Venus Williams suffers fifth straight defeat at Indian Wells

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams suffered her fifth consecutive defeat of the 2026 season after losing to French qualifier Diane Parry in the first round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells on Thursday.

The 45-year-old American, playing on a wildcard at the ATP/WTA Masters 1000 event, fell 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-1 to the world number 111 despite rallying from a set and a break down to force a deciding third set.

Williams said the result was disappointing but praised the experience of competing in front of her home crowd.

She said: “It’s always so fun.

“Of course, losing isn’t fun, but it’s great to play in front of a home crowd.”

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The defeat continued a difficult start to the year for Williams, who has now lost all five of her singles matches in 2026 after earlier exits at the Australian Open and in Austin, Texas.

Reflecting on the match, Williams said the windy conditions made it difficult to properly assess her level of performance.

She said: “I think today is not the kind of day that you want to assess.

“The conditions are impossible. Also, my match in Austin the conditions were impossible.

“In Austin I refused to relent and change my game and I lost very quickly. Today I tried to adjust. It’s not easy. You can’t trust anything that you do out there.”

Parry, 23, who was born after Williams had already won the first four of her Grand Slam titles, said facing the American star was a special moment.

She said: “Even if it wasn’t pretty tennis today because of the wind, you can still clearly see the quality of her shots – forehand, backhand – as soon as she gets a ball she can attack, there’s little chance you’re getting it back.

“You can imagine what it was like when she was at her best.”

The French player added that competing against Williams was memorable given the American’s legacy in the sport.

She said it was “an honour to be able to play against a legend of our sport.”

Parry also reflected on the Williams sisters’ influence on tennis.

She said: “I watched more of Serena, the greatest player of all time, but I think a lot of people forget the career that (Venus) has had.

“When, during the warm-up, the announcer gave a brief summary of her career, you think, ‘Oh right, that’s really something.’”

Despite her struggles this season, Williams continues to compete on the tour after returning from a 16-month hiatus last July.

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