Former World No 1 Serena Williams advanced into the second round of the US Open with a win over Danka Kovinic, in what is expected to be the final tournament of her long career.
The six-time US Open champion overcame her Montenegrin opponent 6-3, 6-3 in the first round at the Arthur Ashe Stadium to extend her farewell tour, having hinted at retirement earlier this month in an essay released by Vogue magazine.
The American did not exactly use the word retirement but had mentioned that she would be 'evolving away' grom the game.
Serena entered the court in a diamond-encrusted black dress and jacket to a rousing reception from a crowd that had gathered in huge numbers to witness the American star.
Her daughter Olympia was also seen in the stands cheering for her mother and wearing an outfit that resembled Serena’s. Olympia also spotted white beads on her hair, something similar to what Serena wore in her hair back in 1999 when she won her first US Open title.
The 23-time Grand Slam Slam champion looked far from her best and shrugged off a nervy start but with the backing of a hugely supportive crowd the 40-year-old managed to eke out a win against the 80-ranked player.
Serena's status as an iconic figure was on full display at the Flushing Meadows which hosted a lot of celebrities, including film actor Hugh Jackman and former US President Bill Clinton. Other big names present were film director Spike Lee, former US boxer Mike Tyson and tennis legend Martina Navratilova.
Serena’s win was followed by a small ceremony, wherein tennis legend Billie Jean King paid tribute to the American. She will next be seen in action against World No 2 Anett Kontaveit of Estonia.
Sporting World Reacts to Serena’s Us Open Appearance
Meanwhile, Serena Willaims’ first-round appearance at the US Open evoked social media reactions, especially on Twitter.
Many celebrities, including sporting stars let the world know of their exact feelings on witnessing one of tennis’ greatest stars.
19-year-old US tennis player and World No 12, Coco Gauff, a fan of Serena could not hide her emotions and tweeted, “we here. watching the . I love you @serenawilliams”.
World No 5 and 2022 Wimbledon runner-up in women’s singles, Ons Jabeur of Tunisia addressed Serena as ‘Queen’ and posted a picture of the American great.
US basketball star Lebron James also showed his support for Serena by posting, "Keep that serve going !!!! @serenawilliams #USOpen2022" on Twitter.
Serena Thanks Crowd Support
Following her victory, Serena Williams admitted how comfortbale she felt playing in front of her home crowd and thanked them for helping her pull through against Kovinic in the first-round.
"I always feel so comfortable on this court," she said. "When I step on the court I just want to do the best I can. The crowd was crazy. It really helped pull me through," Serena said post-match.
"It's been such a hard decision (to retire). Because when you're passionate about something, love something so much it's hard to walk away. I was just like all right, now's the time. There's other chapters in life. It's going to be Serena 2.0."
(With inputs from IANS)
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