Kamilla Rakhimova beats Venus Williams 6-4, 6-1 in a rain-delayed match in Toronto

TORONTO (AP) — Kamilla Rakhimova beat Venus Williams 6-4, 6-1 in a rain-delayed match Sunday to kick off the National Bank Open women’s main draw.

Granted a singles wild-card entry at the WTA 1000 event, the 46-year-old Williams has lost 12 straight matches dating to July 2025.

“We play outside … you can’t control the weather,” Williams said. “But the fans were amazing. They were with me right in every point — that was fantastic. I was just fighting to put the ball on the court.”

The 24-year-old Rakhimova is from Uzbekistan. She’s ranked 82nd in the world.

“Playing Venus is not an everyday experience,” Rakhimova said. “I’m very glad to actually get a chance to play against her. I was looking forward to that match. I knew it was going to be a center-court match. I was trying to enjoy my time on it, no matter what the result.”

___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.