Venus Williams will begin her 2026 U.S. Open with a first-round meeting against Sofia Kenin, a match that brings together a two-time champion and a player who has been the more consistent recent performer in New York. It is the first career meeting between the pair, and it gives Williams a demanding opening test as she looks for her first singles win at the event since 2019.
Williams returns to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center still carrying the stature that comes with her record, but also the reality of a long Grand Slam drought. The 46-year-old has not won a Grand Slam singles match since Wimbledon in 2021, and this year she was bounced in the first round at the Australian Open. That makes this draw about more than reputation: it is about whether she can still produce one more notable run on one of tennis’s biggest stages.
Kenin brings the stronger recent U.S. Open record
Kenin’s name carries its own weight in this matchup. The 25-year-old reached the fourth round at the U.S. Open in 2020, which gives her a more recent benchmark of success at the tournament than Williams has managed in the singles draw. On paper, that leaves Kenin as the favourite, even if Williams will still draw attention every time she steps onto the court.
That is what makes the first round so compelling. Williams is a former champion trying to rediscover Grand Slam rhythm, while Kenin arrives with more recent form at this event and the benefit of being the younger, sharper player at this stage of the draw. For Williams, the key question is simple: can she turn experience into one more big performance?
A significant first meeting at a familiar venue
The fact that Venus Williams and Sofia Kenin have never played before adds another layer to the occasion. First-time meetings between two American players at a major always bring a sense of uncertainty, and that is especially true when one of them is Williams, whose every appearance at a Grand Slam now comes with a historical edge.
For Kenin, the opportunity is clear. A win would underlined her status as the favourite and send her through against one of the most recognisable figures in women’s tennis. For Williams, the challenge is to prove she can still trouble a younger opponent over the course of a first-round match and give herself a chance to extend a Grand Slam story that has already lasted far longer than most.
Whatever happens, the opening round has a proper headline feel. Williams is chasing her first singles win in the U.S. Open since 2019, Kenin is the better current fit for the demands of the match, and the first career meeting between them should tell us plenty about where both players stand as the 2026 U.S. Open begins.
