Last year, Williams came into the Open having won the previous three Grand Slam titles and was considered the overwhelming favorite for the calendar year slam.
Advertisement
World number two Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion who can dethrone six-time US Open victor Williams as world number one in NY, opens against Polona Hercog of Slovenia.
Williams, who said she was dealing with a shoulder problem in Rio, is going for her 23rd Grand Slam victory, which would lift her past Steffi Graf for most major titles in the modern era.
Germany’s Kerber, who defeated Williams in the Australian Open final in January, is just one of the players with a chance to seize the number one ranking if Williams falters.
But after seeing a frustrating year go by between her 21st Grand Slam win and No. 22, Williams said she’d learned to let history take care of itself.
The Spaniard has a 4-0 career record over world number 107 Istomin, including a win over the Russian-born player at the 2010 US Open. However, if she loses then any one of Angelique Kerber, Garbiñe Muguruza or Agnieszka Radwanska are close enough to displace her from the top. You just have to make the best of every single opportunity. It’s not necessarily a big deal to her that she has spent the past 31/2 years entrenched at No. 1 and at 34 is the oldest woman to top the WTA rankings.
“If the day will come I will reach number one, it would be fantastic but I will not think too much (about it)”.
The draw was made Friday, and Williams could encounter fifth-seed Simona Halep in the quarterfinals and big sister Venus, now 36, in the semifinals.
On the men’s side: Novak Djokovic is the No. 1 seed and undisputed No. 1 player, but the defending champion comes to NY after losing in Wimbledon’s third round and the Olympics’ first round, and pulling out of the OH tournament with a sore left wrist.
Meanwhile, for the first time in about three years, World No.1 Novak Djokovic finds himself not beginning as overwhelming favourite as he faces Jerzy Janowicz in his opener.
Murray begins his US Open campaign on Tuesday against world number 82 Lukas Rosol and he arguably starts as tournament favourite after winning both Wimbledon and an Olympic gold medal this summer. Clarifying these issues ahead of his opening match, the Serb said it was “personal issues, not entirely physical” that had had an impact on his results.
“I’m feeling good because I have had great matches in the last (few) weeks and especially a lot of positive emotions”.
The shoulder was bothering her, and it was at Wimbledon, as well.
Laughter ensued. It’s still Serena Williams, the No. 1 player in the world.
Advertisement
Notable absentees include 2015 champion Flavia Pennetta, who retired at the end of previous year, Victoria Azarenka who is pregnant and former champion Maria Sharapova who is serving adoping suspension.
