Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams and partner Ekaterina Alexandrova were knocked out of the women’s doubles at the Australian Open on Tuesday, losing 6-3, 6-4 to France’s Elsa Jacquemot and Colombia’s Emiliana Arango in the first round.
The defeat ended Williams’ campaign at Melbourne Park, following her first-round exit in the singles to Serbia’s Olga Danilovic. The American was making her first appearance at the Australian Open since 2021 and her first competitive outing outside the United States since 2023.
Williams, who received a wildcard entry, became the oldest woman to compete in an Australian Open main draw, surpassing the previous mark set by Japan’s Kimiko Date in 2015.
A two-time Australian Open finalist, Williams has reached the semifinals once and the quarterfinals on six other occasions in Melbourne. She is also a four-time women’s doubles champion at the tournament, having won titles alongside her sister Serena, and claimed the mixed doubles crown in 1998.
The 43-year-old returned to competitive tennis in July after a lengthy injury layoff and played a limited schedule in 2025. Williams holds 23 Grand Slam titles across singles and doubles.
(with agency input)
