Venus Williams targets return to French Open after five years despite lean patch
Venus Williams eyes a French Open return despite a 10-match losing streak, as the veteran continues her clay comeback after a first-round exit at the Madrid Open.
Venus Williams is not ready to walk away just yet. Despite a difficult run of form, the 45-year-old has set her sights on a potential return to clay at French Open next month.
Speaking after her first-round exit at the Madrid Open on Tuesday, Williams revealed she is keen to continue playing on clay, even as she navigates a challenging phase late in her career. The seven-time Grand Slam champion went down 6-2, 6-4 to Spain’s rising talent Kaitlin Quevedo, marking her 10th consecutive singles defeat on tour.
“Yeah, I mean, to get my feet dirty, this was a great start,” Williams said in her post-match press conference. “I'm not able to play Rome, I have other commitments, unfortunately, so I'm really super sad about that. My husband is Italian, so we feel sad that we can't be there. So we would love to keep it going on the clay.”
Williams, who had not featured in Madrid for five years, is still adjusting to the surface, having last played on clay at Roland Garros in 2021. On that occasion, she exited in the opening round, losing to Ekaterina Alexandrova.
“All these things take adjustments,” she said. “I started my practice on clay a couple of weeks after Miami. I haven't really played on clay in years. But I enjoy the clay, it's fun. I played against a very inspired opponent today.”
Her last tour-level win came in July 2025, when she defeated Peyton Stearns in Washington. Since then, Williams has struggled for results, suffering early exits in Auckland, Hobart, the Australian Open, Austin, Indian Wells and Miami this season.
Meanwhile, Quevedo’s win marked a breakthrough moment in her young career. The 20-year-old secured her first main-draw victory at a WTA 1000 event and only the second tour-level win overall. She also became the youngest Spanish player to register a main-draw win at the Madrid Open.
“I was so surprised,” Quevedo said. “I didn't know that was going to happen. I'm just really happy that I was able to play against such a legend on this amazing court for the first time. It was a privilege.”
While results have not gone her way, Williams’ desire to compete remains strong, with the French Open now firmly in her sights.