Serena Williams

There are 63 other matches on opening day, but they have been relegated to the background as Williams prepares to play what could be her final singles ...

Open final](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/09/sports/serena-osaka-us-open-penalty.html) in a match where Williams was penalized a game after a series of code violations by chair umpire Carlos Ramos. “I think it’s great that we have somebody like that in our sport who cleared the path and showed us that you can do anything,” she said. “I was really scared: Dang, when is the last time she’s going to play? “Basically she was everywhere, because she always won and was somewhere in the semifinals or the finals. Open men’s champion](https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/13/sports/tennis/us-open-mens-final-zverev-thiem.html), will return to the tournament after missing last year’s Open with a serious wrist injury. Stories like this are possible because of our deep commitment to original reporting, produced by a global staff of over 1,700 journalists who have all dedicated themselves to helping you understand the world. “I watch her my whole life,” Swiatek, the 21-year-old Polish star, said of the 40-year-old Williams. But they are all relegated to the background for now as Williams, one of the greatest athletes of any generation, prepares to play what could be her final singles match on Monday night in the first round against the unseeded Danka Kovinic. 10 seed and top-ranked American who is himself the son of former top 10 women’s player Kathy May. Until this year, no Chinese man had qualified to play in the U.S. Open, Swiatek had another priority: finally working up the courage to meet Serena Williams, a formidable champion whom Swiatek said made her feel like “a kid from kindergarten just looking at her.” 1 for the first time this year at the U.S.

Serena Williams's Career at the U.S. Open? Well, It's Complicated. It seems fitting the 23-time Grand Slam winner is prepping her tennis swan song at the place ...

Serena won six matches and, two sets away from her long-avowed goal of tying Margaret Court’s record of 24 majors, again matched up in the final against a young opponent who had never been in the situation. Such was the case in the final, when she betrayed defiance to match her ball-striking and beat Victoria Azarenka, 6–2, 2–6, 7–5. In the final, she faced Naomi Osaka, one of, by now, a vast cohort of players who cited Serena as their inspiration for playing tennis. Venus Williams was, in the eyes of many, the favorite to win the U.S. In retrospect, this is a match Serena likely wishes she had back. Ahead 3–1 in Grand Slam titles, Venus defeated Serena in straight sets, less a competitive match than a prime-time acknowledgment that this tableau—two sisters raised in the same Compton home, batting back titles as if in a playful tennis rally—marked the most remarkable story in sports. Serena lost in three sets but served notice (at 110 mph) that she was already a formidable player. There have been moments in which she was in the wrong. And who did she meet in the third round? Open finals, a run punctuated by fearless tennis but perhaps best recalled for an ugly chest-bump incident with Romanian Irina Spirlea, a bit of foreshadowing that the Williams sisters' party-crashing would be met in some quarters with some ugly resistance. And for individual athletes, who travel a circuit and have no home field or court, there is also the issue of where to say when. Barring the unlikely—a caveat one must always include with Serena—she will

The U.S. Open will begin Monday with all eyes on Serena Williams, who recently said she's "evolving away from tennis" as she nears her 41st birthday.

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After winning 23 Grand Slam titles, Serena Williams begins what might be her final tournament Monday at the U.S. Open. The 40-year-old announced this month ...

That includes forays into business with investment firm Serena Ventures and entertainment via past acting roles and executive produced “King Richard,” the film about her father that was nominated for five Academy Awards. Open wins, plus three at the French Open, across a career remarkable for its peaks and its longevity. She’s also particpating in the

The 23-time Grand Slam champion could be playing her final singles match on Monday at 7 p.m. at Arthur Ashe Stadium. She also plans to play doubles with her ...

After that match, Arthur Ashe will host the first round men’s singles match between Australians [Nick Kyrgios](https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/28/magazine/tennis-us-open-electric-infuriating-nick-kyrgios.html) and Thanasi Kokkinakis. Then after winning a first-round match in the [National Bank Open](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/10/sports/tennis/serena-williams-canadian-open.html) in Toronto in early August, Williams appeared on the cover of [Vogue magazine](https://www.vogue.com/article/serena-williams-retirement-in-her-own-words), and in an article she shared that she planned to step away from tennis sometime after the U.S. Consider buying a night session ticket for Louis Armstrong Stadium and watching the Williams match on a big screen set up in front of Arthur Ashe. [In the second round](https://twitter.com/usopen/status/1562832865754517505), she would face the winner of [Anett Kontaveit](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/318425/anett-kontaveit) and [Jaqueline Cristian](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/320319/jaqueline-cristian). Eastern — the final day of the tournament, just before the men’s singles final. [set to play Danka Kovinic](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/25/sports/tennis/us-open-draw-serena-williams.html) in the first round of the tournament on Monday, with her match scheduled for 7 p.m. [ose in the first round](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/28/sports/tennis/serena-williams-wimbledon.html). Resale tickets in the midlevel of Arthur Ashe were selling for about $1,000 and up as of Sunday. 80 in the world. Tickets in the lowest level of the stadium were selling for more than $7,500 each. As of Sunday afternoon, the cheapest seats available on resale for Monday night in Arthur Ashe were well over $200 each and in the nosebleeds. Afterward, a large crowd of fans watched as she exited the tennis center complex in a black sport utility vehicle.

Women's tennis expert Jose Onorato has revealed his U.S. Open 2022 picks for what could be Serena Williams' final match.

