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Some athletes have that certain edge. Calling it mental toughness just seems too simple.
Even in what was almost-definitely-but-let’s-tease-the-prospect-of-more her last match, Serena Williams showed that edge. Between points, she looked beaten. Then she’d manage one more scramble, one more powerful ground stroke, one more return. Ajla Tomljanović had to play brilliantly and show some fortitude of her own to defeat the supernatural force on the other side of the net.
Some athletes don’t get to go out on their own terms or show their best at the end of their careers. Assuming this really was Serena’s last appearance in a Grand Slam singles match, this was a fitting end. Even in defeat, her power and class shined through.
Bryan Graham has filed his report, and that’s all from here. Thanks for following along with this truly special match.
And now, the most difficult interview of Ajla Tomljanović’s career, as she somehow has to find the right words to pay tribute to Serena after sending her into retirement, before a crowd that is often unkind to Serena’s opponents.
“I’m feeling really sorry, because I love Serena just as much as you guys do. … This is a surreal moment for me.”
How did you handle the pressure?
“I just thought she would beat me.”
Good line. The crowd likes that one.
“She’s the greatest of all time, period.”
And she grasps the importance of Serena’s journey.
“I think she embodies that no dream is too big.”
Mary Joe Fernandez asks if there’s any way she’ll reconsider.
Serena laughs. Maybe leaves the door open just a crack. But it’s hard to imagine.
That was, in the most literal sense, a veteran going down swinging.
Serena is running the full gamut of emotions. A couple of tears. A smile in conversation with a tournament official. A bit of calm.
“Thank you, Daddy,” Serena says. “I know you’re watching.”
She says the word “Mom” before the tears take over.
“It all started with my parents, and they deserve everything.”
More family: “I wouldn’t be Serena if there wasn’t Venus. She’s the only reason Serena Williams ever existed.”
And her husband, and more relatives.
“It’s been a fun ride.”
Ajla Tomljanović defeats Serena WilliamsThere was just nothing left. Serena, facing another rally with a younger opponent who has been playing more regularly, hits into the net. It’s over.
What was Tomljanović thinking, and how did Serena Williams do that?
The ball trips over the net cord. It’s high enough for Tomljanović to smash it to bits. Instead, she tries a drop shot. Serena scrambles and catches it just before the second bounce. Tomljanović lobs, and Serena leaps … not only hitting but getting the winner. Break point.
Tomljanović expertly draws out the next rally, and this time, she smashes it. Deuce.
Then Tomljanović picks a good time for her third ace of the match.
Sixth match point …
Tomljanović faults. Serena pounces on the second serve, and Tomljanović hits meekly into the net. The Australian stares across the court, in disbelief either at her own wayward shot or whatever reserve gas tank is keeping Serena Williams standing into the fourth hour of this match.
Serena hits long again and adjusts her glittering headband.
And then …
Serena hits long. She didn’t need to do that, and she knows it. She’s too tired to be angry at herself.
Her next return goes wide, and people in the crowd ghoulishly raise their cell phones to capture the fifth chance at ending Serena’s career.
And Serena hits a forehand cross-court winner on the return. Deuce No. 6.
What must it be like to know that every swing of the racket could be your last in competitive singles tennis?
What must it be like to do that in front of a packed stadium with millions watching on TV?
Then what must it be like to see your opponent suddenly hit long and give you a break point?
Maybe Serena Williams can answer whenever this ends, three minutes or 30 minutes from now.
And a brilliant return. Deuce.
Fault. More unsportsmanlike cheers from the crowd, though in fairness, not many.
Second serve. Long return. Match point …
And still standing. One shot goes right on the baseline. A couple of shots later, Serena sends Tomljanović scrambling, and the return can’t get over the net.
Another good rally. And another Tomljanović forehand winner that leaves Serena standing dejected.
Another match point …
Not done yet.
Serena bends over almost in half, trying to find something. She returns well and conjures a winner. Deuce.
Two hours, 54 minutes.
Fault, Tomljanović. Serena tries to get a good return on the next one but just can’t move, hitting wide.
Second match point …
*Williams 5-7 7-6 1-5 Tomljanović – denotes next server)
Venus Williams applauds and yells, trying to will her sister into finding another gear.
