Venus Williams, 45, eyes the French Open after a 10th straight loss
Madrid (AP): Venus Williams has her sights on the French Open.
The 45-year-old former world No. 1 said Tuesday after losing her 10th straight singles match that she is considering playing at Roland Garros next month.
“Yeah, I mean, to get my feet dirty, this was a great start,” she said in her post-match news conference at the Madrid Open. “I'm not able to play Rome, I have other commitments, unfortunately, so I'm really super sad about that, actually. My husband is Italian, so we feel sad that we can't be there. So we would love to keep it going on the clay.”
Williams, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, lost 6-2, 6-4 to 20-year-old Spaniard Kaitlin Quevedo.
Williams hadn't played in Madrid in five years. Her last tournament on clay had been at the 2021 French Open, when she lost her first match to Ekaterina Alexandrova.
“All these things take adjustments,” Williams said. “I started my practice on clay a couple weeks after Miami. I haven't really played on clay in years. But I enjoy the clay, it's fun. I played against a very inspired opponent today.”
Williams' last win on tour was against Peyton Stearns in the round of 16 of an WTA 500 event in Washington in July 2025. This year, she had already lost in Auckland, Hobart, the Australian Open, Austin, Indian Wells and Miami.
Quevedo earned her first WTA 1000 main-draw win, and just the second tour-level victory of her career. She became the youngest Spanish player to win a main-draw match at the Madrid Open.
“I was so surprised,” Quevedo said. “I didn't know that was going to happen. I'm just really happy that I was able to play against such a legend on this amazing court for the first time. It was a privilege, and I'm just really happy to be here.”
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Gadkari flags energy security concerns, says India eyes 100% ethanol blending
New Delhi: Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said that India should aim to achieve 100 per cent ethanol blending in fuel in the near future, , citing the need for energy self-reliance amid global uncertainties.
Speaking at a green transport conclave, Gadkari was quoted by NDTV Profit as saying that rising tensions in West Asia have underscored the risks associated with dependence on imported fossil fuels. He noted that India currently meets about 87 per cent of its oil requirement through imports, with an annual outlay of nearly ₹22 lakh crore.
“Given the ongoing global situation, it is necessary for us to become self-reliant in the energy sector,” he said, emphasising the need to scale up alternative fuels and biofuel production.
India has already introduced petrol blended with 20 per cent ethanol, launched in 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with vehicles now being adapted to run on E20 fuel with minor modifications.
Countries such as Brazil have adopted higher ethanol blending, offering a possible model as India expands its biofuel programme.
Gadkari was quoted by NDTV Profit as saying that reducing production costs to around one dollar per kilogram would be key to making India a global exporter of energy.