Kovinic has lost four straight matches since the 2022 French Open in May, when she won her first two outings before losing to eventual champion Iga Swiatek in the third round. Open for the third consecutive year and fifth time in her career but failed to advance past the second round in her first four attempts. Open 2022 odds and released his coveted best bet for the Williams vs. Williams won her first U.S. A six-time winner at Flushing Meadows, Williams begins her quest for one final crown when she faces Danka Kovinic on Monday in the first round of the 2022 U.S. Williams claimed her most recent U.S. Now, Onorato has scrutinized the latest U.S. Serena Williams' glorious career appears to be coming to an end as the 40-year-old superstar is expected to retire at the conclusion of the 2022 U.S. Kovinic odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while Kovinic is a +290 underdog. Onorato grew up playing competitive tennis in Caracas, Venezuela. The over/under for total games is set at 20.5, with Williams favored by 4.5 games. Williams has won 23 Grand Slam titles, the most during the Open Era, and is one major championship behind Margaret Court on the all-time list.

The transcendent and transformative star of women's tennis faces Danka Kovinic Monday night in her opening match of the U.S. Open.

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NEW YORK -- The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center is filling up with smiling fans Monday as many eagerly await Serena Williams' first match in ...

"The U.S. "The ticket sales were off the charts before Serena's announcement. With the fun, comes tight security. It's a dream come true," said Taylor. Open is likely her final event. [announced her retirement](https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/we-will-miss-you-serena-absolutely-fans-react-to-serena-williams-plans-to-evolve-away-from-tennis/) and said this U.S. [New Jersey](https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/local-news/new-jersey/). Open and the fact that it's Serena's retirement, I can't believe it. [Serena Williams'](https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/tag/serena-williams/) first match in the [U.S. I have got to go to the U.S. [New York City](https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/tag/new-york-city) when they got tickets. Open](https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/tag/u-s-open/) women's singles tournament at 7 p.m.

Williams said earlier this month that she plans to "evolve away from tennis" after the U.S. Open. Each match could be her last.

[The new Jackson Hole consensus: A more volatile world is here to stay](/2022/08/29/jackson-hole-global-economy-volatile) The bottom line: Win or lose tonight — or at any other point during this tournament — Williams' legacy is already set in stone. Open, where she's reached at least the semis in each of her last 11 appearances. And after winning singles gold at the 2012 Olympics, she became the only player with a [lawsuit filed by Trump](https://www.axios.com/2022/08/22/donald-trump-fbi-search-lawsuit) last week seeking the appointment of a special master to review the materials seized and prevent the FBI from examining the seized documents until the special master is in place. [Mar-a-Lago](https://www.axios.com/2022/08/08/donald-trump-home-raided-fbi) home may be protected by attorney-client privilege, the Department of Justice said in a [court filing](https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763/gov.uscourts.flsd.618763.31.0_5.pdf) Monday. 1 rankings (man or woman). It could be the last time we ever get to see the GOAT in action. But despite reaching four finals since then, she remains stuck on 23. [rather unlikely](https://slate.com/culture/2022/08/serena-williams-retirement-us-open-expectations-legacy.html)for the 413th-ranked Williams. Make sure you're by a TV Monday night for Serena Williams' first-round match at the U.S. [earlier this month](https://www.axios.com/2022/08/10/serena-williams-retirement-us-open) that she plans to "evolve away from tennis" after the U.S.

Serena and Venus Williams are pairing up for what could be the final time as doubles partners at the US Open. Here's when they'll be playing.

As a doubles pairing, Serena and Venus Williams have won the US Open twice. Serena Williams has won the US Open as a singles player six times, most recently in 2014. The channels for the match will not be announced until a time and date are given. The time and day for the Williams' sisters match has yet to be announced. Though Serena Williams has not said outright that the US Open will be the final tournament, Serena Williams ranks tied for 413th and Venus is unranked.

While Williams did not exactly declare that the U.S. Open definitively would be her last tournament — she also is entered in doubles with Venus, who is 42 and a seven-time major singles champ herself — she has made it sound as if it will be. “Once Serena ...

There's a chance that by this time tomorrow, Serena Williams's singles career will be over. Serena will face Danka Kovinić tonight in her first-round match at ...

Watt left the team’s [preseason finale with a knee injury](https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/08/28/steelers-tj-watt-out-vs-lions-knee-injury-preseason). [first step toward unionizing the minor leagues](https://www.si.com/mlb/2022/08/29/mlb-players-association-seeks-minor-league-union). [was the latest example of how Scott Frost is in over his head](https://www.si.com/college/2022/08/27/nebraska-scott-frost-northwestern-cant-coach). … Hawai‘i won the Little League World Series [with a blowout over Curaçao](https://www.si.com/more-sports/2022/08/28/little-league-world-series-hawaii-beats-curacao). Commanders rookie Brian Robinson was [shot multiple times in an apparent attempted robbery](https://www.si.com/nfl/2022/08/28/washington-commanders-brian-robinson-shot-robbery-attempt). … Michigan made a somewhat unusual [decision about its starting quarterback job](https://www.si.com/college/2022/08/27/harbaugh-announcement-about-michigan-starting-quarterback). [Who Has Best Path to Title?](https://www.si.com/tennis/2022/08/26/us-open-2022-seed-reports) [American Men Who Could Make a Run at the U.S. And while Francoeur carved out a successful 12-year career in the majors, he never hit as well as he did during that first month in the bigs. … The AL Rookie of the Year race is down to two guys excelling [for teams that until recently had long been basement dwellers, Nick Selbe writes](https://www.si.com/mlb/2022/08/26/j-rod-rutschman-rookie-of-the-year-race). In 27 games in September and October, Francoeur batted .235/.273/.422. Women Who Will Set the Tone in New York](https://www.si.com/womens-tennis/2022/08/27/american-women-to-watch-2022-u-s-open-serena-williams-tennis) (She’s also competing in the women’s doubles tournament with her sister Venus.)

