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In presumably the last tournament of her career, Serena Williams kicked off her seven-match campaign for a 24th Grand Slam title with a straight-sets win over Danka Kovinic.
She beat the 80th-ranked player 6-3, 6-3 in one hour and 39 minutes in the first round of the 2022 US Open on Monday. The match was attended by celebrities like Mike Tyson, Hugh Jackman, Bill Clinton, Spike Lee, Lindsey Vonn, and Queen Latifah.
The sold-out Arthur Ashe Stadium witnessed Williams become only the fourth woman in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam match in her teens, 20s, 30s, and 40s. The other three players to achieve the feat are Venus Williams, Martina Navratilova, and Kimiko Date.
On her way to victory, the 23-time Grand Slam champion broke her opponent five times, saved eight break points, and hit nine aces over the course of two sets. This was only the fifth singles contest for the American icon this season and her second win so far. In her 21 appearances at the US Open since 1998, Williams has never lost her opening match.
As soon as she wrapped up the match, congratulatory messages started pouring in from around the world. Among those were messages from stars like Grigor Dimitrov, LeBron James, Billie Jean King, and Ben Stiller.
"This is why you’re the GOAT my friend. Well done @serenawilliams," Dimitrov wrote.
"Keep that serve going!!!! @serenawilliams #USOpen2022," James posted.
In an on-court ceremony after the match, tennis legend Billie Jean King showered praise on the 40-year-old, thanking her for everything that she has done for the sport over the last 27 years.
“You are fearless,” King said. “I love it. And you hate to lose. It is great. You’ve touched our hearts and minds to be our authentic selves, to use our voices, and to dream big. Thank you for your leadership and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, especially for women and women of color. Most of all, thank you for sharing your journey with every single one of us. We love you."
Reacting to King's words, Ben Stiller hailed the two American stalwarts on social media.
"Two incredible women. Congrats to Serena Williams," Stiller tweeted.
"When I walked out, the reception was really overwhelming" - Serena Williams
As Serena Williams stepped on to the court on Monday for her first-round match, she was welcomed with one of the loudest cheers from more than 29,000 fans. Speaking about the same after the match, the tennis icon stated that she was overwhelmed by the fans' reaction.
“When I walked out, the reception was really overwhelming,” said Williams. “It was loud and I could feel it in my chest. It was a really good feeling. It's a feeling I'll never forget. That meant a lot to me. It was so loud. I jwas just overwhelmed in a good way. At the same time, it's like you have to be focused, you have to be laser-focused. That's what I needed to do, and that's what I tried to do."
Serena Williams will take on World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit in the second round on Wednesday. Kontaveit beat Jaqueline Cristian 6-3, 6-0 in the first round on Monday.
Also Checkout:- US Open 2022 Schedule
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