Potapova breaks through in Washington after beating Venus Williams in opener

Anastasia Potapova arrived in Washington 0-for-3 in her career, but she's winless in the U.S. capital no longer. The 25-year-old beat seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams 6-3, 6-3 in 1 hour and 15 minutes on Tuesday night.

“I have no words because growing up, I was always looking at her and how she was winning all these tournaments, and now I’m playing against her,” Potapova said in her on-court interview. “I’m super happy that I got a chance to play her. She’s incredible.”

Washington: Scores | Order of play | Draws

The win gives Potapova more than a memorable moment. It also snaps a skid in which she lost three straight matches and four of five overall since her third-round victory over Coco Gauff at Roland Garros.

She'll have a chance to turn that into a winning streak in the second round against No. 4 seed Diana Shnaider -- Williams' doubles partner this week and an opponent she's split two meetings with at the WTA Tour Driven by Merecedes-Benz level.

But first, Potapova had to get past Williams, who briefly led 3-2 in the opening set before Potapova reeled off seven straight games to take full control. She suspected the weather delay contributed to her slow start.

"It was a little bit messy with the rain because I didn't get my warmup on the court before the match, so I had to go and play without the warmup," Potapova told reporters. "I think that's why I had a slow start, if you can call it that."

Once she settled in, Potapova was dominant. She landed just 44% of her first serves but won 95% of those points (19 of 20). She also won 68% of her second-serve points (17 of 25) and didn't face a break point. Her 20 winners to eight unforced errors were the most striking numbers of the night.

Williams, meanwhile, was more erratic. She hit nine winners and committed 19 unforced errors. Her first serve remained a weapon -- she won 78% of those points (29 of 37) -- but she struggled mightily behind her second serve, winning just 24% (7 of 29). The loss is Williams' 12th straight since her first-round win over Peyton Stearns at the Mubadala Citi DC Open last year. She is 0-9 in 2026 and has won only four of 22 sets played.

Williams will now turn her attention to doubles, where she and Shnaider are set to face Tang Qianhui and Xu Yifan in the quarterfinals. Potapova, meanwhile, will try to continue building on what has been one of the strongest seasons of her career.

"I just got more mature," Potapova said. "I finally feel comfortable on tour. I've played all these tournaments several times already, and I got a little bit of experience under my belt. Now I set the goals high, and I'm just trying to work hard for them."