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. A banner of Serena Williams hangs over tennis fans as they walk through the grounds of the Billie Jean ...

Mom said she's been traveling from Boston to New York for the U.S. And why the daily program did not make mention of any other of the dozens of athletes in action, showing instead a montage of six images of Williams holding her six U.S. Look, this is a historic moment for the Williams family, for Serena and our sport,” said Stacey Allaster, the tournament director of the American Grand Slam event. That included more than 4,600 for Monday night alone, making it a sellout. “It is so difficult to really capture what Serena and Venus have done for the sport of tennis. Open trophies above the title: “Serena Williams, A Legacy of Greatness.” And why there was a sense of less importance for matches involving other elite players such as past U.S. “She's very motivated. Folks were there to watch, or just think about watching, Serena Williams swing her racket the way she did to “And now, she's ...” Which is why Monday mattered more than the usual Day 1 at a major tournament. She's done so much,” said Quintella Thorn, a 68-year-old from Columbus, Georgia, making her eighth trip to the U.S. As a woman.

In a new interview with Time magazine, Serena Williams spoke about the strides she's made in preparation for Monday's first-round match against Danka ...

Her return to the tournament was short-lived, however, when she [was ousted in the first round](https://nypost.com/2022/06/28/serena-williams-stunned-in-wimbledon-opener-after-year-away/) by Harmony Tan of France. In the weeks following her Wimbledon defeat, Williams announced her plans to retire after the 2022 U.S. I want to grow that family.” [will mark the final chapter in Serena Williams’ prolific tennis career](https://pagesix.com/2022/08/09/serena-williams-announces-shes-retiring-from-tennis/), which includes 23 Grand Slam titles. “A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. [In a recent interview with Time magazine](https://time.com/6208915/serena-williams-retirement-interview/), Williams spoke about the strides she’s made in preparation for Monday’s first-round match against Danka Kovinic after being sidelined for much of the past year due to injury.

Tennis player Serena Williams tosses the ball with her left hand, preparing to hit it Serena Williams and her signature serve. Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via ...

Love is why she’s giving herself one more chance, despite the physical limits of a 40-year-old body, to win the US Open instead of adhering to the old advice of how [athletes should leave the game](https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/best-athletes-to-retire-at-the-top-of-their-game/) while they’re at the top of the sport. Commentators and insiders called her “ [deluded](https://web.archive.org/web/20080821180813/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/tennis/article1292868.ece)” and out of shape; some [speculated](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/08/sports/ncaabasketball/08weight.html) that Serena, who had dominated tennis just a couple of years prior to her injuries, was over her listed 135 pounds and that the women’s top 10 had passed Serena by. And Serena won 15 more grand slam singles titles after 2007, the year she was supposedly done for. [watch the replay](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2Qea_uBBAU), it’s not entirely clear what she’s more mad at: that Sharapova took a swing at her or that she lost the point. In the first point of the sixth game, Sharapova, reeling from the onslaught of Williams’s serves and backhands, aimed a smash directly at Serena’s body (usually a no-no in tennis since you could hurt someone). Despite being unseeded and facing a tough draw full of talented players, Serena powered through the tournament, stunning her detractors in each round. Serena Williams and her sister Venus were not just beating the best players in the world — they won multiple grand slams before their respective 22nd birthdays — they were also playing a sport in which so many wanted to see them fail or count them out. At the time, tennis insiders and former players, including the great Martina Navratilova, continually dismissed the idea of racism against the sisters and insinuated that the backlash Serena and Venus received was their family’s fault. At the time, Serena was coming off a slew of injuries and entered the tournament unseeded. It’s easy to appreciate the greatness of Serena Williams: 23 grand slam singles titles, four Olympic gold medals, 14 grand slam doubles titles, and a “Serena Slam,” a non-calendar-year grand slam (winning the four major championships — Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open — consecutively). As they became more dominant, players and commentators had talked about how not only was their father Richard a bad influence, but also started circulating the unsubstantiated rumor that when the sisters played one another, they would decide in advance who would win. “To me that’s kind of the essence of being Serena: expecting the best from myself and proving people wrong.

The game-changing tennis player used her clothes as a statement of self and a weapon of change.

Williams jumped to actual Vogue in 1998, when she and her sister posed for the magazine in black and white Carolina Herrera, an appearance that heralded the start of a friendship with Anna Wintour, the Vogue editor (and tennis superfan), that has been by, Ms. Those “distractions” are in fact part of the bedrock of Ms. She even walked a Paris Fashion Week runway last March, for the [Off-White Virgil Abloh tribute show](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/01/style/virgil-abloh-off-white-paris-fashion-week.html). Flynn of Nike said, “the message.” It set off such a firestorm — the French officials deemed it a dress code violation — that her next outfit, a one-sleeve tutu worn to the U.S. “Of course, all of these semantics really just reinforce the white supremacy latent in the sport and justify the exclusion of any person or body that stands outside of the prescribed participants and audience. Ford said, in the style of “respectability politics,” to fit in. Williams’s honor, said that on a scale of 1 to 10 of involvement with her clothes, she is a 10. Williams knew “how many eyes and how many cameras were on her,” said John Hoke, the chief design officer of Nike, who has been working with her for almost 20 years. Literally, in the case of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, a.k.a. It was highly gendered, in the most stereotypical kind of way (this is a sport, after all, where until the late 20th century female tennis players wore frilly bloomers, like baby dolls, under their faux skirts) and very white. Williams in an array of evening gowns, was met with some head-scratching in the sports world, it should have surprised no one.