Tomljanović takes the first point. Serena blasts a return down the line with a yell to even it up. But her body language doesn’t look good. The adrenaline surges seem to be temporary.
And yet, she won’t go away. She outlasts Tomljanović in a long rally. 15-30.
Tomljanović puts one in the corner, and Serena can’t move. 30-30.
Serena slugs it out. Back and forth.
Into the net.
Match point …
Williams 5-7 7-6 1-5 Tomljanović– denotes next server)
Forget the next match. Forget the tournament draw that I described three hours ago. Focus right here. If Serena Williams wins this match, it’ll be right up there with George Foreman somehow finding the power to beat Michael Moorer at age whatever-it-was.
Tomljanović catches Serena flat-footed twice. Break point at 30-40.
An exchange of shots that find the baseline. A drop shot or two. Serena hits just long.
Tomljanović is serving to send Serena Williams into retirement.
Picture time for our Australian readers.
Brooklyn Nets point guard Ben Simmons of Australia takes in the match. Photograph: Jason Szenes/EPA*Williams 5-7 7-6 1-4 Tomljanović – denotes next server)
How many times has Tomljanović double-faulted or made an unforced error up 40-0? She does it again here. On the next point, Serena’s return lands at her feet and barely on the baseline, and Tomljanović hits wide.
But Tomljanović hits a superb serve, and perhaps hoping to avoid another long rally, Serena hits it too hard.
Potentially two games away from the end of the GOAT’s career.
Williams 5-7 7-6 1-3 Tomljanović– denotes next server)
Boom, boom, drop shot, oops. 15-15. I’m no longer capable of writing complete sentences, and I ran out of superlatives about an hour ago.
At times, this match has been nearly mistake-free. It’s not any more. It couldn’t be. Not after this much time on the court. A double fault gives Tomljanović break point. If Serena loses this one, she’s in serious trouble.
Fault. Serve goes wide … no! It’s in! Ace, by a hair. Deuce.
This match is at the 2: 37 mark.
Good return. Serena miss. Break point. Service winner. Deuce again. Words fail.
Each player has won 100 points. I’ve burned 100 calories typing.
Double fault. Break point, again, and Tomljanović bounces up and down, practicing her swing.
Then another landmark point. Serena comes to the net, gets driven back, and then comes back again to finish it off. She’s 24-of-34 on net points. Tomljanović has barely been there.
Serve, return, unforced error.
Serve, return, smash … long! Tomljanović breaks!
If Serena pulls this one out … I’ll figure out how to finish that sentence later. Two hours, 41 minutes and counting.
*Williams 5-7 7-6 1-2 Tomljanović – denotes next server)
Tomljanović goes up 30-0 with relative ease before giving up a double fault. Her next two points, though, are routine.
Williams 5-7 7-6 1-1 Tomljanović– denotes next server)
If you’re going to make an unforced error, you might as well make it in spectacular fashion, and Serena does just that on the first point, inexplicably hitting one a mile high. Serena rebounds in the next point and then fires her 10th ace. Then a service winner. She suddenly looks less tired.
So close to another ace, but Tomljanović handles the second serve well and takes the point. Nothing is coming easily for Serena tonight.
Then an unforced error. Deuce. How long can this go?
Serena tosses the ball up but catches it. Her next serve is wide. Tomljanović blasts her next return to the baseline and wins a short rally. Break point.
Unforced error into the net. Back on serve.
Nick Kyrgios is up a break.
*Williams 5-7 7-6 1-0 Tomljanović – denotes next server)
More than 80 minutes for a set that looked like it would be over in 30.
So who gained more from that set? Serena, because she has the momentum? Or Tomljanović, because she made a 40-year-old opponent summon every bit of energy should could find.
And now we have deuce. I’M tired, and I’m sitting at a desk.
Ad Tomljanović. Deuce, as Serena gets to two straight lobs.
Tomljanović hits long. Break. Did Tomljanović just squander her chance? Or can she come back for the third straight set?
Quick search of the vast wasteland of Twitter turns up an unexpected gem:
Go Serena Go you go girl Mr October rootin hard for ya
— Reggie Jackson (@mroctober) September 3, 2022
(Aside to those under 40 – Reggie Jackson was a great baseball player who did his best work in the postseason.)
