Seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams went down in straight sets in an Australian Open tune-up. Steve Bell / Getty Images
Venus Williams lost in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3 on Tuesday in Australia. The result of the match wasn’t the main news, however.
The 45-year-old, seven-time Grand Slam singles champion fell to Germany’s Tatjana Maria, 38, in a match with the highest combined age for a main draw event in WTA history. The players’ combined age was 84 years, 1 day, for their match at the Hobart International in Tasmania.
The Hobart is a leadup tournament ahead of the Australian Open, which is the first of the year’s four Grand Slam events, and begins Sunday.
84, 1 – The combined age of 84 years and 1 day between Venus Williams and Tatjana Maria will be the oldest between two opponents in a main draw match at WTA level, since the WTA was founded in 1973 – age calculated at start of event. Evergreen!#HobartTennis | @HobartTennis @WTA
— OptaAce (@OptaAce) January 13, 2026
Williams, currently ranked 576th in the world, became the second-oldest winner of a singles match in WTA history when she defeated Peyton Stearns last July at the D.C. Open. She launched her professional playing career 31 years ago at the Bank of the West Classic in 1994, and along the way won seven Slams, including Wimbledon five times, and the U.S. Open twice. She also won Olympic gold in 2000.
Venus and her sister Serena owned the doubles circuit for many years, winning 14 Grand Slams and three Olympic golds.
Maria’s best Slam showing in singles was a semifinal appearance at Wimbledon in 2022.