The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion is going out in style. Serena will don head-to-toe diamonds at the US Open.

On her feet, Serena will lace up a diamond-encrusted special edition of the NikeCourt Flare 2, the brand's latest statement tennis sneaker. Nike is also providing Williams with a matching jacket and tote bag for her arrival, each featuring affixed crystals meant to shine bright through the evening tennis match. Designed months ago through insights from Williams, the tennis icon will take the court in a figure skating-inspired dress.

Serena Williams begins what is probably her final U.S. Open with a first-round match against Danka Kovinic. Follow along for the latest updates.

… I’m just beginning." I would have to wait until it gets light. Sometimes I wake up at like 6:00 in the morning to go practice and it was too dark. “I once heard Althea Gibson, one of her best friends told me she wanted to see another African American win a Slam before her time is up. Sept. Open 10 times and won the title six times, in 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012-14.

She did things on her own terms and propelled herself to greatness, doing so in a sport that felt by design that it was off limits to Black people.”

I’ve been to the Cincinnati Open and I’ve been to the Miami Open. She is proud enough of her excellence to demand perfection of herself, and she has freed other women to do the same. I know she will shake things up when she is on the court. Sometimes when I’m in the bedroom and I hear her, I think something’s wrong. I had never been to a tennis tournament and had no idea that if a match is canceled, you don’t get your money back. It’s just amazing to see in the past decade how she is finally being adored for the treasure and icon she truly is. Just knowing her story and knowing how she had to advocate for herself, even to the physicians. [2007 Australian Open win](https://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/27/sports/27iht-web.0127tennis.4368100.html), where she was so heavily criticized for her weight and dedication to the sport. And I felt like I have to advocate for myself in the same way with my birthing story. It’s also in the fans she drew to tennis and the excitement she provoked among those who witnessed her greatness. When I was pregnant with my second child, John, I remember seeing her five-part documentary and watching her go through the whole birthing experience. Open is quite likely Williams’s last professional tournament, we asked readers to share personal memories of watching her play, and to tell of the emotions that she stirred.

The Sporting News is tracking live updates and highlights from the first-round match between Serena Williams and Danka Kovinic at the 2022 US Open.

After a few wobbles in the opening frame, Williams got it together, overcoming a 40-15 deficit to take the 1-0 lead. She strut to the right to meet Kovinic's shot then dropped an impressive shot to freeze her opponent. 7:50 p.m.: Kovinic takes the third game of the set. Then, Williams placed a perfect return that danced on the edge of the baseline. 8:11 p.m.: Williams got a 40-15 edge in the sixth game of the set and began to look revitalized. 8:27 p.m.: Set point for Williams and she flashes that fiery serve! But Kovinic showed a little more composure late and now leads Set No. But one thing is for certain: everyone will be watching. Only time will tell. And although the athleticism might have waned, Williams' desire for "the moment" hasn't. Perhaps a final major trophy is one dream that is too far out of reach. Williams hasn't won a major tournament since 2017 when she captured the Australian Open.

Williams will face Danka Kovinic at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows in New York City — the site of Williams' first U.S. Open win in 1999, when she ...

"She really is, probably for the first time in her life, an underdog" to win the U.S. "But boy, what a magical fairy tale story if she can come to New York and pull off some magic." "And she brought more people of color into the stands to watch as well." Open singles championships, the last in 2014. Open win in 1999, when she was 17. Open](https://www.npr.org/2022/08/09/1116474875/serena-williams-retires).

It's impossible to overstate Williams' contributions to the game. She's won 23 Grand Slam tournaments, the most of any player, male or female, in the Open era.

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Former coach Rick Macci on her unbelievable career: "There was something different about this child."

She wasn't even in the building coming from Compton, and her story is so amazing, but her perseverance to play for 25 years and to be No. Also, Serena and Venus Williams will start their doubles action on Wednesday, so fans will be able to also see her there. She wasn't even in the front row or the back row. She has transcended the sport. It has been a long, winding journey from beaded wonder kid to the 40-year-old Williams of today. Open when she was 17.

If this is the final time that the 23-time Grand Slam champion takes the court, she plans to go out in style.

[who wrote in a Vogue essay earlier this month](https://www.si.com/tennis/2022/08/09/serena-williams-announces-plan-to-retire-from-tennis) that she planned to retire from tennis, will open play at the U.S. On the laces of the sneakers, the word “Queen” will aptly be displayed. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Open title in 1999, at the age of 17. On her feet, Williams will wear a diamond-encrusted special edition of the NikeCourt Flare 2, the brand’s latest statement tennis sneaker. The outfit, which holds hundreds of encrusted diamonds, will feature a six-layer skirt, a nod to each of Williams’s prior singles titles at Flushing Meadows.

As well as Martina Navratilova, Mike Tyson, Katie Couric, Matt Damon, Spike Lee, Lindsey Vonn and Dr. Ruth Westheimer.

He added, “She has done so much to this generation of introducing tennis into their lives.” And on an off day for the Mets “She inspired so many young people to see that there’s no limitation,” Adams said of Williams before the match. Martina Navratilova, the former tennis star, brought her dog Lulu. [when she won the U.S. Mike Tyson, Katie Couric, Matt Damon, Anthony Anderson, Hugh Jackman, Spike Lee and Vera Wang were also taking in the match, as were Gayle King, the CBS News anchor, and the ski racer Lindsey Vonn.

In addition to her 23 grand slam singles titles, she has also won 14 women's doubles and two mixed doubles slams. Williams has won singles tournaments at ...

