Most of the attention from the crowd, especially the American fans, will be on Venus Williams, while Anastasia Potapova is seen merely as her opponent.
Anastasia Potapova
But what does Anastasia Potapova have to fear from Venus Williams at this point? The Russian is just entering her prime years. She has a positive 2026 season record (25 wins and 16 defeats) and a spot in the top 30 (27). Her numbers on clay are even better (17/5), although she is still in the red on hard courts (5/7). The only potential concern for her is that on the courts in Washington she has never gone beyond the opening round in three attempts.
Venus Williams
With her world ranking of 664, Venus Williams could only get into a tournament of this size via a wild card. Since 2022, she has played 29 WTA singles matches, winning only four of them, and in the 2026 season she has lost all eight, including six on hard courts. In Washington last season, Williams tried to make a run and even beat world No.35 Peyton Stearns in the first round (6:3, 6:4).
Anastasia Potapova vs Venus Williams Prediction
During the years when Venus Williams was competing regularly, she never had to face Anastasia Potapova, and that did not happen in her occasional appearances in recent seasons either. In the first set, the American may still offer some resistance, but in the end Anastasia Potapova should come out on top. The recommendation here is to back the over on the total number of games in the first set.
