New York: The next woman who must deal with the daunting task of playing Serena Williams at the US Open, Ajla Tomljanovic, considers herself an admirer of the 23-time Grand Slam champion. “I’ve been a Serena fan,” Tomljanovic said Friday and added, “Since I was a kid.”
Tomljanovic, an Australian who is 29, will face Serena Williams, who turns 41 next month in the third round at Arthur Ashe Stadium. “She kind of has that aura, like Roger (Federer), Rafa (Nadal), and deservedly so,” Tomljanovic said. “I always get happy when she says ‘Hi’ to me.”
Tomljanovic recalled watching on TV as Serena won major trophies. Also tuning in over the years — but never across the net from Serena in a match until this US Open — was the player Serena beat in the second round Wednesday, No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit, who’s 26. Same for the player Serena beat in the first round Monday, Danka Kovinic, who’s 27.
This is not why Serena is winning these contests in what is expected to be the last tournament of her career, but it sure can’t hurt. Must not be easy to try to defeat someone whose success is oh-so-familiar, someone you looked up to before you turned pro yourself, someone you admire to this day.
“Oh, it factors in a lot. When I was young, I knew I had to beat members of a certain generation to move up. And Serena’s always been the one to beat,” said Billie Jean King, the Hall of Famer who won 12 Grand Slam singles titles in the 1960s and 1970s, plus another 27 in women’s doubles and mixed doubles. “It can work in your favour if you thrive on playing the best player ever and you know it’ll help your career if you win,” King said Thursday.
“But the other side of the coin is, ‘Oh, no! I have to play her?’ And with the crowd, the history, you really have to try to embrace the situation and the occasion,” King added. That certainly is not easy.
Especially when Serena is playing as well as she did against Kontaveit, particularly in the moments that mattered the most in the 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2 victory – the first set tie-breaker and the third set.
“Well,” Serena said with a laugh after the match, “I’m still a pretty good player.” Sure is. And her opponents sure know it, of course.
Back when Serena and her older sister Venus – who lost in the first round of doubles together Thursday night – were swapping the No. 1 ranking the way other siblings might share clothing and meeting each other in nine all-in-the-family finals at Grand Slam tournaments, they often took the court with something of an advantage that went beyond their considerable talents.
Some other players were simply in awe. So even though Serena plays less, and wins less, nowadays than she used to in her heyday – her 2022 record was 1-3 before this week – listen to what Kovinic had to say about learning she was drawn to face the American at Flushing Meadows:
“I was happy. I won’t lie. I’m honoured to play against her, never mind whether I win or lose. It’s a privilege to share the court with Serena,” Kovinic stated before the match. How did that go? Serena won 6-3, 6-3.
Here is what Kontaveit’s thoughts were when her matchup against Serena was assured: “I’m really excited. I was really rooting for her to (advance to the second round). I’ve never played against her. I mean, this is the last chance and better late than never.”
Let’s just hope that the Serena juggernaut continues for some more time. No, no one will object, no not even her opponents. After all Memories Die Hard