In doubles, Williams and her sister have comprised one of the best pairings in tennis history. In seven different years, she has claimed at least two different grand slam victories, more than the six claimed by Navratilova. Graff spent 377 weeks as the No. During her career, Williams has been the No. Win All told, that's a record of 1,075-192. She also became the first woman to win the career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles when she earned that medal. She has also only lost 25 times in the finals of women's tennis tournaments. In addition to her success at grand slam events, she also holds four Olympic gold medals. She first pulled off the feat when she won the 2003 Australian Open after winning the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open in 2002. In the open era, Williams stands alone. In the history of tennis, only one player has won more grand slam singles titles than Williams' 23.

Serena Williams has not played her final US Open match. In front of an electric crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Williams defeated Danka Kovinic in a 6-3, 6-3 ...

Williams will now move on to face Anett Kontaveit in the second round. On top of gunning for her seventh US Open title in women's singles, Williams will also be playing with her sister, Venus, in the doubles tournament. In the second set, Williams found more of a rhythm with her serve. It wasn't easy, but Williams felt like now was the best time to move onto other things. With a semifinals appearance in her last 11 appearances at Flushing Meadows, Williams has plenty of experience on her side. Williams closes it out with a dominant effort in the final game.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner moves on to face No. 2 Anett Kontaveit of Estonia.

In Williams’s guest box, her daughter, Olympia, 4, looked on with her Aunt Isha Price in a matching outfit with white beads in her hair — a nod to the beads her mother wore in winning her first U.S. And on the plaza outside, fans without a ticket to Ashe stood shoulder to shoulder to watch on an oversize screen. I don’t know how I’m going to be a part of tennis. Every layer of her outfit, as well as her hair, was covered with crystals. Will she retire at the conclusion of this U.S. After extending a warm handshake at the net, Williams executed her customary victory twirl as she acknowledged all four sides of the towering grandstands and blew kisses. The grandstands were packed, with nearly every fan snapping photos and selfies to preserve the moment as proof of being on hand for tennis history. At the end of this season? It was hardly smooth sailing for Williams, who has long been hailed as having the greatest serve in women’s tennis. “I feel so comfortable on this court and in front of everyone here. Then, amid a standing ovation, she remained on court for the U.S. She has never lost a first-round match at the U.S.

Six-time US Open champion Serena Williams defeated 80th-ranked Danka Kovinic, 6-3, 6-3, at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Monday night, opening what could be her ...

The pair is scheduled to open play against [Lucie Hradecka](https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=509) and [Linda Noskova](https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=6970) on Wednesday or Thursday. In an interview with ABC prior to the match, Stubbs said Williams was nervous but was still preparing for the match and the tournament with her same trademark intensity. [Anett Kontaveit](https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=2059) on Wednesday in the second round, in addition to playing doubles alongside sister Venus, whom she called her "rock" on Monday. On Monday, wearing a figure-skating inspired dress originally with six layers to represent all six of her US Open titles (but ultimately with four removed due to their weight) and matching diamonds in her hair, Williams glided around the court -- and twirled at the end -- and showed flashes of what has made her one of the all-time greats. "The practices have been really hard," Stubbs said on Monday. After a video narrated by Queen Latifah was shown summarizing her legendary career, Williams was introduced to the crowd as the "Greatest Of All Time" to loud cheers that continued during any break in the action throughout the match. "It was loud and I could feel it in my chest. After the match, Williams was celebrated with an on-court celebration, which featured Gayle King and Billie Jean King, as well as a "Thank you, Serena" video from Oprah Winfrey. "The reception was really overwhelming," Williams told reporters. "I feel so comfortable on this court, in front of everyone here. That's really all I can really do." [Serena Williams](https://www.espn.com/sports/tennis/players/profile?playerId=394)' expected retirement will have to wait, for another two days at least.

La estadounidense derrotó 6-3, 6-3 a Danka Kovinic y clasificó a la segunda ronda en su último US Open.

Serena Willliams reacciona durante el partido contra Danka Kovinic en la primera ronda del US Open, el lunes 29 de agosto de 2022 en Nueva York. (Charles Krupa ...

Lo hicieron varias veces más, ya que Williams mantuvo ese nivel en el segundo set ante Kovinic, una montenegrina de 27 años. En los primeros compases, Williams no lució bien. Se puso arriba 2-0, pero quedó abajo 3-2 en un parpadeo.

La estadounidense sortea a Kovinic en su estreno en Nueva York (doble 6-3) y posterga la retirada en una velada de récord en la Arthur Ashe: 29.402 ...

Artillería pesada para arropar a la leyenda, y todo el mundo en pie y apuntándola con el móvil cuando se costeó un 0-40 y se disponía a poner la rúbrica. Licenciado en Comunicación Audiovisual por la Universidad de Navarra. “Creo que es la hora”, concluyó emocionada la protagonista, que adelantó una suculenta exclusiva en cuanto se formalice estos días el definitivo paso de página. A pie de pista, el cineasta Spike Lee le acompañó en el fotograma inicial y desde las gradas lo presenciaban todo un largo listado de celebridades. Pero ha llegado el momento de evolucionar hacia lo siguiente, hay muchas otras cosas que quiero hacer”, expresó la plusmarquista del torneo (en la Era Abierta, a partir de 1968) junto a su compatriota Chris Evert, ambas con seis títulos. Engalanada con una capa y un vestido negro, salpicado de brillantes, la estadounidense recibió una ovación atronadora por parte de los 29.402 espectadores –récord histórico en una sesión nocturna en cualquier grande– que se congregaron para una cita de alto voltaje emocional. Del primer al último pelotazo de la norteamericana, que se sostuvo a base de oficio y esos chispazos de furia tan característicos: cuanto más cerca estaban las llamas, más certera era la respuesta. Poco antes de las siete y media de la tarde, la Arthur Ashe sufrió una sacudida monumental cuando Serena irrumpió en la pista. “Prefiero la palabra evolución”, puntualizó cuando se le mencionó la retirada, cerca de cumplir 41 años. La campeona de 23 grandes progresó, retrasó el adiós y, puño en alto, se la espera en el episodio de este miércoles, frente a la estonia Anett Kontaveit. Nunca olvidaré esto”, prolongó Williams, agasajada con un mosaico espectacular (”Te queremos, Serena”) en el mismo marco en el que capturó su primer major, en 1999, muy lejos ya, cuando derribó en la final a la suiza Martina Hingis. Así que la velada que tenía aroma a despedida definitiva –solo había ganado un partido esta temporada– se tradujo en un anticipo festivo del epílogo de la legendaria tenista norteamericana.

