They travelled from all over the world to the U.S. Open on Monday to see Serena — no last name necessary, befitting someone as much an icon as a superstar athlete — eager to watch her play or, if they weren’t fortunate enough to have the right ticket, hoping for an autograph, a look at her practising, or simply the chance to breathe the same Flushing Meadows air as her.
No one there could tell for sure how many more chances there would be for any of them as hundreds of fans queued in lines to access the tournament grounds hours before her match, then moved to smaller courts for early action, or stood about, waiting and wading in the palpable excitement.
People were there to watch Serena Williams swing her racket as she did to win 23 Grand Slam singles titles, more than any other player in the professional era of tennis that began in 1968.
Serena Williams has stated that she is ready to move on from her playing days, so many people were there to watch or just think about watching.
And they were there to recognise her and express gratitude for all she has accomplished, both on and off the court.
Williams’ first-round match against Danka Kovinic was due to begin somewhere just after 7 o’clock in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Many people value her much. as a tennis participant as a female as a Black American. being a mother. as a woman in business.
“When she first began, female athletes were underappreciated. She’s achieved a lot “Quintella Thorn, a 68-year-old from Columbus, Georgia, who is attending the U.S. Open for the seventh time, stated. And just now, she’s
Thorn’s friend Cora Monroe, 72, of Shreveport, Louisiana, added, “Evolving,” noting that Richard Williams, the father of Serena and Venus and the main character in the Oscar-winning movie “King Richard,” is also from Shreveport.
When writing in an article for Vogue published around three weeks ago that she was prepared to focus on having a second child (her daughter, Olympia, turns 5 on Thursday), Williams said she preferred the phrase “evolving” to the more widely used “retirement.”
Williams has made it appear as if the U.S. Open will be her last match, even though she didn’t expressly say it. Venus, who is 42 and a seven-time major singles champion, is also registered in the doubles competition.
“We sold out for Monday and Tuesday nights in a split second when Serena said she will compete in the U.S. Open. You can see that the get-in price is $230 on the secondary market.
This evening, I noticed a courtside seat for $5,800. Look, this is a historical occasion for Serena, the Williams family, and our sport “said Stacey Allaster, the American Grand Slam event’s tournament director.
“What Serena and Venus have contributed to tennis is so hard to fully express. They have changed how we play the game. They have enriched our diversity. Additionally, they go beyond sports.”
That is why Monday at a big event was more significant than the customary Day 1.
And why the daily programme included a montage of six pictures of Williams clutching her six U.S. Open medals over the caption: “Serena Williams, A Legacy of Greatness” rather than mentioning any other of the other competitors competing?
And why there seemed to be a lack of significance for matches featuring other top athletes, like 18-year-old American Coco Gauff who reached the final of the French Open or former U.S. Open winners Bianca Andreescu, Andy Murray, Daniil Medvedev, and Dominic Thiem.
Kriti Kamath, a 9-year-old from Boston, carried a large yellow tennis ball as she strolled outside Ashe with her mother Neethor Shenoy with the hopes of collecting autographs, maybe even after Williams’ scheduled pre-match hitting exercise in the evening, before her match.
Shenoy has discussed Williams’ importance with her tennis-playing daughter.
“She has great motivation. She is really motivated. And she is an encouragement to all women, especially coloured women “said Shenoy. “She’s showing students a good route to choose.”
Since 2004, the mother has made the trip from Boston to New York for the U.S. Open; this was Kriti’s first day of competition, although they had already been there for “Fan Week” earlier in the week.
More than 90,000 free internet passes were downloaded in the lead-up to the main-draw action, according to the U.S. Tennis Association, a rise of more than 35% over the last pre-pandemic event in 2019.
More tickets for the event were sold on the day Williams confirmed her plans, according to the USTA, than in the preceding seven days combined.
That made it a sellout since it featured more than 4,600 people only on Monday night.
For each of the first three days of the tournament, Monroe and Thorn claimed to have tickets for both the daytime and midnight sessions, which are sold separately.
On Monday, both were sporting blue T-shirts with various purple letters spelling out “Serena” four times, while Thorn’s had a black-and-white image of Williams next to the words “Greatest Female Athlete” with the word “Female” crossed out.
Monroe said that she and Thorn were eager to see Williams vs. Kovinic and that she admires the Williams sisters “simply for how they have conducted themselves; they are an inspiration.”
Serena will triumph tonight, said Monroe. So, when she plays again on Wednesday, we’ll see her.