Does she actually wish to retire?
Serena Williams could not win the U.S. Open — in reality, it’s probably she received’t — however she’s confirmed one factor by way of two rounds of this event. After beating No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit 7-6, 2-6, 6-2, we all know Williams can nonetheless play at a excessive, excessive degree.
Frankly, it wasn’t sure that was potential at this stage of the sport. For a wide range of causes, Williams hadn’t proven it since she made the 2021 Australian Open semifinals. That was 19 months in the past. At age 40, whenever you’ve gone that lengthy with out wanting like among the finest on the earth, it’s onerous to know if it’ll ever occur once more.
For one evening, it did. Buoyed by the group, and taking part in extra freely than she did in Monday’s first spherical, Williams surged, then regarded each bit her age, then dug into her properly of expertise and resolve to come back by way of a 3rd set that rattled her 26-year-old opponent.
MORE: Gatorade honors Serena Williams with iconic emblem change, business narrated by Beyoncé
OPINION: Serena Williams helped nation fall in love with sturdy, assured ladies
OPINION: Serena Williams honored after first-round win. Now, it is all in regards to the tennis
And in the end, it put Williams into the third spherical of a draw that has all of a sudden laid out a believable path for the quarterfinals or past.
With Kontaveit now out of the way in which, Williams will face unseeded Ajla Tomljanovic within the third spherical. After that? There is no different seeded participant in her means till no less than the ultimate eight.
By some means, towards vital odds, it’s not untimely to begin wanting forward and plotting a path to one thing particular subsequent week.
Williams has mentioned she’s in all probability achieved after this event, however regardless of the place this ends, she’s not working on fumes. Her prime degree continues to be very, excellent. Think about what it is perhaps if she mentioned she was totally committing each ounce of vitality left in her physique to at least one extra yr with all of the coaching and event preparation and journey that she will be able to bodily stand.
Barring a change of coronary heart, it’s not going to occur. However seeing how Williams carried out Wednesday evening towards a legit prime participant must no less than increase the query in her thoughts: What if?
No athlete at this age is aware of precisely what’s going to occur once they get off the bed within the morning. However within the first set, Williams performed about in addition to she will be able to at this level in her profession.
She served superbly. She returned good serves with depth, objective and tempo. In the course of some rallies, she defended like a 25-year-old, not somebody whose motion has precipitously declined over the previous couple of years. For about an hour, Williams turned again the clock. And she or he barely received it, eking out the set in a tiebreaker.
It didn’t appear sustainable, and it proved to not be as Williams crashed again to earth within the second set, shedding 6-2. But it surely was additionally an exquisite reminder of the tennis Williams continues to be able to producing, no less than briefly bursts.
The query was whether or not she had sufficient within the tank to push again another time. The reply was an emphatic sure.
From the start of the third set, Williams was extra constant, extra composed and extra highly effective than Kontaveit, who regardless of her lofty rating has solely superior to the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam as soon as in her profession. When the stress rose and the stakes received actually, actually excessive, Kontaveit was out of her league.
It was a glimpse of what even a diminished Williams might be at 40. And it was maybe a sign that the following a number of days are about to get loopy.
OPINION: Calling Serena Williams the GOAT would not mirror her influence on sports activities and society
SPORTS NEWSLETTER: Get the newest information and evaluation in your inbox
“I’m simply it as a bonus. I don’t have something to show. I don’t have something to win,” Williams mentioned after the match. ” … I’ve by no means received to play like this since ’98. Actually, I’ve had an ‘X’ on my again since ’99 [when she won her first US Open], so it’s sort of enjoyable. I actually take pleasure in simply popping out right here and having fun with it. It’s been a very long time since I’ve been ready to do this.”
A part of the issue with the previous couple of years of Williams’ profession is that she simply hasn’t performed very a lot tennis. She’s been so good that she will be able to come to Grand Slam occasions and infrequently advance deep into the draw with out as a lot match preparation as her rivals. However whenever you have a look at the occasions she’s come up simply quick, together with 4 losses in Slam finals since giving delivery to daughter Olympia, you wonder if a couple of extra tournaments right here, a couple of extra intense coaching blocks there, may need made all of the distinction.
The phrase is that Williams went all-in to arrange for this U.S. Open. Including doubles legend and ESPN commentator Rennae Stubbs to her teaching group modified up her ordinary observe routine. She even performed a number of observe units towards different WTA gamers, one thing she’s hardly achieved in her 20 years on tour.
And you’ll see the distinction it’s made in Williams’ recreation this week. She’s transferring and defending extraordinarily properly. She’s lower down on the wild misses. The timing of her ball strike appears good.
However as a lot as her followers would possibly need her to play ceaselessly, that’s not a good customary both. It’s one factor to spend a month gearing up for a final dance. It’s a completely totally different degree of dedication to do all of it yr lengthy, a lot much less when the physique doesn’t actually wish to do this a lot work.
That’s the concession that Williams has made. She is aware of what it can take to compete with as we speak’s gamers, and it’s not straightforward. It could not even be one thing she needs to do.
That’s what makes an evening like Wednesday so particular, and so uncommon. For one good evening, Serena Williams was legitimately among the finest gamers on the earth.
Comply with USA TODAY Sports activities columnist Dan Wolken on Twitter @DanWolken
