A Historic Age Gap on Court
Venus Williams extended her painful singles losing streak to 16 matches on Tuesday, falling 6-2 6-2 to Austrian teenager Lilli Tagger in the first round of the Guangzhou Open. The 28-year age difference between the two players is the largest recorded in a WTA match this decade and ranks among the biggest in tour history. Williams, who celebrated her 46th birthday this year and is currently ranked 599th in the world, has not won a singles match since July 2025 and continues to enter tournaments on wildcard invitations.
Tagger, just 18 years old and ranked 53rd in the world, was utterly dominant on serve. She dropped only seven service points across the entire match and never faced a single break point. Fascinatingly, Tagger's coach is Francesca Schiavone, the former French Open champion who lost all eight career meetings against Williams and happens to be the same age as her current charge's opponent. "When I saw the draw I was super excited and a bit nervous," Tagger said after the match, adding that she would love to still be competing at Williams's age.
The Wildcard Debate Intensifies
Williams won six of her seven Grand Slam titles before Tagger was even born in February 2008, a fact that underlines just how extraordinary her longevity has been. However, her current form has sharpened criticism within the sport: some insiders argue that wildcard spots handed to Williams deprive rising players of vital development opportunities, while tournament organizers point to her enormous commercial draw. The Guangzhou crowd made their feelings clear regardless, greeting Williams with a standing ovation as she left the court.
With Osaka making waves in Tokyo simultaneously, it was a vivid day illustrating tennis at opposite ends of the career spectrum. TennisDraw users tracking the Guangzhou draw had flagged Tagger as one to watch heading into the week.
