Serena Williams rose from her sideline seat after a break during a training session inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, and as she walked to the baseline at the end of the court covered by shade on a steamy morning, a few voices from the stands called out in unison, “Serena, we love you!” About to hit some serves in preparation for the first round of the US Open on Monday night — and what could wind up being the last singles match of her career — the 23-time Grand Slam champion did not break stride, although she did turn her head in the fans’ direction, acknowledging the sentiment with a smile.
Later, there were similar cries from the crowd and a couple of rounds of applause for Serena, who is also entered in doubles after she and her elder sister, Venus, were given a wild-card entry by the US Tennis Association.
Nadal’s chance
Novak Djokovic is missing a grand slam for the second time this season because he is not vaccinated against Covid19, and — combined with not earning any ranking points for his Wimbledon championship — his hold on the No. 1 spot in the ATP rankings has slipped. He will be No. 7 on Monday.
Five men have a chance to be No. 1 after the US Open, and Rafael Nadal is among them. The 36-year-old Spaniard is 19-0 in majors this season, with trophies at the Australian Open in January and French Open in June, followed by a run to the Wimbledon semi-finals in July. Current No. 1 Daniil Medvedev, the defending US Open champion, Carlos Alcaraz, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Casper Ruud need to reach the September 11 final to have a shot at topping the rankings the next day.
‘Anxious’ Osaka
Naomi Osaka won two of her four grand slam titles here so might normally be considered a true contender to leave New York with another. She has not been at her best, however, entering her first-round showdown against Australian Open runner-up Danielle Collins on Tuesday night. Osaka, a former No. 1 now at No. 44, is on a three-match losing streak and is 2-6 since the start of April.
“I feel like I would have lied, like, a day ago or so and said that I was really relaxed. But actually, when I practiced today, I felt very anxious,” Osaka said Saturday.