Serena Williams wins the second set 7-6Tomljanović serves, and these two may be the biggest of her life. A long rally ensues. Serena has faltered in these so many times tonight. Tomljanović has her on the ropes. Somehow, some way, Serena fires one from the corner up the line and wins the point. Tomljanović looks stunned. 6-4. Set point.
Tomljanović serves. Fault. Serena pounces on the second. 7-4. Set.
Hey guys – am I getting paid by the word?
Tomljanović serves, and it’s right down the middle. Serena hits long. 4-3.
Williams serves, Tomljanović’s return hits the baseline. Another shot hits the baseline, and Serena can only get it back as far as the net. 4-4
Williams serves, and it’s an ace. 5-4. 117 mph, the fastest of the match, ESPN tells us.
Williams serves, and I have no idea how Tomljanović got a racket to it. It doesn’t matter, because Serena has plenty of time to run forward and smash it. 3-1.
Williams serves, Tomljanović returns, Serena hits the winner. 4-1.
Tomljanović serves, and Serena’s return hits the net cord and falls backward. 4-2. Changeover.
Tiebreaker
Williams serves. Good first serve, but Tomljanović returns well. It’s a short rally, thanks to Serena’s perfectly placed cross-court shot, catching Tomljanović going the other way.
Tomljanović serves. Serena can’t return it.
Tomljanović serves. Serena can return it, and an unforced error puts Serena up 2-1 with the minibreak.
Williams 5-7 6-6 Tomljanović (going to tiebreaker)
Perhaps the most important game of this match starts with a long rally in which Serena seems to have a slight edge before hitting just wide. Tomljanović then double faults. It’s a fault on her next serve, and again, the crowd gives some unfortunate cheers.
The next rally, though, is as good as it gets. Serena moves Tomljanović from side to side and approaches the net. Tomljanović responds with a wicked slice – a bad thing on the rare occasions I’m playing golf but a thing of beauty here. So is Serena’s response, a precise hit down the line.
Tomljanović comes back, hitting the line. Game point.
Serena hits long. We’re going to a tiebreaker. Serena was up 4-0 and racing. Now this.
Williams 5-7 6-5 Tomljanovićdenotes next server)
After Serena wins the first point with a yell, ESPN relays the stat that each player has won 74 points. Serena goes up 75-74 with a drop shot. More importantly, 30-0.
And then it’s 75-75 and 30-15 as Serena hits wide.
Then it’s an ace. Her eighth.
Then it’s a powerful second serve that gets Serena back on track.
*Williams 5-7 5-5 Tomljanović denotes next server)
Serena adjusts nicely after a Tomljanović shot catches the net cord to win the first point, and after the Australian answers, Serena takes a rare win in a long-ish rally. Not on the next one, and it’s 30-30.
Remember when Serena was serving to go up 5-0 in this set. Now she’s pressing, and she jams a return straight into the net after failing to move her feet into position. The net cord deflects a Serena shot on the next point out of play, and we’re still, incredibly, on serve.
Williams 5-7 5-4 Tomljanovićdenotes next server)
While we were having a test of endurance at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Caroline Garcia was closing out Bianca Andreescu, the 2019 champion.
Back on the main stage, this game is much shorter. And it’s shocking. Serena is just losing the ability to hang in these rallies, and with pressure mounting, a double fault gives Tomljanović the break.
We are, astoundingly, on serve.
I still think Serena wins tonight. But this is taking a lot out of her.
*Williams 5-7 5-3 Tomljanović denotes next server)
Oh my, what a return from Williams to stave off game point. Fifth deuce. The next return, though, is long, and I’m running out of “buts” and “thoughs” to describe this epic game.
Second serve, Serena dominates the rally, and it’s deuce. Again. Serena wipes her brow on one of her long sleeves. Imagine if this game was being played in the midday heat.
Ad-Tomljanović. Again. Great return and overhead volley for Serena, again. Deuce, again.
The 19th point of the game is a double fault. Set point for Serena, again.
Tomljanović asks the umpire to quiet the crowd. “Not a good idea,” the commentators say. But she wins the next point. Deuce, again. That’s number eight. Is that enough? It’s a long rally, and you can guess who wins that one.
