QUEEN OF QUEENS
Serena heads to Flushing with chance to match history
Serena Williams may have won her first battle at the U.S. Open — this one over her “catsuit” controversy.
Williams said after talking to the French Federation, it likely will change its ruling to ban the outfit now that French Open officials learned the dress partly was for designed for health reasons.
Williams is permitted to wear the ensemble at the U.S. Open. The new mother, toting a new baby girl and 23 Grand Slam titles, said she will choose not to wear it here and instead make a statement on the Flushing Meadows court with her play.
Williams returns to the U.S. Open for the first time in two years Monday night, gracing the first-night card against Poland’s Magda Linette.
“If anything, I have more fire in my belly,” Williams said at Saturday’s press conference. “It’s very difficult to describe. I thought after having a child I would be more relaxed. But I’m not. I work just as hard — harder actually. I just feel like I take it as serious if not more. That’s really surprising to me.”
Williams enters the tournament amid a spate of controversy after it was revealed three days before the U.S. Open that she would not be permitted to wear her “superhero” catsuit at the French Open.
The first six questions volleyed at her dealt with the French Open snit — not motherhood or needing one title to tie Margaret Court for most Grand Slams at 24.
But this Open is historic for her, win or lose.
“I feel like everything is just different in terms of I’m living a different life,” said Williams, who gave birth during the 2017 Open. “I’m playing the U.S. Open as a mom. It’s just new and it’s fresh.”
As for the wardrobe, Serena said it promoted circulation as she’s suffered two blood clots/pulmonary embolisms, including last September after giving birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia.
“I feel like if and when they know that some things are for health reasons, then there’s no way that they wouldn’t be OK with it,” Williams said. “So I think it’s fine. The [French Federation] president, he’s been really amazing. He’s been so easy to talk to. My whole team is basically French, so we have a wonderful relationship. Yeah, I’m sure we would come to an understanding and everything will be OK.”
USTA spokesman Chris Widmaier said the Open has “no problems” with the dress. But Williams has found a new look and new way of promoting circulation.
“I’ve since found other methods,’’ she said. “When it comes to fashion, you don’t want to be a repeat offender. It will be a while before
this even has to come up again.”
Las Vegas has the 36-year-old as a slight betting favorite after making the Wimbledon finals and losing to Angelique Kerber.
“That I would be the favorite at this point almost a year after having a baby is quite interesting,” Williams said. “I don’t know my draw, but if I want to be the best, I’m going to have to start beating these people anyway. I’ve been working incredibly hard. I feel like it will for sure pay off eventually.”
Williams’ favorite status doesn’t irk Kerber, who won the 2016 Open. Though Williams has struggled during the Open tuneups, Kerber knows she is always ready for the Open.
“She’s always a favorite because she won the tournament like so many times, she has so many experiences playing the big matches, the big stages,” Kerber said. “That is what she looks for — playing big matches in front of the home crowd. The big tournament’s always a bit different than the other ones [for her].”
Williams’ difficult draw potentially pits her against sister Venus in the third round and No. 1 Simona Halep in the fourth round. Williams claimed not to have seen the matchups yet.
Her press conference cut off abruptly, and the subject of whether this could be her Open swan song never came up. Williams, on the cover of Time this month, told the magazine she’s shocked to still be playing. She turns 37 in late September.
“I would have said absolutely no, impossible, no chance,” she told Time of her career lasting this long. “I’d bet my life on it.”