Serena Williams extended her US Open farewell with a gritty opening win on an entertaining night packed with hope and celebration in New York, the BBC reports.
Williams, who is set to retire after the tournament, won 6-3 6-3 against Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic.
A near-capacity 25,000 crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium willed on their idol, who responded in typical determined style.
Williams, 40, will play Estonian second seed Anett Kontaveit in the second round on Wednesday.
“The more tournaments I play, I feel like the more I can belong out there. That’s a tough feeling to have, and to leave knowing the more you do it, the more you can shine,” Serena said..
“But it’s time for me, you know, to evolve to the next thing. I think it’s important because there’s so many other things that I want to do,” she added.
