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.”