But it’s an unforced error from Tomljanović prolongs the action. Her next serve is a fault, and this time, the crowd noise is absolutely excessive. Show some class, folks.
Tomljanović hangs in to win that point, and at last, she converts.
It’s still unlikely that Tomljanović is going to win this set. But that game just improved her odds of winning the third unless Serena has some magic elixir to regain her energy. (Or crowd noise.)
*Williams 5-7 5-2 Tomljanović denotes next server)
She might be fatigued, but Serena can still anticipate and cover the court. She does so to get to a drop shot and manages to return the next one as well. Tomljanović wins the point, but it’s a signal that Serena still has some moves in addition to that power.
And for once, Serena lets a lob – the second of the point – bounce in front of her for an easy smash. John McEnroe is happy with it, and Serena has break point/set point.
The long rallies, though, still favor the younger legs, and Serena gives up the opportunity on an unforced error. But Tomljanović returns the favor and hits long on the next point, a couple of shots after landing one on the baseline, and it’s set point again. Serena returns brilliantly, but it’s just wide.
With that, Serena goes over for a towel break. It helps, taking Tomljanović out of her service rhythm and refreshing Serena for a successful net approach.
But these games just aren’t ending. Deuce, again, on an unforced Williams error. Tomljanović then hits her best second serve of the match, forcing a return error.
And yet, Tomljanović can’t close it out, either, hitting long far too early in the rally. Deuce, and I’m rolling over to another post.
Williams 5-7 5-2 Tomljanovićdenotes next server)
One advantage Serena will have in this tournament that she would not have on the typical tour stop is rest, and she clearly needs it. She seems to running here on surges of adrenaline. After each point, she’s slowly resetting herself and catching her breath.
And perhaps that accounts for a couple of errors that let this game get to deuce.
At deuce, though, she serves well, comes up to the net, easily puts away Tomljanović’s return and roars. Literally.
And again on the next point to close out the game.
All the momentum is behind Serena now, but what will she have left for the third set? Will these long games take anything out of her?
Next door, they’re heading for an earlier finish. Carolina Garcia is up 6-3, 4-1 against Bianca Andreescu. The only other match in progress is in its third hour, with 29th-seeded American Alison Riske-Amritraj and China’s Xiyu Wang on serve in the third set.
*Williams 5-7 4-2 Tomljanović denotes next server)
Tomljanović quickly takes three points, but Serena digs in for a return that puts her back on her seat. No problem on the next point, though, as Tomljanović puts a textbook backhand out of Serena’s range.
So we had four straight games for Tomljanović, then four straight for Serena. Could we have four straight again? That would necessitate a break and a hold.
Williams 5-7 4-1 Tomljanovićdenotes next server)
Tomljanović tries a net approach this time and gets a good shot out of it, but Serena returns and wins. An unforced error makes it 15-15; an unreturnable ground stroke makes it 30-15.
But Tomljanović can certainly return, especially on Serena’s second serve, and she hits a winner to make it 30-30.
Then is Serena rattled? Her first serve is a let, and there was a delay in calling it. She puts her hand to her head. Pauses. Ace. Guess not.
Again, though, Tomljanović returns well and earns break point. Serena erases that one quickly, but she finds herself in another long rally, and it goes the way of the younger player. (In case you missed it, that’s not Serena.) Another break point, and this one is converted.
Serena Williams falls to the court on a difficult return. Photograph: Corey Sipkin/AFP/Getty Images*Williams 5-7 4-0 Tomljanović denotes next server)
Up 30-15, Tomljanović double faults, then folds. On break point, she hits meekly to the net, where Serena is waiting.
Williams 5-7 3-0 Tomljanovićdenotes next server)
Consider Serena duly awakened. That hold was as routine as watering your plants.
Next door, Caroline Garcia rattled off a few games in a row to take the first set against Bianca Andreescu 6-3.
*Williams 5-7 2-0 Tomljanović denotes next server)
Tomljanović opens with an ace and goes up 30-15. But Tomljanović is no longer playing the error-free tennis she played in much of the first set, and she drops the next two to face break point.
And after a few failed net approaches, Serena masterfully deflects a shot down and just barely inside the line. Break.
