The US Open kicks off tomorrow and while the spotlight will be on reigning British champion Emma Raducanu, all talk in the early days will be about Serena Williams.
Will it be his last Grand Slam? Probably.
His final tournament? Probably too, although in her farewell letter in Vogue left the door a little open.
But most expect Flushing Meadows to be an exciting last cheer for the 23-time Grand Slam champion, 23 years after winning here at 17.
It’s a tennis story that will be told as long as the sport exists: how a poor black girl from Compton, Los Angeles, along with her sister Venus and coached by her father, became the greatest player ever to play this game.
He is arguably the greatest of all players, man or woman, someone who has transcended the sport for more than two decades.
Tennis commentator Annabel Croft believes there will be a lot of sadness at the end of this tournament.
“Most of the players have so much admiration for what they’ve achieved, for how they’ve taken women’s tennis to new heights, they’ve set the bar,” Croft said.
Williams will also be remembered for “the way she plays tactically and physically and even the charm she brought,” Croft added.
“She’s making her mark and there is a lot of sadness not to see her again. She had such an overwhelming record against her rivals that it was hard to say she had rivals because she had such a great record against all of them.”
Reigning champion Emma Raducanu has a tough match in the first round
A corridor leading directly to Arthur Ashe Stadium’s player entrance is lined with photographs of tennis greats and, winning or losing, players must walk through it to reach the locker room.
It tends to be a bit of a thrill if a player retires – cameras can come in and there’s nowhere to hide if you’re feeling overwhelmed, as Andre Agassi discovered when he said goodbye to tennis here in 2006.
He limped along this short stretch of carpet in a torrent of tears, trying to find his wife, Steffi Graf. The final of playing his last ever tennis match released a tremendous amount of pain. He was heartbreaking to watch.
Chances are there are even more tears from Serena, whose love affair with tennis has lasted her entire life, indulge in or take a few breaks here and there.
But could there be another chapter to write? Could this be Serena’s fairytale farewell to New York?
He is unlikely to even come close to that elusive 24th major title here because he has played so little tennis.
This could be Williams’ last ever tournament
She appeared at Wimbledon, losing in a dramatic first round match to Harmony Tan, and her hard accumulation since then hasn’t been noteworthy: a second round defeat in Toronto and a crushing first round defeat in two sets at Cincinnati at the hands of reigning US Open champion Raducanu.
For the British number one, it was a confidence-building performance just in time for her return to the scene of her life-changing 10-match run last summer.
And what a privilege to be able to say that I have shared a court with the great Serena Williams, who even at 40 and ranked out of over 400 in the world still has the greatest serve the women’s game has ever seen.
But what can we expect as the American legend “steps away from tennis” and moves on to the next stage in his life?
He will believe he has a chance to win this US Open because that is his modus operandi, and he has a winning match in the first round against world number 80 of Montenegro, Danka Kovinic.
And if Serena gets involved, who knows? But based on what he has seen this year, Croft thinks it is unlikely he will make it, noting that there will be “a lot of hype around her.”
Croft added: “I don’t know how much she enjoys playing tennis right now. I’m not sure how much energy she has left in her.”
Raducanu has had a difficult time since his historic victory. Image: AP
Raducanu knows all about the importance of momentum at Flushing Meadows.
A year ago, having passed the qualifiers, the little-known Briton stormed the draw, flying away fearlessly and without losing a set.
On the day of the final, Raducanu felt invincible. Superstar status came overnight, as did multimillion-dollar blue chip sponsorships, catapulting the Kent teenager to the top of Forbes’ tennis rich list with a fortune of £ 17.8 million, weighing her down with expectations. .
It was a tough first year on tour for Raducanu, who didn’t have time to adjust to his high status in terms of rankings, tournament level, opponent strength and audience perception, but Croft thinks he’s turned the corner. .
“The form we saw when she beat Serena and then Victoria Azarenka – those two straight wins will have given her tremendous confidence, probably just what the doctor ordered,” says Croft.
So there were some timely wins and Raducanu has a fun new coach in Dmitry Tursunov.
Williams lost in the first round at Wimbledon
The draw could have been a lot kinder, though: the world number 11 begins defending her US Open crown against experienced and talented French player Alize Cornet – almost the hardest draw she could have gotten.
As for the other Britons, Wimbledon semi-finalist Cameron Norrie continued his strong form on hard court and no one will want him on the other side of the net.
And Andy Murray made it into the top 50 just in time for his favorite slam.
Could you go for a run?
Croft says his self-esteem is unbelievable: “Sometimes his body just isn’t up to the point where his heart is when he’s fighting, but there’s no doubt it’s still there.
“He still believes he has an opportunity and will never enter a tournament without thinking he can win it.”
