Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Wildcard Rakhimova Upsets Venus Williams, Extends Losing Streak

8/3/2026

23 5 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Kamilla Rakhimova, a 24-year-old Uzbekistani, beat Venus Williams 6-4, 6-1 in the National Bank Open first round in Toronto.
Rain delayed the match start by about two hours from the scheduled 12:30 p.m. ET.
Rakhimova entered on a singles wild-card, was ranked No. 82, and the match lasted 1 hour 27 minutes.
The loss extended Williams' losing streak to 12 consecutive defeats dating back to July 2025.

History

Historical Context

In January 1997, 16-year-old Martina Hingis won the Australian Open, defeating Mary Pierce to become the youngest Grand Slam singles champion (16 years 3 months) and, in March, the youngest world No. 1, while also capturing the women’s doubles with Natasha Zvereva. Her breakthrough created a template for teenage wildcards, echoed by Kamilla Rakhimova’s 2025 upset over Venus Williams.

1 of 2

Story summary

Kamilla Rakhimova, a 24-year-old Uzbekistani, beat Venus Williams 6-4, 6-1 in the National Bank Open first round in Toronto.
Rain delayed the match start by about two hours from the scheduled 12:30 p.m. ET.
Rakhimova entered on a singles wild-card, was ranked No. 82, and the match lasted 1 hour 27 minutes.
The loss extended Williams' losing streak to 12 consecutive defeats dating back to July 2025.

1 / 2