TENNIS / FRENCH OPEN

● Williams defeats Czech in her first Grand Slam match since giving birth and getting married

For all that has changed in the 16 months since Serena Williams last played in a Grand Slam tournament – she is now married and a mother – so much was familiar about her at the French Open yesterday.

The fashion statement, this time in the form of a black bodysuit with a red waistband. The cries of “Come on!” The big serves that provided 13 aces. The return game that produced three consecutive breaks of serve.

And, yes, the victory. Competing as a mum for the first time at a major, and only about nine months since giving birth to her daughter, Williams beat 70th-ranked Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 at Roland Garros.

“I’m just happy to win a match here,” Williams told the crowd on Court Philippe Chatrier. “I’m just happy to take it a day at a time.”

The 36-year-old American had not played in one of tennis’s biggest tournaments since the Australian Open in January 2017, when she won her 23rd Grand Slam title. That broke a tie with Steffi Graf for the most in the Open era. The only player with more major singles championships was Margaret Court, with 24, but those were split between the amateur and professional eras.

Only later did Williams reveal that she was pregnant at the time. Her baby was born on 1 September, and Williams married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in November.

The first glimpse of Williams as she prepared for her comeback came in an exhibition in December against 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko. Next came a