Despite everything Serena Williams has won and done, her sense of self can still fluctuate based on the outcome of a match.
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For Williams, it’s a sore right shoulder she said started bothering her nearly immediately after her Wimbledon victory.
The No. 1-seeded Djokovic, who defeated Nadal in the 2011 U.S. Open final and Roger Federer for last year’s title, said his wrist began bothering him shortly before the start of the Rio Games, where he lost in the first round. Because the 14-time Grand Slam champ is a lefty, his issue is the forehand. The way she meets this first challenge might speak volumes about what the coming days have in store.
Serena has been atop the rankings since February 2013 and a win further will lead her to equalling Graf’s record for most consecutive weeks (186) at No.1. “I’m OK with it. That match has really motivated me to keep working and improving”.
“If the day will come I will reach number one, it would be fantastic but I will not think too much (about it)”.
Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber is just one of the players with a chance to seize the No.1 ranking if Serena falters. The sixth-seeded American opens her tournament against 93rd-ranked Kateryna Kozlova on Tuesday.
In the women’s event, second seeded Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion, needed just 33 minutes to progress but Roland Garros victor Garbine Muguruza required three sets and a visit from the doctor before she survived.
Rafael Nadal holds his left wrist while answering questions after defeating Denis Istomin, of Uzbekistan, during the first round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament. Williams is defending a 780 from her 2015 run.
Williams has struggled with injury and has experienced puzzling lapses of confidence and motivation alternating with brilliant fits. If Serena, the top seed, wins this, she will become the first woman in Open Era to win 23 Grand Slams with Margaret Court winning 24. That’s what I feel at the moment.
Kerber, who picked up a silver medal at the Olympics, losing to Puerto Rico’s Monica Puig in the final, begins her USA challenge against Polona Hercog, of Slovenia. The 35-year-old aggravated a knee injury in that loss. “If he’s throwing del Potro in there, then Del Potro has had a nightmare the last three years”, said John McEnroe.
“There’s a lot at stake for her, to break Steffi in so many different ways”, said Chris Evert, an 18-time grand slam champion, speaking on behalf of espn.co.uk.
Those sorts of thoughts helped Vinci when she got into a bit of a second-set rut against Friedsam, who eliminated her at this year’s Australian Open.
How could Williams not feel pressure?
Novak Djokovic of Serbia smiles during the Draw Ceremony prior to the start of the 2016 US Open on August 26, 2016 in the Queens borough of New York City. But I don’t think he has the type of game that can dominate week in, week out for a long period of time the way that those other three guys were able to do. Few expected Kerber to experience a career resurgence and play the best tennis she’s ever had as she approaches the age of 30, and nobody guessed Muguruza would have the resolve to take down Williams at the French Open. “I think I just am more relaxed, for sure”.
World number two Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open champion who can dethrone 6-time US Open victor Williams as world number one in NY, opens against Polona Hercog of Slovenia. She twisted her ankle in the second of those matches in Brisbane and was still hobbled as she fought her way through to meet Makarova in Melbourne Park.
Kerber has the best shot of unseating Williams. She won Wimbledon less than two months ago.
“The shoulder is still not 100 per cent but it’s very close and she will find a way”.
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Murray will launch his US Open campaign tomorrow against Lukas Rosol.