Williams 5-7 1-0 Tomljanovićdenotes next server)
Serena’s serve was angry that day, my friend, like the sea tossing George Costanza away from the great fish, er, whale. A couple of rockets, and it’s 40-0.
Then a couple of errors, including a double fault, and Tomljanović is right back in it after catching Serena at the net and unprepared. Deuce.
A good rally puts Serena back up, but she is once again caught flailing at the net, stretching just to get any part of her racket on the ball.
The serve, though, is still a potent weapon when it’s on target. Two quick points, and Serena has held, winning her first game since she was up 5-3 in the first.
Ajla Tomljanović wins the first set 7-5Tomljanović again elicits a Serena error. 30-0.
Then she hits a service winner. 40-0, triple set point. If Serena hasn’t felt any pressure thus far in this tournament, she’s feeling it now.
The GOAT hangs in to win the next rally. Tomljanović, who has made very few mistakes, makes one on that point and the next. 40-30.
No mistake on the next. Tomljanović paints the line, and Serena is flat-footed. First set over, and the crowd’s anxiety is palpable.
Ajla Tomljanović is putting up fierce resistance. Photograph: Jason Szenes/EPAWilliams 5-6 Tomljanovićdenotes next server)
I’m not a coach, but now McEnroe is saying what I said earlier – wait for it to bounce, then smash it. Serena goes for the volley while she’s far over to one side of the court, and Tomljanović just anticipates it and hits into an acre of empty space. The big serve is missing now, and Serena falls behind 15-30. Tomljanović runs Serena around the court on the next point and earns two break points. She throws away the first with an unforced error, but she leaves Serena frozen with a well-placed drive to complete the break.
This isn’t happening, is it?
*Williams 5-5 Tomljanović denotes next server)
The longer the rally, the better chance Tomljanović has. And now she’s finding her serve, coming back from 15-30 with a long rally, a well-placed serve that Serena returns weakly, and a surprise ace.
Williams 5-4 Tomljanovićdenotes next server)
Tomljanović doesn’t look at all like she’s going to win this one, but this is some quality tennis with some scintillating rallies. After Tomljanović outlasts Serena, the 40-year-old seems to breathing heavily and taking her time before serving again. But she comes back to win at the net once again with a drop shot that leaves her opponent frozen. Tomljanović goes up 15-30, then watches an ace drilled down the center line. So nearly a second straight ace, but a fault is called, and the net cord is unfriendly to Serena.
Break point. Can Tomljanović, improbably, stay in this?
Yes! Serena hits long. And I have again written the final story too early. This is why I don’t bet.
Russell Wilson and Ciara take in the match. Photograph: Jason Szenes/EPA*Williams 5-3 Tomljanović denotes next server)
And now it’s a masterclass. Serena wins with her service returns. She wins by coming to the net. She just wins, breaking Tomljanović at love.
Tennis has big momentum swings at times, but we might be able to check out some other matches before dark if this keeps up.
Williams 4-3 Tomljanovićdenotes next server)
Easily Tomljanović’s worst game of the match so far, misfiring wide and long and making it all too easy for Serena.
Spike Lee photo follows – we’ve also seen Seal and Russell Wilson. Don’t athletes focus on their own sports in-season any more? (Wilson, not Seal.)
Spike Lee rocks a crimson sportcoat and basketball cap with white stripes. Photograph: Mike Segar/Reuters*Williams 3-3 Tomljanović denotes next server)
Not to second-guess the GOAT, but is there anything wrong with letting Tomljanović’s lob bounce before trying to smash it away? Serena tries the volley instead and ends a 21-shot rally with an unforced error into the net.
Maybe she’s pressing too hard? At 15-30, she hits Tomljanović’s second serve quite hard – too hard, and it sails long. Serena gets another point to make it 30-40, but Tomljanović does quite well to close out the game. Crafty player, she is.
Williams 3-2 Tomljanovićdenotes next server)
An ace, a double fault, and a win in a long rally in which Serena dealt well with an effective lob, and Williams holds.
I will be looking carefully for a picture of Spike Lee’s suit.
Serena Williams returns very close to the net. Photograph: John Minchillo/AP*Williams 2-2 Tomljanović denotes next server)
Say this for Tomljanović, though – if she can just avoid having a second serve blasted past her, she can hold her own here. She wins a long rally here and then lands a well-placed first serve to force an error and hold at love.
