Serena continues chase of Court, history in New York

When Serena Williams takes to Arthur Ashe Stadium in Queens this September, it will look—and sound—markedly different.

Fans won't be on hand to cheer her on, or root against her, as that "fourth wall" of a live theater audience will not be on hand. That may play to the 23-time major singles champion's favor, and as she has managed to summon the personal gusto to dispatch two opponents in a quarterfinal finish at the Top Seed Open in Kentucky. She would lose a third-set tiebreaker to Shelby Rogers on Thursday.

One of those departed foes was sister Venus Williams, now 40. Serena will turn 39 this September between the US and French Open events, and she recalled, as reported by the *New York Times*'Christopher Clarey, the days when she would know by the cheers or the quietness in a stadium whether her elder sister was winning.

Winning of itself is a Williams hallmark, of course. With 30 Grand Slam singles titles between them, as well as 14 major doubles crowns and a smattering of mixed doubles titles, any match—yea, any championship—has so often been on their racquets.

Serena lost in the US Open final last year to Bianca Andreescu. (Getty)

Serena chases a clean, even major No. 24 in New York this month, even as some declare her still to be hunting that as if it would tie Margaret Court's Open-era record. That's debatable, given Court won 11 of her majors at the Australian Open, with all but four of those coming before the Open era began in 1968, in a time when few top-tier opponents traveled Down Under to compete in the event.

Court's on-court accomplishments deserve full credit, but in reality, Serena may be more likely proving things solely against herself now.

As her coach Patrick Mouratoglou told Clarey, "I think she has the same chances that she has had since the birth of her daughter. She absolutely has the level. It still depends a great deal on her whether she wins a Grand Slam. The COVID, for me, has changed absolutely nothing in that department."

While Serena was stalled by sterling opposition—Angelique Kerber, Naomi Osaka, Simona Halep, Bianca Andreescu—in straight sets in her four major finals since returning from childbirth, this time she has the benefit from a layoff that affected everyone else the same.

New York remains on watch.