Serena Williams will play doubles with sister Venus on the US Open after the pair had been awarded a wild card.
The US Open is ready to be the ultimate event of Serena’s profession, and he or she is giving herself two pictures at success.
The Williams sisters have a exceptional file of successful all 14 of the grand slam doubles finals they’ve contested however the final one was again in 2016 at Wimbledon, and so they haven’t performed a slam collectively for the reason that French Open 4 years in the past.
Serena Williams’ farewell will dominate the event for so long as she is in it, however it seems set to be one other wide-open ladies’s singles occasion.
World primary Iga Swiatek has not been in good kind for the reason that finish of her 37-match unbeaten run at Wimbledon, and the identical could be stated for many of the high 10.
There are 15 present or former grand slam champions within the ladies’s draw, together with two-time US Open winner Naomi Osaka.
It has been a troublesome 12 months for the 24-year-old, who didn’t compete after the US Open final 12 months as she prioritised her psychological well being and has struggled with kind and health this season.
A difficult Achilles downside stored her out of Wimbledon and he or she retired throughout her first-round match in Toronto two weeks in the past with a again subject.
Osaka has gained only one match since April, and he or she admitted she goes into the US Open together with her confidence low.
She advised a press convention in New York: “I feel like I would have lied a day ago or so and said that I was really relaxed. But actually, when I practised today, I felt very anxious. I think it’s because I really want to do well because I feel I haven’t been doing well lately.
“It’s tough. Of course, you don’t want to lose in the first round of a slam. I feel like I always do pretty well here. It’s kind of taking the pressure off of myself, but it’s always going to be there.
“I think the opponent I’m going to play is also really tough, so it adds a little bit extra. I’m just trying to enjoy the time that I have here.”
Now ranked down at 44, Osaka is unseeded and can tackle Australian Open finalist Danielle Collins within the first spherical on Tuesday.
On her bodily struggles, she added: “I would say it’s something that’s very frustrating but at the same time interesting because it made me feel like, ‘Wow, I really want to be able to play again like back how I used to’.
“I think my mindset now is just trying to have fun because I wanted to be here when I was a kid.”
Source: www.unbiased.co.uk