Record-chasing Serena brings star power to depleted US tournament
Serena Williams’s pursuit of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title remains the most compelling plot in the women’s singles at the 2020 US Open with the draw ravaged by fears over the Covid-19 pandemic.
After months of uncertainty, the hard court Grand Slam will start on Monday at its usual Flushing Meadows venue in a bio-secure bubble to combat the coronavirus but without six of the world’s top 10 players.
Top-ranked Ash Barty, world No 2 Simona Halep, defending champion Bianca Andreescu, Elina Svitolina, Kiki Bertens and Belinda Bencic are all skipping the event in New York.
Critics have questioned if the 2020 US Open deserves an asterisk in the record books but for Williams, who needs one more title to match Margaret Court’s Grand Slam singles record of 24, it does not matter.
“I just feel like I’m here, and there are a lot of people that are here, and there are a tremendous amount of people who aren’t here as well,” Williams said last week before the Western and Southern Open.
“It still has to be tennis that’s played, asterisks or not.
“I think this whole year deserves an asterisk.”
Williams, who turns 39 in September, reached four Grand Slam finals since giving birth to daughter Olympia in 2017, including the last two at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, but has been denied on all four occasions.
Her long-time coach Patrick Mouratoglou believes she remains as motivated as ever to win more titles while Williams feels the fittest in years — a warning for her challengers in New York.
Going by rankings, the most serious challenge is expected to come from Czech Karolina Pliskova but the world No 3, who will be the highest seed, was bundled out in straight sets in her first match of the US Open tune-up event.
Pliskova’s loss was not the only upset this past week with the sport returning after a fivemonth halt due to the pandemic, robbing players of match practice. —
It still has to be tennis that’s played, asterisks or not. I think this whole year deserves an asterisk