Tomljanović, who won 7-5 6-7(4) 6-1, advances to the last 16 of the US Open for the first time. In an on-court interview with ESPN after the match, Williams was asked if she would revisit her development away from tennis, as she has said. “I don’t think so, but you never know,” he said. In a happy, tearful interview, she thanked her parents, saying she was very grateful to them for starting it all. And she credits her older sister, Venus Williams, for her success. “I wouldn’t be Serena if Venus didn’t exist,” she said. “She’s the only reason Serena Williams ever existed.” After her improbable second-round victory over Anett Kontaveit, Serena Williams, 40, summed up her US Open performances better than anyone else could. “I’m just Serena,” she said matter-of-factly, a line that will undoubtedly go down as one of the most memorable in sports. That ability to find another gear and dig even deeper in the toughest of times has been the foundation for Williams’ continued success for more than 20 years on tour. She showed the same grit and tenacity on Friday as world No. 46 Tomljanović was at the top of her game. Williams, widely regarded as the best player in tennis and arguably the best tennis player, won five match points before a shot at the net was over. Given her form at the US Open — just one win since returning to the circuit in June after an injury-plagued year — it was fair to assume that Williams’ first-round match against Danka Kovinic would be more than a emotional farewell from tennis for the 23-time grand slam champion. But, being “just Serena”, Williams produced by far her best tennis of the season to send off Kovinic flawlessly and extend her final dance in New York for two days. Then came Kontaveit, the world No. 2 and one of the toughest players on Tour. The Estonian would provide a much sterner test than Kovinic and Williams no doubt entered their race as the significant underdogs. Surely, after two glittering decades at the top, this is where Williams’ career would end? Of course it didn’t happen. She is, after all, “just Serena.” In her three-set win over Kontaveit, Williams raised the level of tennis to a place many thought she might never reach again. Her much-feared accuracy and power on her serve seems to have returned, as does her speed around the court. Tomljanovic reached a career-high ranking of 38 this season and has enjoyed some notable success in 2022, including the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and the recent Cincinnati Open. On Friday she was solid as she had just 30 unforced errors to Williams’ 51.
