US Open 2022, Day 3: Serena marches on and her victory parade continues. Twirling around in the court in euphoria, Williams celebrated victory in her trademark style. Before this event, Serena's form and fitness both were questioned, but the Tennis legend has answered all her critics in style and has now defeated world number 2 Anett Kontaveit. The 42-year-old Williams was in dire need of a composed return to form and has certainly displayed a lot of it through this match. Serena showed glimpses of her genius when she took on Danka Kovinic of Montenegro in the first round and defeated her by 6-3, 6-3 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium Court.
The year 2022 certainly hasn't been very kind to Williams as she won only one match in the entire year which resulted in her rank slipping down to 605. It might be her form or her fitness that led Serena to think about retirement which certainly took a lot of courage. In the second round of the US Open, Williams was facing world number 2 Anett Kontaveit. The match was being played in Ashe Stadium Court and was witness to yet another Serena classic. her critics might say that Kontaveit would have won if the match was played somewhere else, but as far as this tournament is concerned, Serena certainly showed what she is made of.
The world number 2 Kontaveit did not play badly and the match certainly wasn't handed over to Williams, she earned it with every ounce of her sweat. Serena unlike her prime days executed some powerful serves through the majority of the match which destroyed Kontaveit and left her clueless for answers. She registered a drop in a set but as a result, it only helped her in ramping up her intensity. Making her intentions clear, Williams after the match said “Oh my goodness. I’ve got to give my best effort because this could be it,”.
She has certainly announced that she will bow out of international Tennis, but till the time she is playing, Serena has no intention of giving up. The 23-time Grand Slam winner certainly does not need to prove anything, her legacy is here to stay but what matters is her mindset, the mindset that has made her what she is today, the mindset that has made her the great Serena Williams.
