Serena Williams Set For US Open Farewell Tour
Women’s tennis legend Serena Williams will kick off what appears to be her last event on Monday at the US Open, where she will headline the opening night in a first-round clash with Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic.
Williams, 40, will look to beat Kovinic in their first career match-up in front of more than 23,000 fans at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York, where she has won 6 of her 23 Grand Slam titles.
The American, who announced her forthcoming retirement from tennis three weeks ago, missed last year’s US Open with a leg injury and only returned to singles action at Wimbledon in June.
“I definitely will be very emotional,” Williams, who is also playing in the doubles competition with older sister Venus, said on the debut episode of Meghan Markle’s ‘Archetypes’ podcast that was released last week. “How am I not gonna cry?
“Maybe if I hopefully can get through a couple of matches, then maybe I’ll feel better but I think initially it’s going to be hard because every time I step out there, it’s literally my last time.”
Kovinic, 27, has lost her last five matches. However, the Montenegrin may fancy her chances in the encounter given the recent form of Williams. Since announcing her pending retirement, the American has lost every match she has played.
The Montenegrin advanced to the third round at both the Australian Open, where she beat Britain’s Raducanu in the second round, and French Open where she delivered a valiant performance in a losing effort against world number one Iga Swiatek.
Chidi Nwoke/Reuters.
