Serena Williams looked solid in her first-round win over Danka Kovinic. Williams played excellently and was able to get a 6-3, 6-3 victory.
Williams was aided by the support of a raucous crowd that turned out to support and give their respect to the tennis legend. It was a stadium record for the largest crowd in attendance at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The Perfect Rival for Williams
Looking a little more closely at the routine victory by Serena Williams, it was plain to this observer that Danka Kovinic was the perfect matchup for Williams.
Kovinic is a power player that does not have an elite level of court coverage. In fact, by WTA standards, Kovinic’s agility and court coverage are below average. Kovinic is a powerful athlete, but quickness is not her specialty.
This is the perfect type of player for Williams to look her best against. At this point in her career, Williams no longer has the elite defensive ability that she once possessed when she was a dazzling mixture of speed, defense, power, and aggression.
Kovinic is just a lesser version of Williams, a power player who does not display even an average level of movement.
The Blueprint on How to Beat Williams
Williams’ worst type of opponent is one like Belinda Bencic, a woman who beat her easily earlier in this season.
Bencic showed the blueprint to beating Williams, turning the match into a grueling, physical contest. Bencic’s ability to return every ball wore on and frustrated Williams.
Even Williams’ elite power was not enough to blow Bencic off the court, and the result was Bencic being able to tire out Williams and coax errors with her wall-like consistency.
What to Expect from Her US Open Performance
If Serena Williams were able to play other big hitters in every round of the US Open, she might have a chance to win the title. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
The level of athleticism on display in WTA is currently higher than any we have ever seen. These women are the top athletes in the world and display elite-level quickness that would shine through on a professional basketball court or soccer pitch.
Williams used to blend this same elite-level athleticism with a unique brand of power, but now she has been reduced to what tennis fans affectionately call a “ball basher”.
Serena Williams was priced at 50 to 1 before the US Open started, and her first-round win has not convinced me that there is value in this price.
Before the Open, I had written that Williams was no longer a threat to win the title, and her emotional, exciting win did nothing to change my stance. The WTA field is deeper than ever, and Williams is eventually going to meet an elite counter-punching athlete that will be her Kryptonite.
All Good Things Must Come to an End
Serena Williams’ swan song is a great opportunity for tennis fans to give her appreciation for the ways that she has influenced young women, been a strong role model, and achieved more than we could have imagined on a tennis court.
Serena, and her sister, Venus, have been beautiful ambassadors for the sport of tennis, and the WTA cannot have been more blessed to have these two remarkable women representing their tour for the past 20 years.
Yet all good things must come to an end, and Father Time wins every battle, as much as people like Serena Williams and Tom Brady will try to deny him. Brady was able to win a championship in his 40s, but that was in a team sport, where the rules have changed.
In the grueling individual sport of tennis, I think it is too much to ask, for even the greatest female player to ever pick up a racket.
Root With Your Heart, Not With Your Wallet
Serena Williams has a better chance to go out on top in the doubles event. She is playing with her legendary sister, Venus, and they have won 14 Grand Slam titles together.
In fact, they have never lost a Grand Slam final as a team, winning all 14 events in which they reached the final. It is fitting that Serena, who entered the tennis scene in the shadow of her prodigious sister, has a chance to go out of the tennis world with her sister.
Even at 50 to 1, I don’t think that Serena Williams is a good bet to win the US Open.
Enjoy the spectacle that she provides, and appreciate the greatness that she has brought to the sport, but root with your heart and not your wallet.
