Indian Wells Open 2026: Resurgent Venus Williams dismissed by Diane Parry in women’s singles first round

Venus Williams’ comeback tour in women’s singles tennis hit a speed bump in the shape of France’s Diane Parry on Thursday (5 March), as the unseeded qualifier sent the 45-year-old tennis icon packing at the end of a three-set thriller in the first round at Indian Wells.

Parry emerged victorious after more than two hours of play under the California sun, advancing to the second round on the back of a 6-3, 6[4]-7, 6-1 win.

Recording a total of ten aces to win almost 80 percent of the points on first-serve, the French qualifier controlled proceedings on court one. She also earned three break points during the match, which came in handy against an opponent of Williams’ calibre.

But Williams’ tenacity and unwillingness to concede to the match made for a spirited second set, as the North American star pushed Parry to tie-break, playing the sort of tennis that drove her to seven Grand Slam titles.

While Williams managed to tough out a hard-fought set – much to the delight of a partisan home crowd – she had little in reserve once play resumed. She won only a single game in the third and decisive set, struggling on serve with six double faults in total.

In the end, Parry’s superior play simply left Williams with too much to do. The U.S. tennis great acknowledged the crowd gathered at court one, who promptly showered her with applause and cheers as she departed the field-of-play.

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