CNN
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It was a performance that had Tiger Woods on his feet and pumping his fist – a sight typically seen on the 18th hole of a golf course, rather than the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Serena Williams reached the third round of the US Open in what could be the last singles tournament of her career, beating Estonian second seed Anett Kontaveit 7-6 2-6 6-2 on Wednesday night.
Williams was cheered on and encouraged at every point by the packed home crowd. This included Woods, who watched the drama unfold with his partner, Erica Herman, from Williams’ player box.
“It was a privilege to watch greatness. Congratulations @serenawilliams,” the 15-time major champion tweeted After the game.
Later, Williams paid tribute to Woods and his influence on the later stages of his tennis career.
“He’s one of the reasons I’m here, one of the main reasons I’m still playing,” she told reporters. ” We talked a lot. He was really trying to motivate me. There are a few people, but we were like, ‘OK, we can do this together, you know?’ »
Woods wasn’t the only sports great to offer words of encouragement. “Not done yet @serenawilliams,” tweeted Steph Currywhile fellow NBA star Chris Paul said he had “never seen anything quite like what Serena Williams does…I’m a fan and enjoying every minute of it.”
After announcing last month that she will “be moving away from tennis” after this year’s US Open, Williams’ farewell to tennis has clearly captured the imagination of the sporting world at large and beyond.
“Thank you @SerenaWilliams for inspiring people around the world with your talent, grace and determination on and off the court,” tweeted Vice President Kamala Harris. “We celebrate all that you have been, all that you are and all that is to come.”
Williams, who is trying to win her 24th Grand Slam singles title, will face Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday in what will be her first third-round match at a Grand Slam since Roland Garros last year.
And despite missing the game for the past 12 months, the 40-year-old showed on Wednesday that she still has what it takes to beat the best players in the world. According to ESPN, Williams has now won 23 of his last 25 games against top-two ranked players – a streak dating back to 2007.
“I’m playing pretty well,” she said. “I trained really well, but it didn’t translate into games.
“But, you know, now it’s getting closer, I guess. I mean, I had to collect it today. It worked.
When asked after the match if she could win the tournament, Williams said she “can’t think that far ahead.” It would be her first Grand Slam title since the 2017 Australian Open and would tie her to Margaret Court’s all-time singles record.
The raucous crowds at Arthur Ashe Stadium showed they were ready to steer Williams in that direction in their first two games – an added challenge for anyone facing him.
On Monday, Williams’ opener against Danka Kovinić was attended by 29,402 fans – a record for an evening session on the main US Open court.
“You can expect something, I saw it in the previous game,” Kontaveit told reporters of the partisan atmosphere. “But when you’re on the pitch, I mean, it was tough… It was something I had never experienced before.”
It is still unclear if this will be the last tournament of Williams’ career.
She also takes part in the doubles competition alongside her sister Venus, and on Thursday they will play their opening match against Czech pair Linda Nosková and Lucie Hradecká.
With another packed crowd expected, Williams is partly relishing the opportunity to play in New York once again and partly thinking about the task at hand.
“I think those moments are definitely fleeting,” she said. “For me, it’s really about having a little embrace (of the occasion) but also understanding that I’m here to focus and do my best this time around.”
