New York threw endless celebrations for the 23-time Grand Slam Champion, Serena Williams, after her landslide success at the first round of the US Open last night.
With 29,402 fans in attendance, Williams certainly delivered what the crowd were looking for, taking home a 6-3 6-3 win over Montenegro's Danka Kovinic.
There is no dispute that Williams claimed her victory in style. Williams sported a self-designed figure skating-like Nike dress, made of 6 layers as a nod to her 6 victories at Flushing Meadows. Alongside that she wore custom made NikeCourt Flare 2 shows that displayed a diamond-encrusted Nike Swoosh, gold lace deubrés, and were sprinkled with 400 individual diamonds.
A dress fit for a queen. @serenawilliams 👑 pic.twitter.com/eu6r5eQZSh
— Just Women’s Sports (@justwsports) August 29, 2022
The post-match ceremony did the Champion justice, honouring her legacy by receiving veneration from both Billie Jean King and Opera Winfrey.
“I do feel different,” she told the press after the match “I think I was really emotional in Toronto and Cincinnati. It was very difficult. I’m not saying it’s not difficult now. It’s extremely difficult still because I absolutely love being out there.
“The more tournaments I play, I feel like the more I can belong out there. That’s a tough feeling to have, and to leave knowing, the more you do it, the more you can shine.”
And it's hard to argue against that, Williams is most definitely shining this year at the US Open.
29,402 fans attended opening night of Serena Williams' final US Open.
It's an all-time night-session record for the tournament. pic.twitter.com/4bDztoYCX5— Front Office Sports (@FOS) August 30, 2022
Whether this will be the last time we see the GOAT is debatable, as she has been hinting this may not be her last appearance.
“I’ve been pretty vague about it, right,” she said referring to her retirement. “I’m going to stay vague because you never know.”
Maybe the courts of Flushing Meadows will be graced again by the global super-star player.