After 23 Grand Slam titles and 27 seasons since she became a professional tennis player, Serena Williams returned to the U.S. Open on Monday for what is ...

Open as she prepared for the birth of her daughter, Serena returned to the court later in the year and continued to dominate. The final was the last time Serena appeared in a Grand Slam final. She came into the final Grand Slam tournament of the year as the No. After losing in the ’09 semifinals, missing the tournament in ’10 and falling in the ’11 final, Williams made her way back to the championship by beating one of her now-storied rivals, Victoria Azarenka, in their first Grand Slam final meeting. The younger Williams ended up winning both in a 7–6(6), 7–6(7) victory. Williams made it back to the main event in ’08 as a No. 4 seed in the tournament after not reaching the U.S. 2 players in the world, Serena took down her sister for the third time that year in a 6–4, 6–3 win. Serena went on to win the ’03 Australian Open to finish off the first of two “Serena Slams” in her career. Williams won her first Grand Slam title (one of six she’d wind up winning at the Open) in just her second appearance at the tournament. She had captured two more Grand Slam titles at the French Open and Wimbledon earlier in the year, which helped her reach her first world No. While they faced each other in earlier rounds of the Australian Open and Wimbledon, the sisters had never met in a Grand Slam final until 2001.

Williams' slow start gave way to a dominant performance as she beat Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3.

It was far from a perfect set for Williams, but the grit and composure she showed in crucial moments was the difference: She saved eight of 10 break points against her and converted three of five break points against Kovinic. The ability to win while far from your best is vital, and Williams, in the biggest first-round match of her career, showed she absolutely still has it. Williams put 79% of her first serves in and won 93% of those points, up from 61% and 68%, respectively, in the first set. She broke Kovinic back in a lengthy sixth game to get back on serve at 3-3, and when given an inch, she took a mile, holding serve at love to take a 4-3 lead and then breaking Kovinic at love to get a game away from a first set win. It was yet another first round win at the US Open for Serena Williams, but it was far from just another first round win at the US Open for Serena Williams. In the second set, Williams committed just one double fault (she had five in the first set). Regardless of whether her time in Flushing lasts two more weeks or two more days, she will go out fighting with every ounce of energy she has. The perseverance and the courage to try to overcome all the factors working against her. When she clawed back to win that game and the next, the stage must have been too big for Kovinic. When Williams found herself facing two break points in the opening game, it must have been the nerves. In truth, there were no conclusions to be drawn from those early games. In a match of this magnitude, it was easy to make so much of every point, of every game.

Por la primera ronda del US Open, la estadounidense venció a Danka Kovinic por 6-3 y 6-3.

La montenegrina sufrió un 6-3 y 6-3 en el Arthur Ashe ante la ganadora de 23 trofeos de Grand Slam que fue apoyada en todo momento por los casi 30 mil espectadores que presenciaron el encuentro. Cabe destacar que, según informó la organización, este número de espectadores en la sesión nocturna fue todo un récord en el certamen. Serena Williams sabía que no jugaba un partido más.

En su primer partido del que se anticipa será su último Abierto de Estados Unidos — y último torneo de su asombrosa carrera — Williams se recuperó de un ...

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Serena Williams, playing in what is likely the final tennis tournament of her storied career, opened singles play with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Danka Kovinić ...

"I look forward to waking up and just being like, OK, I don't have to run to the court today," Williams said. I want to say thank you all," an emotional Snigur said. "I think when you're passionate about something and you love something so much, it's always hard to walk away," she said. "Maybe the best word to describe what I'm up to is evolution. "I'm going to stay vague because you never know." "I have never liked the word retirement.

olivertapia. (CNN) — Serena Williams, en el que probablemente sea el último torneo de tenis de su carrera histórica, abrió la competencia individual con una ...

Ganó el título individual femenino de Wimbledon en 2019. “Tal vez la mejor palabra para describir lo que estoy haciendo es evolución. Fue el primero de 11 puntos consecutivos para Williams. Ganó 33 de 43 puntos con su primer servicio. El mismo miércoles, Williams se enfrentará a la No. “La multitud estaba loca”, dijo.

Serena Williams lucirá unos zapatos con 400 diamantes estampados, con elementos de oro 24 quilates y un outfit brillante de cara a su debut en su último US ...

Las joyas saldrán de su propia marca de joyería ‘Serena Williams Jewelry’. Cabe destacar que los diseños fueron hechos por ella misma. Para ello Nike decidió crear un outfit exclusivo que usará Williams en el torneo y que destaca porque promete brillar tanto sobre la cancha como el éxito que ha tenido la tenista en su carrera.

