Serena Williams takes over the US Open

• Serena Williams takes over the US Open.
• The tennis player predicts that this will be her last US Open.
• She announced her plans to retire from tennis at the beginning of August.

Serena Williams caused a stir in her first game at the US Open and showed that she still has more to give before she retires from tennis. The 40-year-old player faced Danka Kovinic at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in front of a packed crowd.

Earlier this month, the quintessential tennis player announced her plans to retire from the court after a fruitful career that took decades to solidify and make her one of the best players on the court. Serena Williams has around 23 Grand Slam titles that have made her a crowd favorite.

SERENA WILLIAMS CAUSES A FUROR

After announcing her retirement from tennis, 40-year-old Serena Williams returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium and the crowd went wild at her match against Danka Kovinic. In a close fight, the American showed her power and took the game to the limit, thrilling spectators.

In her first match at what is expected to be her last US Open — and last tournament — of her remarkable career, Williams overcame a shaky start to overwhelm Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3 on Monday nigh. i Arthur Ashe Stadium was packed with fans and had more of a party atmosphere than a farewell, The Associated Press reported.

Ups and downs?

At first, Williams was not at her best. There were double faults, missed shots, and missed opportunities. She went up 2-0 but was quickly down 3-2, The Associated Press reported. As time passed she left behind the fouls and the game developed into a match that riveted the crowd.

Suddenly Williams, less than a month shy of her 41st birthday, looked much more like someone with six championships at Flushing Meadows and 23 Grand Slam titles in total — numbers never surpassed by anyone in the professional tennis era, which began in 1968, AP noted. Williams, more confident than ever, ended up wielding her racket with speed and demonstrating the talent that runs through her veins.

Williams got a standing ovation!

She went all the way into that opening set and capped it off with a service winner that she reacted to with clenched fists and her trademark yell of “Come on!” The more than 23,000 attendees rose to a raucous standing ovation and did so again when the 1-hour, 40-minute contest ended, celebrating as if another trophy had been won.

But the game does not end with this Arthur Ashe Stadium victory. Now, Williams will continue to play, facing No.2 seed Anett Kontveit of Estonia on Wednesday, the AP reported. She is expected to beat Konveit, after the streak she had at the beginning of the season.

Serena Williams thrills her fans?

The Arthur Ashe Stadium is particularly special to the tennis player. That was where she had her first victory at the US Open, in 1997, when she was only 17 years old. Now, she is preparing for her official farewell and enjoying her new goals and her family life along with her husband and daughter.

At approximately 6:15 pm, Williams made a short walk to the practice fields next to Arthur Ashe Stadium for a half-hour hitting session to warm up. People filling the bleachers above the practice area greeted her with shouts of “Serenaaaaa!” as she entered, and shouted again as she left, receiving a flick of her racket in acknowledgment before Williams returned to the stadium. Filed Under: Serena Williams

Is she continuing to evolve?

That word, «evolving,» is what Williams said she preferred to the more commonly used «retirement,» when she wrote in a Vogue essay published about three weeks ago that she was ready to focus on having a second child (her daughter, Olympia, turns 5 on Thursday) and her venture capital firm, AP reported.

“Once Serena announced she was playing the US Open, we sold out in a nanosecond for Monday night and Tuesday night. You can see in the secondary market, the entry price is $230. I saw $5,800 for a courtside seat tonight. Look, this is a historic moment for the Williams family, for Serena and our sport,» said Stacey Allaster, director of the American Grand Slam tournament. Filed Under: Serena Williams