NEW YORK — It’s not a US Open without Serena Williams. The 23-time Grand Slam champion and six-time US Open champion dropped into the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Saturday to take in the sights and sounds of the biggest edition of the tournament yet and surprise World No.1 Iga Swiatek with a pep talk.
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The 2022 US Open was Williams’ final event before retiring, but the former No.1 has not strayed far from the sport. After arriving at the venue on Saturday, Williams was cheerfully greeted by Tournament Director and former WTA Chairman and CEO Stacey Allaster, who led the tour from 2009 to 2015.
In New York, Williams sat courtside during the day session to enjoy the action on Arthur Ashe Stadium before wandering the halls and running into Iga Swiatek ahead of the World No.1’s third-round match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova:
“It was really nice to see her,” Swiatek said after her third-round win later that night. “She has a lot of positive energy. It’s nice that she came on-site and she was chatting with the players, because for me, I still felt, even though we met before and for like couple of years we have been on the same sides and on tour together, she’s still, like, star-striking to me. It was nice that she approached me because I wouldn’t find courage to do that if it was the other way.
“I’m happy that she’s following tennis and my game because she told me that she’s cheering for me. It’s always nice to hear that from somebody like Serena.”
It’s been a busy summer for Williams, who has been on the road promoting her docu-series, “In the Arena: Serena Williams”, which is currently airing on ESPN+. She also featured prominently at the Paris 2024 Olympics as part of the torch-lighting at the Opening Ceremony and in the stands as a frequent spectator.
Source: https://www.wtatennis.com/news/4102996/serena-williams-surprises-star-struck-swiatek-at-the-us-open
