When is Serena William’s debut in the 2022 US Open? Who is she playing against?
Will we witness the return of an icon, or will she bid the tennis world farewell with a defeat? We take a look at Serena Williams and her opponent Danka Kovinic
With the brackets for the US Open now released, we take a look at who will be Serena Williams’ first opponent in what could well be her very last tournament.
Serena Williams to face Danka Kovinic in 1st match at US Open
Having already stated that this will be her last US Open and quite possibly her the last tournament of her career, Serena Williams is now set to face unseeded Danka Kovinic in her opening match. With play set to commence on Monday 29th, September, the 23-time Grand Slam champion will in fact play that very same day according to the USTA. Williams, who will celebrate her 41st birthday on September 6th announced to fans earlier this month that she would be walking away from the game. Though she did not outrightly say when she would do so, she did convey the idea that the US Open would be her farewell.
Head-to-Head: Serena Williams vs Danka Kovinic
One interesting piece of context, is the fact that Williams and Kovinic have never actually played each other in singles. As for how they compare to each other, Williams has only won one of her four matches this season, having only recently returned to the court after a year-long injury layoff. Where the US Open itself is concerned, she’s lifted the trophy at Flushing Meadows on six different occasions. With that said, that’s the past and at present - having only played four games - she’s ranked 410th.
Kovinic on the other hand, has never been past the second round in four appearances at the US Open. Heading into the tournament the 27-year-old from Montenegro in currently ranked 80th in the WTA rankings. Interestingly, she’s been as high as 46th, which is to say she will have good reason to like her chances against the legendary Williams.
No Pressure: Williams to face surreal situation
If you take a look at Serena Williams’ tennis CV you will likely notice that she once spent 300 weeks as the No. 1 women’s tennis player in the world. With that in mind, one can imagine that despite her dip in recent times - clearly the product of a long absence - the intensity with which fans will be hanging on her every move, will be like never before as they will all know, that each game could be her last. Regardless of what she’s ranked, this is still Serena Williams
Who does Serena Williams face if she beats Danka Kovinic?
Given that she entered the US Open with such a low rank, Williams could have faced any player as she was effectively unseeded. With that said, if she manages to defeat Kovinic she could face anybody from No. 27 seed Martina Trevisan of Italy, to 2021 US Open runner-up Leylah Fernandez of Canada, or even 2021 French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. Indeed, if tennis fans could get their dream and see Williams make the final, she could well face her older sister and seven-time major champion Venus, who sits on the opposite side of the bracket.