Williams will face the tournament's No. 2 seed, Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, on Wednesday.

Did Kovinic even realize as she sprayed forehands wide and deep and into the net that she’d fallen into a classic Williams trap, abandoning the angles and spins that have won her matches before? And then another cannon serve hit her target down the center of the court and Kovinic couldn’t get it back, letting the crowd send up a roar as Williams squatted and pumped her arms. Later, a rolling backhand winner down the line got her to within a game of the victory. And on a heavy, late-summer New York evening, on the court where she captured her first Grand Slam singles title in 1999, it was enough to topple Kovinic, the sort of player Williams has rolled over in maybe an hour in so many early-round matches in so many other Grand Slams. She wore a black bedazzled jacket and headband and a wrap that flowed from her waist to her ankles. Williams made sure to show up for the party, and so did her daughter, Olympia, 4, who wore a matching outfit with her hair in beads evoking a young Serena, and nearly stole the show. But Williams did what she has done for a very long time. Kovinic settled in though, and two games later the match was tied. Williams pumped her fist and let the noise fall over Kovinic. Open to focus on having another child and on her [business interests](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/29/style/serena-williams-best-looks.html), though she was not shy about showing ambivalence about her decision. But Kontaveit has struggled of late, especially after a bout with Covid earlier in the year. Assuming she follows through with her plans to stop playing, Monday night’s win means the end of one of the most successful and influential careers in sports history won’t arrive until the second round of the U.S.

Serena Williams became only the fourth woman in the Open Era to win matches in her teens, 20s, 30s and 40s, advancing to the Round 2 of the 2022 US Open ...

A star-studded crowd inside Arthur Ashe Stadium was joined by throngs of fans outside during Williams's first-round U.S. Open match.

“Everyone has to grow old,” she said. Menuarn Burns, 74, a retiree from Shreveport, La., said she felt lucky to have tickets for the match, which she had been anticipating for days. As soon as she emerged into view, the fans began to scream and cheer while a dozen cameras followed Williams to the door of the courts. “I don’t know if she can win it all,” said Shayla Veasley, a certified athletic trainer from Harlem. Open since 1993 and said he would watch Williams and her sister Venus working out on the back courts at the U.S.T.A. “I think when I walked out, the reception was really overwhelming,” Williams said. 80, said it was so loud, not only could she not hear the ball coming off Williams’s racket, she couldn’t hear it coming off her own strings at times. “And the atmosphere out here is good. Williams had announced earlier this month that she intends to retire from tennis to concentrate on her family, her spiritual life and other ventures. — and an architect, as well — said that despite not getting inside the stadium, his family members were still enjoying the scene in the plaza. “It was loud, and I could feel it in my chest. The night had the same kind of electric feel to it as so many other highly anticipated and buzzworthy tennis events before it, from Billie Jean King’s bedazzling grudge match with Bobby Riggs to Pete Sampras’s U.S.

Williams met a valedictory night at the U.S. Open with a win that was fitting, and with a second-round match on Wednesday, the farewell party at Arthur Ashe ...

Kontaveit, an Estonian who resides in London and has the English accent to prove it, has a powerful baseline game but has reserved her best performances for lesser occasions. But Gauff, like King and so many others, was watching Williams on a Monday when the Open set a night-session record on the grounds with 29,402 paying spectators. Once a Monica Seles fan, she soon became a Williams fan after Serena and Venus turned pro in the 1990s. And as Williams approached the end of this first-round victory that no one was taking for granted this year, many of the spectators rose to their feet as she prepared to return Kovinic’s serve on match point, holding their phones aloft to capture the moment. And now we have Serena and Venus, who have passed the torch to like Coco, which is just amazing for Black women. In her early comeback tournaments, she had looked late to the ball and late to the realization that time is undefeated. It was a surprise to Williams, who sat courtside in her chair as Gayle King and Billie Jean King took turns offering tributes. That’s a tough feeling to have and to leave knowing the more you do it, the more you can shine. The stadium, once fully exposed to the elements and swirling winds, now features a retractable roof that has changed the acoustics and the airflow even when the roof remains open. She was asked if the idea of retirement was now causing her less pain. But win or lose, Williams was getting the ceremonial treatment in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Williams met a valedictory night at the U.S.

A steamy night in New York was weighted down with a ton of pre-match pomp and circumstance. But the champion pushed through and will play on.

She lost three games in a row to trail by 3-2 in the first set, uptight and short arming the ball. Williams simply hadn’t worked as hard at the game in the past couple of years as she once had, splitting her court time with mothering a 4-year-old daughter, and nurturing venture capital investments. Clearly, at some point in the past few weeks, Williams decided she wanted this match to be more than just a ceremony, and a terrible goodbye. “I have to go sweat in the sun every day when I could be at the pool with some lemonade.” She came out of the Arthur Ashe Stadium tunnel Monday night for the last big occasion of her career in a mock black evening-gown complete with cape and train — but she had on the black shoes of a boxer. “I’m terrible at goodbyes, the world’s worst.” Her tennis was guttural, louder than all of it, and the appreciative roars built from the crowd. “I’m out there to win a match.” “The atmosphere was a lot,” she said later. Williams has always had a special affinity for the Open — not just for the high hard bounces of its acrylic courts, but for everything else that’s hard about it. It was all so much: the ceremonial entrance, the blazing stadium lights and the weighty tributes to the all-time great made her seem prematurely a monument rather than a person. Still, maybe she could find the old inner vibration, the competitive rage that powered her to 23 Grand Slam titles.

Serena Williams, que anunció recientemente que está lista para retirarse del tenis y que sugirió que lo haría después del Abierto de Estados Unidos, ...