Williams 2-1 Tomljanovićdenotes next server)
I’ve seen three replays of the lob Tomljanović hit over Serena at 0-15, and I still don’t see how it was out. But we’re not here to argue with infallible technolehjkaeme23hb h.
Anyway, Serena holds at love.
*Williams 1-1 Tomljanović denotes next server)
Ah, now we know why Tomljanović elected to receive. Her serve is nothing if not intimidating, and it is not intimidating.
As she did in her last match, Serena is happy to blast an opponent’s second serve across the court. She hits a clean winner to set up three break points. She only needs one.
Williams 0-1 Tomljanovićdenotes next server)
Tomljanović won the toss and elected to receive. Someone smarter than I am will need to explain why that’s a good idea. Serena’s serve has occasionally faltered here, but it’s not something you want to face when she’s dialed in.
But early on, it’s not. Serena misses her first five first serves, and though she wins a point with a nifty angled drop shot at the net, she faces two break points.
On the first, she gets her second serve in, but Tomljanović easily returns, and after a brief rally, Serena hits one long. An early break for the Croatian-Australian.
Quick aside for our Australian readers: Nick Kyrgios faces American J.J. Wolf at Louis Armstrong Stadium (the second biggest after Arthur Ashe) after the aforementioned Andreescu-Garcia match.
Who is Ajla Tomljanović?
Basic facts:
She was born in Croatia but has switched her nationality to Australia.
Her top career singles ranking is 38th, set in February of this year. She’s currently 46th.
She has reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon two straight years.
Her favorite city to visit is … Charlotte, N.C., maybe not the world’s biggest tourist destination but a place where she has some family.
She made her WTA main draw event in 2009 and cracked the year-end top 100 in 2013.
Her father played handball. (For American readers who don’t follow the Olympics, we mean the kind with nets, not walls.)
Her best tennis memory was her first time on the court with Chris Evert, so it’s a little unfortunate that Evert is absent from the broadcast booth tonight. Mary Jo Hernandez is up there with John McEnroe and Chris Fowler.
Pre-match pomp and circumstance is ending. Here we go …
Meanwhile, in men’s tennis …
Top seed Daniil Medvedev once again has the dubious honor of trying to follow Serena at Arthur Ashe Stadium, facing Yibing Wu and reminding me of when I saw Cheap Trick in top form opening for an indifferent Robert Plant.
But like the women’s draw with Serena, the men’s draw’s highlight is the progression of fellow veteran Rafael Nadal, who advanced today despite bashing himself in the nose.
It’s as if women’s tennis was taking place in some alternate timeline, and Serena followed Spock through a time wormhole or whatever it was that made it possible for Leonard Nimoy to appear in the Star Trek reboot.
None of these players have ever played Serena.
Not Danka Kovinic, Serena’s first-round opponent here. Not Kontaveit. Not Tomljanović, tonight’s opponent.
Not Samsonova or Krunic (first names will be at the end of this post), her prospective fourth-round opponents.
Not her prospective quarterfinal opponents, fifth seed Ons Jabeur and 18th seed Veronika Kudermetova, who have already won their third-round matches.
Not even top seed Iga Świątek, a two-time French Open champion who’s less accomplished on hardcourts.
If these players were up-and-coming prodigies with youthful swaggers that make them impervious to the Serena mystique, maybe they’d have more of a chance. Kontaveit gained confidence for a while, fighting back in the first set to force a tiebreaker and then rolling past Serena in the second set, but it always seemed as if Serena was just catching her breath before unleashing the fury in the third.
But with the exception of the 21-year-old Świątek, these are veteran players who know they’re supposed to be intimidated, and they are, even if Tomljanović has come up with a novel way of blocking out the crowd that already annoyed her when she was playing several courts away.
(This is a home-court advantage of a type rarely, if ever, seen in tennis. On occasion, a handful of people have cheered opponents’ service errors, but for the most part it has been an appreciative crowd – and Serena herself once shut down fans who grumbled about a line call, an unusual complaint in a tournament whose line calls are judged electronically.)
The most interesting bracket right now would determine a potential semifinal opponent for Serena. Coco Gauff defeated Madison Keys in a matchup of younger US players inspired by the Williams sisters. In Louis Armstrong Stadium tonight, 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu faces a solid player in Caroline Garcia.
