Venus Williams loses in 1st round of Australian Open tuneup event in Hobart

HOBART, Australia (AP) — Venus Williams lost 6-4, 6-3 to Tatjana Maria in the first round at the Hobart International on Tuesday, less than a week before her appearance at the Australian Open.

The 45-year-old Williams received a wild-card entry for the first Grand Slam event of the year. She also had a wild card to play in Hobart, where she lost to sixth-seeded Maria in a match lasting almost 1 1/2 hours.

Williams also lost her first-round match at Auckland, New Zealand last week.

The seven-time Grand Slam singles champion, who is 576th in the world rankings, broke 38-year-old Maria's serve in the opening set. But Williams dropped serve twice, handing the set to Maria, who is 42nd on the WTA rankings.

Tournament officials said the match featured the highest combined age — 83 years — of a singles match in the history of the WTA.

“The crowd was amazing. Usually I play a really big game and it’s fun to watch,” Williams said. “I felt I couldn’t play that with the wind. I felt bad I wasn’t able to give that performance I usually give. I was in control until I wasn’t ... I just need to keep going and doing that and earn my stripes. I’ve been away a while.”

Maria, who has two children and has won three of her four titles since becoming a mother, hoped the pair could send a message to younger players.

“For all the little girls out there ... that they have time and can improve and play (for) longer,” she said. “I’m a professional tennis player but I’m also a mom and we have a normal life."

Williams has made the Australian Open singles final twice — in 2003 and 2017 — losing to her sister Serena both times.

The Australian Open begins Sunday. Williams has not played at Melbourne Park for five years and will break the age record held by Kimiko Date, the Japanese player who was 44 when she contested the 2015 Australian Open.

In another first-round result in Hobart, two-time major winner Barbora Krejčíková lost to Peyton Stearns. Krejčíková, ranked 55th and unseeded in Hobart, lost to Stearns 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (4).

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Venus Williams of the U.S. adjusts her visor while playing Magda Linette of Poland during their singles match at the ASB Classic Women's Tennis Tournament in, Auckland, New Zealand Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2026. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

Venus Williams of the U.S. prepares to serve to Magda Linette of Poland during her singles match ASB Classic Women's Tennis Tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, Tuesday Jan. 6, 2026. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

Venus Williams of the U.S. hits a backhand to Magda Linette of Poland during her singles match of the ASB Classic Women's Tennis Tournament in Auckland, New Zealand, Tuesday Jan. 6, 2026. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)

AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — Defending champion Gael Monfils lost his opening match at the ATP Tour stop in Auckland, New Zealand on Tuesday, three days after his wife Elina Svitolina won her 19th WTA Tour title on the same court.

The 39-year-old Frenchman lost 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to 26-year-old Hungarian Fabian Marozsan at the ASB Classic in what may be the first match of his farewell season.

Monfils won the Auckland title in 2025 and told his wife Elina before her final on Sunday “if you don’t win this year I don’t know what to tell you anymore.” Svitolina and Monfils are one of only a few husband and wife teams to have held ATP and WTA singles titles in the same tournament at the same time.

Monfils started strongly in his first tournament since September, winning the first set with a break in the 11th game. He sent down 10 aces in the match. Monfils lost his first service game in the second set as Marozsan pulled off two superb winners at the net and went on to lose the set 6-3.

Monfils put up a great fight in the third set. After dropping his serve in the fifth game, he broke back immediately and tested Marozsan with his power variation. But Marozsan achieved the crucial break at 5-4 and held to take the match in exactly two hours.

“It's always special to play against Gael. He's a legend and a great player,” Marozsan said.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Elina Svitolina of Ukraine stands with her husband, French tennis player Gael Monfils, after defeating Wang Xinju of China in the women's single final of the ASB Classic women's tennis tournament in Auckland, New Zealand on Sunday 11 Jan. 2026. (Alan Lee/Photosport via AP)