Venus Williams falls one win short of first WTA final in eight years after Guangzhou doubles defeat

Sunday, 01 November 2026 at 06:30

Venus Williams preparing to hit the ball

Venus Williams came within one victory of reaching her first WTA final in eight years, but her run at the Guangzhou Open ended in the doubles semifinals on Saturday. The 46-year-old American and Indonesian partner Janice Tjen lost to Polina Kudermetova and Maria Timofeeva 6-4, 6-7(8), 10-6 in a closely contested match.

Williams and Tjen fought back to take the second set in a tiebreak, forcing a deciding match tiebreak after more than two sets of competition. However, Kudermetova and Timofeeva regained control in the final stage, winning 10-6 to secure their place in Sunday's championship match.

The result denied Williams an opportunity to contest her first WTA Tour final since returning to professional competition. Nevertheless, reaching the last four in Guangzhou represented a significant milestone in a season in which she has gradually increased her presence on the doubles circuit.

Williams reaches first WTA doubles semifinal since 2016

The Guangzhou campaign marked Williams' first WTA Tour doubles semifinal appearance since the 2016 season, when she reached the last four at both the Rio Olympics and Wimbledon. Her latest run also came in her first doubles tournament since the US Open, where she partnered her younger sister Serena Williams.

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The Williams sisters reunited in New York but were eliminated in the first round by Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching. Venus has otherwise experimented with different partners throughout 2026, teaming up with players including Alexandra Eala, Diana Shnaider, Katie Boulter and Leylah Fernandez as she continued competing in doubles.

Her appearance alongside Tjen in Guangzhou offered another opportunity to build match experience, with the pair progressing to the semifinals before falling just short of the final.

On their way to the semifinals, Williams and Tjen defeated Ekaterine Gorgodze and Kimberley Zimmermann 6-0, 7-5 in the first round before comfortably overcoming doubles specialists Lyudmyla Kichenok, a former world No. 3, and Makoto Ninomiya 6-1, 6-3.

Williams' latest milestone also adds to a broader return to the tour: her previous singles or doubles semifinal at WTA Tour level had come at Indian Wells in 2018.

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Williams' Guangzhou return also included singles campaign

Williams received wild-card entries into both the singles and doubles draws in Guangzhou. Her singles campaign, however, ended in the opening round on Tuesday, when she lost 6-2, 6-2 to 18-year-old Austrian Lilli Tagger.

The match was Williams' first singles appearance in two months, following her first-round defeat to Sofia Kenin at the US Open. Now ranked No. 599 in singles, the seven-time Grand Slam champion has continued to face a difficult challenge in rebuilding her results. She has lost 16 consecutive singles matches on the WTA Tour, with her last victory coming in July 2025.

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It was a particularly notable matchup against an opponent just 18 years old. Tagger was born in 2008, the same year Williams won her most recent Grand Slam singles title, claiming her fifth Wimbledon crown after defeating her sister Serena Williams 7-5, 6-4 in the final.

Although Williams will leave Guangzhou without a singles victory, her semifinal run alongside Tjen provided a notable result in her return to doubles competition. At 46, she came close to reaching another WTA final, but Kudermetova and Timofeeva ultimately ended that pursuit in a deciding match tiebreak.

Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

His reporting combines statistical analysis with clear explanation, helping readers understand tactical developments, player form, and broader storylines across the tour. Working fluently in both Spanish and English, Cristhián collaborates with an international editorial team and contributes to comprehensive global coverage. As part of his work, he has conducted interviews and media interactions with leading figures in the sport, including Caroline Wozniacki and John McEnroe.

In his journalism, Cristhián places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. His coverage is grounded in research, context, and direct engagement with professional tennis.

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