The seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams now officially set her sights on a return to Roland Garros, as she expresses her deep desire to compete in the French Open 2026. This goal follows her highly anticipated return to the clay courts in Madrid, her first competitive appearance on the in five years. Despite the hype, Williams faced a difficult transition back to the dirt, exiting the Madrid Open in the opening round itself.
The legendary 45-year-old was defeated 6-2, 6-4 by fellow wildcard Kaitlin Quevedo during their Tuesday afternoon clash. The loss marked Williams’ 10th consecutive singles defeat, a challenging stretch that has followed her return to the tour midway through last season after a 16-month hiatus. Given her current ranking, Williams will now be reliant on a wildcard invitation from tournament organizers if she is to feature in the main draw at Roland Garros.
“Yeah, I mean, to get my feet dirty, this was a great start,” Williams, 45, told reporters. “I’m not able to play Rome, I have other commitments, unfortunately, so I’m really super sad about that, actually.Â
It was fun while it lasted 😅
Kaitlin Quevedo cuts Venus Williams’ return to Madrid short with a straight sets win.#MMOpen pic.twitter.com/BXjWif5LrS
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) April 21, 2026
“My husband is Italian, so we feel sad that we can’t be there. So we would love to keep it going on the clay.”
Williams’ last match on clay before Madrid was at the French Open in 2021 and she said she was happy with how she performed. “I felt like in the last game I started to move better on the clay. But then it was the last game,” she added.
“All these things take adjustments. I started my practice on clay a couple weeks after Miami. I haven’t really played on clay in years. But I enjoy the clay, it’s fun. “I played against a very inspired opponent today.”
Following her loss in Madrid, Williams is ranked No. 479 in singles. However, her campaign did not end yet as the 45-year-old is set to compete in the doubles draw at the Madrid Open alongside British partner Katie Boulter on April 23. In doubles, Venus’ rank sits at No. 148. Meanwhile, the French Open begins on May 24.
(With inputs from Reuters)Â
