US Open 2022: Serena Williams' projected path to final based on the draw ft. potential showdowns with Ons Jabeur in QF and Simona Halep in SF

Serena Williams has done it all during her illustrious career and has set the benchmark for women's tennis over her two-decade-long career. Now, it's time for one last hurrah, as the American is set to hang up her racquet for good following the 2022 US Open.

Williams' results in the lead-up to the tournament haven't been that great. Despite fighting to the bitter end, she came up short during her comeback match at Wimbledon, going down to Harmony Tan in the first round. She scored her first win of the season at the Canadian Open by defeating Nuria Parrizas Diaz but lost to Belinda Bencic in the second round. Emma Raducanu handed Williams another first-round loss in Cincinnati after that.

Despite her string of poor results, one can never count out a champion of her caliber. Here are the players the 23-time Grand Slam champion will have to go through if she wants to reach the final of this year's US Open.

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Serena Williams' 1st-round opponent - Danka Kovinic

Serena Williams will commence her quest for a 24th Grand Slam title against Danka Kovinic. The 27-year-old stunned Emma Raducanu in the second round of the Australian Open earlier this year and could pose a challenge to the American as well.

However, this is a winnable match-up for Williams as Kovinic is far from her best at the moment.

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Serena Williams' likely 2nd-round opponent - Anett Kontaveit

While Anett Kontaveit is the World No. 2 at the moment, her recent results haven't been too impressive. Aside from the final in Hamburg last month, the Estonian has struggled to win consecutive matches over the past few months.

At her best, Kontaveit is a force to be reckoned with. However, if she doesn't step up her game, Williams certainly has a shot at winning.

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Serena Williams' likely 3rd-round opponent - Martina Trevisan or Ajla Tomljanovic

2022 French Open semifinalist Martina Trevisan could await Williams in the third round. However, the Italian hasn't done much since reaching the last four in Paris and is a bigger threat on clay than hardcourts.

Ajla Tomljanovic could provide a much sterner test at this stage. The Australian has had a pretty decent season, having reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the Western & Southern Open.

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Serena Williams' likely 4th-round opponent - Leylah Fernandez or Barbora Krejcikova

Either last year's US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez or 2021 Roland Garros champion Barbora Krejcikova could be Williams' potential fourth-round opponents. However, both players are still finding their groove after an injury break.

While Krejcikova made a comeback at the French Open after a three-month hiatus, her results have been average. She did, however, win the doubles title at Wimbledon. Fernandez returned to the tour earlier this month and has won just one match so far.

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Serena Williams' likely quarterfinal opponent - Ons Jabeur

2022 Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur could cross paths with Williams in the quarterfinals. The duo played doubles together at the Eastbourne International and could very well face each other across the net in New York.

While Jabeur has been quite consistent this year, her results since reaching the Wimbledon final have been slightly underwhelming. Nevertheless, the Tunisian is a solid foe.

Other possible opponents for Williams at this stage could be either Daria Kasatkina or Shelby Rogers.

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Serena Williams' likely semifinal opponent - Simona Halep

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep is likely to be Williams' semifinal nemesis. The Romanian is having a pretty good season and won the Canadian Open in the lead-up to the US Open. Their previous encounter took place at the 2021 Australian Open, which the American won in straight sets.

Should Halep manage to lose early, Coco Gauff and Caroline Garcia are the frontrunners to make the last four out of this section based on their form. 2017 US Open finalist Madison Keys and World No. 3 Maria Sakkari are also in this section and could give Williams a run for her money if they reach this stage.

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Serena Williams' likely opponent in the final - Iga Swiatek or Naomi Osaka

World No. 1 Iga Swiatek has been the best player on the tour this year, but her recent results have been disappointing. Since her 37-match winning streak came to an end at Wimbledon, she has looked quite vulnerable. The Pole would love nothing more than to get back to her winning ways by doing well in New York.

Should Swiatek bow out early, there are plenty of other contenders who have the potential to reach the final. Former US Open champion Sloane Stephens and 2016 finalist Karolina Pliskova are two potential dark horses.

Naomi Osaka, who defeated Williams to win the US Open in 2018, could once again make a deep run here. Petra Kvitova, who reached the final in Cincinnati, is another player to watch out for.

Williams has her task cut out if she wants to go all the way at Flushing Meadows. While her draw looks quite tough, she has risen to the occasion plenty of times. Given she's playing in the final tournament of her career, she is unlikely to go down without a fight.