Serena y Venus conquistaron juntas catorce ‘grandes’ en dobles, incluidos los Abiertos de EE.UU. en el que participó, por ejemplo, otra leyenda del tenis como Billie Jean King. Pero creo que ahora es el momento”, afirmó Williams después del partido en un homenaje especial del Abierto de EE.UU. “Gracias, Serena”, “La más grande de todos los tiempos”, “Reina de la pista” o “Bienvenidos al show Williams” fueron algunos de los mensajes que la tenista pudo leer en los carteles y pancartas que llevaron sus seguidores. Con las gradas a rebosar, el público se volcó de lleno con Williams desde el momento en que puso pie en el estadio Arthur Ashe, la pista central del Abierto de EE.UU. Serena Williams, que anunció recientemente que está lista para retirarse del tenis y que sugirió que lo haría después del Abierto de Estados Unidos, superó este lunes a la montenegrina Danka Kovinic en la primera ronda de este Grand Slam.

Playing in what she says is her last tournament, Serena Williams summoned her signature fire to the delight of the crowd.

[Gayle King](https://time.com/5551293/gayle-king-interview/) hosted. [Oprah Winfrey](https://time.com/collection/100-most-influential-people-2022/6177763/oprah-winfrey-titans/) narrated a video. After she finished off that first set with two aces and serve up the middle—in the 16th point of a back-and-forth game—that Kovnic lofted into the net, Williams double pumped her fists. [Billie Jean King](https://time.com/6089843/billie-jean-king-interview/) herself said a few words, recalling the first time they met, in 1988, when Serena was six years old. But she’ll need much more magic against a tougher opponent, second-seeded Anett Kontaveit of Estonia, on Wednesday. The second set moved more briskly for Williams. A first round exit wouldn’t have damaged her legacy. Open threw a surprise tribute for Williams on center court. Open history, with a total of 71,332 spectators for the combined day and evening sessions. It was loud and I could feel it in my chest,” said Williams. The old dominance was also on show: she won the last eight points of the match to take care of business against her first round opponent, Danka Kovinic of Montenegro, 6-3, 6-3. After this last Open run, Williams has announced that she is walking away from tennis—and that includes competing in doubles with her sister Venus.

The tennis icon enjoyed an incredible post-match celebration after extending her farewell tour with a victory Monday night.

Oprah thanked Serena for everything from “bringing the house down” to “showing us what it means to come back” to “changing the face of the game” and “inspiring the next generation.” ESPN cameras panned around the venue to capture fans in the middle and upper decks holding cards spelling out the phrase “We (Heart) Serena”. Thank you for your leadership, and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, especially for women and women of color. With love, all of us.” [Serena Williams ](https://www.si.com/tennis/2022/08/30/serena-williams-memorable-us-open-matches-career)added another stop to her farewell tour Monday after defeating Danka Kovinić in straight sets to [advance to the second round of the 2022 U.S. “Most of all, thank you for sharing your journey with every single one of us.

Serena Williams won her first match of the 2022 US Open Monday night, defeating Danka Kovinic in a custom Nike outfit steeped in meaning that she "took a ...

14

Tournaments take the timing of a player's singles matches into consideration when scheduling doubles matches, so, if Serena Williams has a singles match ...

Williams is also competing in women’s doubles at the U.S. After Monday’s win, Williams moved onto the second round in women’s singles at the U.S. Serena Williams won Monday night at the U.S. They have won 14 Grand Slam championships in doubles as a team, most recently at Wimbledon in 2016,” ESPN reported. 2 seed at the tournament, Anett Kontaveit from Estonia. Her next singles match will be at an as-yet-to-be-determined time on Wednesday; many tennis experts predict it will be scheduled for the prime-time session Wednesday night.

NPR's A Martinez speaks with The Atlantic's Jemele Hill about the legacy of tennis phenom Serena Williams.

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Business experts think Serena Williams' impact off the tennis court could be just as big as her play on it.

31 on Forbes [' world's 50-highest paid athletes ](https://www.forbes.com/athletes/)list. Her older sister, Venus Williams, is the next highest earning female athlete ever with more than $43 million playing tennis, according to the [Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)](https://www.wtatennis.com/players/230220/venus-williams). "I think she can easily establish herself as a billion-dollar mogul in the fashion and media space within the next three years," Moses said. Open might be her last tournament in both an article on [Jarrod Moses](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jarrod-moses-18481378/), a marketing professor at Columbia University in New York, and founder of the sports and marketing agency, [United Entertainment Group (UEG)](https://www.uegworldwide.com/), thinks Williams can easily join the likes of [Tom Brady](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2022/05/10/tom-brady-fox-sports-analyst/9714644002/) with a multimillion-dollar sports network commentator deal. As tennis great Serena Williams takes the court again on Wednesday for likely her last U.S. "She knew that this was in her plans all along." The pair believe Williams has always been fiercely passionate about creating her own narrative. [US Open draw takeaways: Serena Williams could make a run; Rafael Nadal gets ideal matchups](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/tennis/open/2022/08/25/us-open-draw-takeaways-highlights-serena-williams-rafael-nadal/7894619001/) [Serena Williams and the never-ending struggle to balance work, family](https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/health-wellness/2022/08/16/serena-williams-tennis-retirement-family/10331340002/) [Serena Williams' case as the women's tennis GOAT isn't as airtight as you think ](https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/columnist/dan-wolken/2022/08/25/serena-williams-goat-us-open/7875476001/) [Nadia Vanderhall](https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiavanderhall/), the CEO at The Brands And Bands Strategy Group.