Venus Williams’ return to clay ended quickly Tuesday at the Madrid Open, where the 45-year-old American was beaten in straight sets by Spanish wild card Kaitlin Quevedo in the first round.
Quevedo, 20, produced the biggest win of her young career with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over the seven-time Grand Slam champion on the Estadio Manolo Santana court. Playing in her first WTA 1000 main-draw match, the world No. 140 handled difficult windy conditions better than Williams and stayed composed after falling behind early in the second set.
For Williams, the defeat continued a difficult season. Ranked No. 479 in the world, she has now lost all seven matches she has played in 2026. It was also her first clay-court match since Roland Garros five years ago, adding another challenge against a younger opponent comfortable in the conditions.
The opening set was tighter than the score suggested, with several long games and frequent momentum swings as gusty wind made clean ball-striking difficult for both players. Unforced errors piled up on both sides, but Quevedo was steadier from the baseline and more reliable in the key moments. She broke Williams twice and gradually took control, claiming the first set 6-2.
Williams looked sharper at the start of the second set and briefly seemed ready to push the match in a different direction. The former world No. 1 raced to a 3-0 lead, using her experience and aggressive first-strike tennis to pressure the young Spaniard. But Quevedo did not panic. Instead, she settled back into the match and began forcing Williams into longer rallies, waiting for mistakes and shifting the balance back in her favor.
The contest was then interrupted by rain, with play paused while the roof over center court was closed. After the restart, Quevedo came back with renewed momentum. She won five straight games to erase Williams’ advantage and close out the match, sealing her place in the second round in front of a home crowd.
The loss was another reminder of the challenge Williams faces as she continues to compete against a much younger field. Though flashes of her power remained, especially during her early second-set surge, consistency proved elusive and Quevedo capitalized.
Elsewhere in the women’s draw, Peyton Stearns also advanced comfortably, beating France’s Lois Boisson 6-1, 6-3 in just over an hour. Boisson was playing her first match since September after injury and could not rediscover the form that made her one of last year’s surprise stories at Roland Garros, where she reached the semifinals as world No. 361. Stearns now moves on to face top seed Aryna Sabalenka, the reigning Madrid champion and a three-time winner at the event.
There was also disappointment for Paula Badosa, who exited her hometown tournament in the opening round. The former world No. 2 fell 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 6-0 to Julia Grabher in a match that swung sharply after two competitive sets. Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia, a Roland Garros semifinalist in 2023, was also knocked out early, losing 6-1, 6-1 to Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.
For Quevedo, the win over Williams marks a breakthrough moment on one of the biggest stages of her career. For Williams, Madrid ends in another early exit as questions continue about how much she can still threaten at the highest level.
