Some fans are skeptical of Serena Williams' chances of challenging for Grand Slams after she was injured for nearly 12 months. However, the former world No. 1 has shown her seriousness by signing up to play in Toronto and Cincinnati before the US Open.
Williams was out for nearly a year due to a leg injury she sustained after slipping on Centre Court at Wimbledon. She subsequently had to retire from her match and was sidelined for an extended period.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion made her singles comeback at SW19 this year. She lost to Harmony Tan in the opening round after a tight battle in an emotional return to Centre Court.
Williams usually does not play a heavy schedule before the US Open. The 40-year-old has not played in both the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open since 2015, winning in Cincinnati.
Her only final at either of those events since her triumph in Cincinnati in 2015 was at the 2019 Canadian Open. Unfortunately, she had to retire at 1-3 down in the first set against Bianca Andreescu due to back spasms.
Williams entered both events using a protected ranking. Some will be surprised by her decision to play at both events at age 40 since she has been unwilling to play at each tournament in the same year for so many years.
However, Williams undoubtedly feels she needs some match practice. After working so hard to recover from her injury, she was rusty in her match at Wimbledon and also struggled with the intensity of the contest in the final few games.
The tournament organizers will be thrilled to have the tennis legend at their events. Williams' presence always gets more fans to buy tickets, generating more attention for the sport. The top seeds will not want to face her in the early rounds.
0 Comments