TORONTO -- 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."