How Far Will Serena Williams Go in the US Open?
In a beautiful and sad letter published in Vogue today, Serena Williams announced her retirement from tennis. The star plans to play the North American hard court swing, with the US Open as the final tournament of her decorated career. Serena is 40 years old now. How far can the legend go in her last slam?
In my opinion, by the end of the tune-up tournaments Serena should have the match fitness to go deep into the US Open. She is inarguably the best point construction player on tour right now, and her serve is still a dangerous and viable weapon. Her movement is currently very sluggish, but should sharpen with more matchplay. It would be fair to compare Serena to Karolina Pliskova at this point, with the slow movement and powerful serve, but Serena can construct a superior point.
A huge aspect that will determine Serena’s success at the US Open is the luck of the draw. The competition is stiff, and an early draw against an in-form top player (ex. Swiatek) could spell doom for the women’s GOAT. Serena, however, brings an aspect to the women’s tour that no other competitor besides her sister can: when you are playing her, you are playing an all-time great. Some of her opponents rise to the occasion, but many crumble.
The final point to make is that Serena no longer has the pressure to win 24 slams on her shoulders. She admitted it in her letter; this is her last slam. If she makes it to the final, it’s the last match of her career. No sense in playing safe at that point. She will probably plan to play every match of the tournament like it’s the last one of her life.
Optimistically, I think Serena can make it to the final of the US Open. She has built a career off of proving her naysayers wrong. Regardless of the result of her final major outing, her career should be celebrated, and the doors she has opened for other tennis players will never be overlooked. Even if eventually another woman ties or exceeds her slam count in the Open Era, I will always consider Serena the GOAT for paving the way for a new generation of players and changing the game completely.