On a fun night in New York full of hope and excitement, Serena Williams prolonged her US Open farewell with a tough opening victory.
Williams defeated Danka Kovinic of Montenegro, winning 6-3 6-3. Williams will retire after the competition.
A nearly full 25,000-person Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd yelled at their hero, who reacted with trademark tenacity.
On Wednesday, Williams, 40, will face Anett Kontaveit, the second-seeded Estonian.
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The 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, who is one short of Australian Margaret Court’s all-time record, is also playing in the doubles alongside older sister Venus, adding another exciting element to what she hopes will be a long goodbye this fortnight.
Her first assignment was beating Kovinic, ranked 80th in the world, and there was a thunderous noise when she took the first of three match points to ensure her singles career was not over yet.
Williams jumped on the spot when Kovinic’s backhand return hit the net, then twirled ecstatically in the centre of the court before blowing kisses to her adoring fans when she had returned to her seat to soak in the occasion.
On how occasions like this affect her plans, she said: “It’s extremely difficult still because I absolutely love being out there.
“The more tournaments I play, I feel like the more I can belong out there. That’s a tough feeling to have, and to leave knowing the more you do it, the more you can shine.
“But it’s time for me, you know, to evolve to the next thing. I think it’s important because there’s so many other things that I want to do.”
