Williams loses to 18-year-old Tagger at Guangzhou Open

Venus Williams suffered another singles defeat on her return to the WTA Tour after losing 6-2, 6-2 to 18-year-old Lilli Tagger in the first round of the Guangzhou Open on Tuesday.

The 46-year-old American has now lost 16 consecutive tour-level singles matches since July 2025 and has yet to win a singles match in 2026. 

Tagger, ranked 53rd in the world, needed just 66 minutes to beat the former world number one and move into the second round.

Williams struggled from the start as Tagger broke her early and controlled the rallies with consistent groundstrokes. 

The Austrian created 16 break-point opportunities and converted four, while Williams failed to earn a single break point throughout the match.

The defeat came in a meeting between players separated by 28 years, reportedly the largest age difference between opponents in a WTA Tour match. 

Tagger was born in 2008, the same year Williams won her last Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon.

Williams has struggled to find results since returning to singles competition after a lengthy absence. Her last singles match before Guangzhou was a first-round defeat to Sofia Kenin at the US Open, while her most recent tour-level win came against Peyton Stearns at the DC Open in July 2025. She is currently ranked 599th in the world.

Tagger, meanwhile, has risen successfully through the sport. The Austrian won the girls’ singles title at the 2025 French Open before claiming her first WTA Tour title in Prague earlier this year. 

She showed her current level against Williams, landing 63 percent of her first serves and winning every point behind them.

Williams had better news in doubles earlier in the week. She and Indonesia’s Janice Tjen won their opening match on Monday and were scheduled to return to the court for their quarter-final on Wednesday.

Williams remains one of the most successful players in tennis history, with seven Grand Slam singles titles, 14 major doubles titles alongside her sister Serena and five Olympic gold medals. However, her latest attempt to return to singles competition has yet to bring a win.

Tagger will face Poland’s Magda Linette in the second round, while Williams will turn her attention to doubles as she continues her comeback.

Image credits: Julian Finney / Getty Images Sport via Getty Images