Venus Williams misplaced her first singles match of 2026 in Auckland however confirmed she remains to be aggressive at 45 whereas Nick Kyrgios fell at first hurdle in Brisbane.
Williams was given a standing ovation after happening to fifth-seeded Magda Linette on the WTA Tour match in New Zealand.
The American put up an outstanding present earlier than shedding 6-4 4-6 6-2 to the No 52-ranked Linette, who was solely two years outdated when Williams performed her first skilled singles match.
Seven-time main champion Williams has acquired wild-card entries into Auckland, Hobart and on the first Grand Slam match of the yr
Tuesday’s match was Williams’ 1,a hundred and first in singles on the WTA Tour however the competitiveness she confirmed in opposition to a participant 12 years her junior will give her confidence as she heads to Australia for the Hobart Worldwide and the Australian Open.
“Look at the level she brought. She moved really great,” Linette stated in a courtside TV interview. “She was actually hitting effectively, particularly when she was operating to the open area.
“It was really impressive and I really had to stay calm. She pushes you to a spot you don’t want to be and that’s where I was for a while, so I’m really glad I was able to refresh and come back with a little bit better game.”
Williams, ranked No 582, has been a daily customer to Auckland within the latter a part of her profession.
This yr, she advised reporters, she felt beneath no stress. “The biggest pressure is the one we put on ourselves, right?” Williams stated. “And then when you look back and you’re like, ‘it wasn’t such a big deal.’
“So hopefully I can look again with the 20/20 imaginative and prescient whereas I am within the current, like simply let it go, let it circulation, get pleasure from it and be within the second. That is not straightforward to do and that is why individuals love sports activities, proper?”
Katie Boulter made it by way of to the final 16 with a 6-3 6-3 win over Yulia Starodubtseva however faces a tricky process in opposition to high seed Elina Svitolina subsequent.
She joined fellow Brits Fran Jones and Sonay Kartal within the subsequent spherical with world No 68 Kartal upsetting sixth seed Janice Tjen 6-1 6-7 (7-4) 6-3 to progress in New Zealand.
Jones claimed the most important win of her profession up to now to defeat world No 15 Emma Navarro within the first spherical of the ASB Traditional.
Sabalenka eases by way of Brisbane opener; Kyrgios falls at first hurdle
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Aryna Sabalenka started her 2026 season with a dominant 6-0 6-1 win over Cristina Bucsa
World No 1 Aryna Sabalenka started her 2026 marketing campaign with a thumping victory on the Brisbane Worldwide, whereas her “Battle of the Sexes” opponent Nick Kyrgios fell quick on his return to singles motion after almost a yr out.
Sabalenka, who was crushed in straight units by Kyrgios per week in the past in a Dubai exhibition, resumed her preparations for the Australian Open by turning on the type to beat Cristina Bucsa 6-0 6-1 in simply 47 minutes to succeed in the third spherical.
“Definitely my serve worked really well,” she stated after the quickest victory of her profession.
“I did a couple of serve-and-volleys, which is like, ‘wow,’ so yeah, I’m super happy with the level. I’m happy to be back. I always enjoy playing in front of all you guys. That was a great performance from me.”
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Highlights as Nick Kyrgios went up in opposition to Aleksandar Kovacevic on the Brisbane Worldwide
The injury-plagued Kyrgios additionally had a brief spell on courtroom in his first singles match since March, the Australian shedding 6-3 6-4 to Aleksandar Kovacevic in 65 minutes.
The 30-year-old is hoping for a wildcard at Melbourne Park and can attempt to construct his match health when he groups up with Thanasi Kokkinakis for a doubles spherical of 16 match on Wednesday.
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Kyrgios unintentionally hits a ball child when placing a forehand throughout a doubles return with Thanasi Kokkinakis in Brisbane
The duo gained their match in opposition to Matthew Ebden and Rajeev Ram on Sunday and can tackle Sadio Doumbia and Fabien Reboul subsequent.
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