Serena still has to win five matches to match Margaret Court’s record of 23 Grand Slam victories, a mark set in an era in which the field of competition was nowhere near as vast as it is today. Streaks end, and Serena’s might come to a close before she has a chance to play that dream final. But there’s no one in this field who makes you think, “Yes, THAT is the person who will beat Serena.” Not after seeing Williams play Wednesday as a supposed underdog who thoroughly outclassed the world’s No. 2 player.
(Those first names: Liudmila Samsonova and Aleksandra Krunic.)
Could Bianca Andreescu stop Serena? We’d have to wait a while to find out. Photograph: Danielle Parhizkaran/USA Today SportsSpare a thought today for those in the world-enveloping field of sports betting.
If you had bet on Serena Williams before Monday, chances are your purchased your ticket at 50-1 odds. Now she’s in the 14-1 range. And doesn’t THAT seem a little too skeptical, given the way she has marched through these first two rounds?
We have to ask at this point – who’s going to beat her?
Defending champion Emma Raducanu? Out in the first round.
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina? Also out in the first.
Second seed Anett Kontaveit? Lost on Wednesday to somebody … oh, right … Serena Williams.
How about two-time champion Naomi Osaka, like Serena a player whose recent lack of activity and success belies her ability? Nope. Out in the first.
Also out in the second round: Third seed Maria Sakkari and fourth seed Paula Badosa.
All told, only six of the top 11 made it to the round of 32.
Tonight, Serena plays Ajla Tomljanović, the 46th-ranked player in the world. Should she win that one, she’ll face the winner of a match being played all the way out on Court 17 between 35th-ranked Samsonova and 96th-ranked Krunic. Bonus points if you know their first names. Answers in the next post. This one is already my longest of the week because I’m essentially describing a cosmic alignment not seen since the Harmonic Convergence of 1987.
The bad news for Serena is that she and Venus Williams lost their doubles opener Thursday night. But that just means more rest for someone who’s at the age at which men start buying flashy cars to compensate for their receding hairlines and dad bods. (Not me. I have a sensible car.) She can focus on smashing her way through a succession of opponents whose resumes compare to Serena’s about as well as my book sales compare to that of children’s author Dav Pilkey. (Yes, I’ve been working in a library recently, and I have sneaker tracks on my back from all the kids stampeding to grab the latest Dog Man books.)
Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s Merlisa Lawrence Corbett on Venus and Serena’s joint farewell last night.
Serena Williams often says there would be no her without Venus. So if this was indeed their last tournament together, it is fitting that they went out in the doubles on Thursday night in the same manner as they arrived more than two decades ago: as a team – The Williams sisters.
After they retire officially, you’ll find them on the pages of sports, business, health, fitness and fashion magazines. The Williams sisters transcend sports. They’ve obliterated records, broken barriers and precedents to the point that little is left for proteges like Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka. The chance to become the first black woman to win a career grand slam? Gone. The first black woman to win Olympic golds in singles and doubles? Gone. The first black women to win grand slam titles in singles, doubles and mixed doubles? Gone. The first black women ranked No 1? Gone.
What’s left is a sports legacy unequalled in its impact and cultural significance. The Williams sisters changed how the game is played and who is playing the game. Forty-one years passed between Althea Gibson winning her last grand slam title and Serena winning her first. Today, four black women playing at this year’s US Open have a combined 35 grand slam singles titles.
Venus has five Olympic medals (one silver, four gold), the most won by any tennis player, male or female, in the Open era. Serena ranks second, with four gold medals. They are a perfect 14-0 in grand slam doubles finals. Black women – Serena (23), Venus (seven) and Osaka (four) – hold the top three spots on the list of most major titles among active female players. There were more black women in the main draw at the 2022 US Open than there were African Americans in last year’s World Series.
Venus and Serena have reshaped the tennis landscape to such an extent that it’s easy to forget what it looked like before they arrived. Women’s tennis matches were rarely played in US primetime before Venus and Serena. Billie Jean King fought hard for equal prize money at the majors. But that didn’t happen at all four grand slam events, until Venus and Serena started drawing mega television ratings.
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