Venus Williams’ momentum question deepens after Ajla Tomljanovic denies her in Austin — ATX Open shifts early

Why this matters now: venus williams arrived in Austin on a wildcard while carrying a fragile run of form, and a straight-sets loss has immediate tournament and career-momentum consequences. The result rearranges second-round matchups and highlights an early-season trend where established names are trading wildcards for short-lived runs — a dynamic that will shape draws and wildcard decisions in the weeks ahead.

Venus Williams and the momentum slide — where this loss lands a seven-time major champion

Venus Williams, aged 45, entered the ATX Open after accepting a wildcard and a start to 2026 that sits at 0-3. That record follows a comeback last summer from a 16-month break, when she won her return match in Washington DC against Peyton Stearns. The Austin defeat removes the possibility of an inter-generational second-round meeting for Venus and instead shifts immediate attention to how wildcards are being used and how much runway top names are getting to rebuild form.

How the match unfolded: Tomljanovic’s comeback and the key turning points

Ajla Tomljanovic erased a 3-1 deficit in the opening set to beat Venus Williams 6-4, 6-1 in the ATX Open first round. Venus broke early, producing a pair of vintage winners and took advantage of consecutive double faults by Tomljanovic to consolidate a 2-0 lead, including a notable backhand pass down the line. Venus later failed to convert two points to hold for 4-2 and then could not convert two chances to level at 5-5, when Tomljanovic landed a wildly spun sliced winner that clipped the tape. The second set, while closer than the score indicates, swung Tomljanovic’s way after she prevailed in two extended multi-deuce games: she saved two break points to hold for 2-1 and later converted her fourth break point to open up a decisive 5-1 advantage.

Wider tournament effects and linked results

The Tomljanovic victory means there will be no Venus–Iva Jovic second-round meeting; Jovic advanced 6-3, 6-4 over Anna Blinkova and will now play Tomljanovic for the first time. Notably, when Jovic was born in December 2007, Venus was already a six-time major champion and had been ranked No. 8 after compiling a 50-11 season record that year — a reminder of the generational span on display in Austin.

Also on the card, Dalma Galfi beat Bianca Andreescu in a three-set match, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, a contest that lasted 2 hours and 11 minutes. Andreescu, the 2019 US Open champion, was making her first WTA main-draw appearance since Tokyo last October. Earlier this year she skipped the Australian swing and instead posted a 13-1 record at ITF level with two titles. During the Galfi–Andreescu match, Andreaescu overturned a deficit to take the second set and appeared on course for another comeback in the third after saving two match points and holding points to level at 5-5; Galfi then raised her level and began finding a series of winners, but the provided context cuts off the final sequence and is unclear in the provided context.

Where Venus Williams sits now and what she said about coming back

Venus returned from a 16-month break last summer and opened that comeback with a win over Peyton Stearns in Washington DC. Since resuming competitive play she has struggled to build consistent momentum; her 2026 record stands at 0-3 after losses at the ASB Classic in Auckland to Magda Linette, at the Hobart International to Tatjana Maria, and a first-round exit at the Australian Open to Olga Danilovic. She accepted a wildcard into the ATX Open and also planned to play doubles with Peyton Stearns against Taylor Townsend and Storm Hunter. On her recent match run she said she was enjoying the process, finding value in match feedback and practice work as she looks to regain consistent form.

• Tomljanovic’s form: the 32-year-old Australian, a semifinalist in Austin last year, is the last player on record to have beaten Serena Williams before Serena’s 2022 retirement, winning that US Open third-round match in three sets.
• Head-to-head note: Tomljanovic’s win makes her one of only two players who are undefeated against both Williams sisters; the other named in the context is Bianca Andreescu.
• Andreescu’s status: returned to main-draw competition for the first time since Tokyo last October after a strong ITF start to the year (13-1 with two titles), but fell to Galfi in a three-set match.
• Tournament ripple: Jovic’s progression and Tomljanovic’s victory changed the projected second-round landscape and removed a potential high-profile, inter-generational matchup.

Here’s the part that matters: wildcards are producing headline matches but not guaranteed ticket windows for former champions to rebuild momentum — immediate results are reshaping draws and narratives. The real question now is whether Venus Williams can translate match feedback from recent losses into a short-term run that changes her 0-3 start this season.

It’s easy to overlook, but Tomljanovic has been consciously channeling the mindset she displayed in the Grand Slam match that remains a career landmark for her; that mental thread has real bearing on how she closes tight moments.

Key takeaways:

• venus williams’ ATX exit underscores an early-season performance gap despite a celebrated comeback last summer.
• Tomljanovic’s rallying win advances her and denies a high-profile Venus second round, altering the top half of the draw.
• Andreescu’s main-draw return ended in a tight three-setter against Galfi after a successful ITF build-up earlier in the year.
• Signals that would suggest a shift: a match win in the next tournament, clearer in-match resilience in multi-deuce games, or successful doubles play that boosts on-court rhythm.

All match scores, head-to-head notes and schedule choices above are taken from event coverage; some match sequences were cut in the provided context and are unclear in the provided context. Tournament draws and wild-card uses are subject to change as the ATX Open progresses.