[ad_1]
IMAGE: Serena Williams signalled her intention to retire this month, saying she was “evolving away from tennis” however by no means confirming the US Open as her last occasion. {Photograph}: Elsa/Getty Photographs
Serena Williams begins what is anticipated to be her last US Open with a match towards Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic however issues might get robust rapidly for the 23-times Grand Slam champion with second seed Anett Kontaveit probably awaiting the winner.
The US Open draw launched on Thursday did Williams no favours, the 40-year-old American touchdown within the backside quarter the place fifth-seeded Tunisian Ons Jabeur, the Wimbledon runner-up, Tenth-seeded Russian Daria Kasatkina and final 12 months’s dropping finalist Leylah Fernandez of Canada all lurk.
Williams signalled her intention to retire this month, saying she was “evolving away from tennis” however by no means confirming the US Open as her last occasion.
The tennis world, nonetheless, is getting ready a large retirement occasion at Flushing Meadows with followers hoping it will likely be a protracted one.
Williams begins her bid for a record-equalling twenty fourth Grand Slam singles title towards a participant she has by no means confronted earlier than.
However the six-times US Open winner can be cautious of the Eightieth-ranked Kovinic, who has loved her greatest profession Grand Slam outcomes this 12 months having reached the third spherical on the Australian and French Opens.
High seed and world primary Iga Swiatek opens towards Italy’s Jasmine Paolini and headlines a high half of the draw together with American hopes eighth seed Jessica Pegula and 2020 Australian Open winner Sofia Kenin together with main winners Garbine Muguruza, Jelena Ostapenko and Petra Kvitova.
Britain’s Emma Raducanu, who captivated the tennis world final 12 months at Flushing Meadows going from qualifier to Grand Slam winner, will open her title defence towards Alize Cornet.
The 19-year-old should be sharp towards the French veteran who’s contesting a report sixty fourth consecutive Grand Slam occasion and reached the quarter-finals at this 12 months’s Australian Open and final 16 at Wimbledon the place she ended Swiatek’s 37-match win streak.
The marquee match of the primary spherical could possibly be between twice US Open champion Naomi Osaka and Nineteenth-seeded American Danielle Collins, the Australian Open finalist.
[ad_2]
Source link
