly contested encounter.
