Those who want to see Serena Williams play before she retires from tennis have a guaranteed chance to do so.
Williams will face Danka Kovinic in the first round of the tournament on Monday, and if Williams loses, it could be the last time he plays tennis professionally.
Williams will play at Arthur Ashe Stadium at 7 pm on Monday. Fans can see her in person at Arthur Ashe Stadium, at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, or at home on television.
This is what you need to know:
How did we get here?
When a hamstring injury forced Williams to retire in the first round of Wimbledon last year, many began to wonder if the 23-time Grand Slam champion would return to the game she has dominated for the better part of more than two years. decades.
In mid-June, Williams gave his fans a vague glimmer of hope that he would return to the game, when he posted a photo on Instagram of his shoes on the turf.
“SW on SW19,” Williams said in the caption, referring to the postcode of the All England Club, where Wimbledon is played. “It’s a date. 2022 See you there.”
Without playing in any warm-up matches, Williams made it to Wimbledon, only to lose in the first round. Then, after winning a first-round match at the National Bank Open in Toronto in early August, Williams was featured on the cover of Vogue magazine and in an article shared that she planned to walk away from tennis after the US Open.
In the first-person essay, Williams said he was “moving away from tennis, toward other things that are important,” adding that he planned to focus on his venture capital firm and growing his family, which means a brother to his daughter Olympia. , 4.
Since then, he has lost in the second round in Toronto and in the first round at the Western & Southern Open in Mason, Ohio.
Do you want to see Williams live?
You’ll need a ticket for a Monday night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium. As of Friday afternoon, the cheapest seats available for resale for Monday night at Arthur Ashe were around $253. That’s in the nosebleeds.
Those who want a better view of Williams will have to pay much more. Resale tickets at the Arthur Ashe 100 level were selling for at least $850 as of Friday. Tickets in the lower level of the stadium were selling for nearly $4,000.
Just want to taste the action?
Consider buying a late-night ticket to Louis Armstrong Stadium and watching Williams play on a big screen set up opposite Arthur Ashe. Tickets for Armstrong won’t get him to Arthur Ashe, but he’ll have the freedom to roam the grounds of the US Open among like-minded tennis fans, who also want to soak up the atmosphere.
Armstrong tickets on Friday were selling for about $110. There will be other night games at Louis Armstrong on Monday, but not Williams against Kovinic.
Prefer to just watch at home?
Tune in to ESPN on Monday to watch the game from the comfort of your own home. (If you’re in Canada, tune in to TSN.)
If that’s not enough, consider making your own Honey Deuce, the official cocktail of the US Open, and you’ll feel like you’re at the tournament. (Find the recipe here).
Who is playing Williams?
Williams will face Kovinic, a 27-year-old Montenegrin who is ranked 80th in the world. The two have never played each other.
Kovinic has had a decent year, reaching the third round of the Australian Open and the French Open. At the Australian Open, Kovinic defeated Emma Raducanu, the reigning US Open champion, in three sets.
At the US Open media day on Friday, Raducanu was asked about his match against Kovinic, and Raducanu said it was a match he won’t forget.
“I don’t know how it ended so close,” Raducanu said. “She was very, very solid, she stayed with you, kicking back. Then after dropping one after a long rally, she would then attack. She is happy to run, happy to recover.”
What happens if Williams wins in the first round?
If Williams wins, those who missed out on Monday will get another chance in the second round of the tournament, which begins Wednesday for women’s singles. Williams would likely play another night game at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
in the second round, would face the winner of Anett Kontaveit and Jaqueline Cristian. Kontaveit, the World No.2, is the favorite to win her match and would be a difficult opponent for Williams.
How far can Williams go at the US Open?
ESPN commentator Pam Shriver said it will largely depend on his health. Complicating that will be the number of skilled players in the women’s draw, Shriver said.
“It’s hard for me right now to see her racing into the second week,” Shriver said. “But it’s still fun to dream, so until a dream is no longer possible, I choose to continue having a dream. It would be like the best sports story in history.”
Who else plays on Monday night?
When the match between Williams and Kovinic ends, there is still more tennis programmed. Following that match, Arthur Ashe will host the first round men’s singles match between Australians Nick Kyrgios and Thanasi Kokkinakis.
The match will be special for them because they have played doubles matches together over the years. Plus, every time Kyrgios is on the court, fans can count on seeing one of his classic shots between the legs.
