Sunday Slice: Serena debuts new team, Denis Shapovalov celebrates anniversary at Wimbledon

The third major tournament is almost upon us but the game’s best are giving “first day of school” vibes as they descend on the All England Club. As they practice on the hallowed grounds before Wimbledon begins, check out some of their best social shares from the last week.

Serena Williams

Fresh off her split with longtime coach Patrick Mouratoglou, the 23-time Grand Slam champion revealed her revamped squad ahead of her first-round encounter with Harmony Tan—her first tour match in nearly a year.

Williams and Mouratoglou had been together for a decade, during which time she won nine majors and came within two matches of a Calendar Year Grand Slam.

For her anticipated Wimbledon return, the former world No. 1 has brought on Eric Hechtman, who has served has hitting partner for both Williams sisters in addition to Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.

Familiar faces like hitting partner Jarmere Jenkins, trainer Derick Pierson and physio Kristy Stahr round out her on-site team.

Denis Shapovalov

The 2021 semifinalist is celebrating more than just his return to SW19, sharing an anniversary post with girlfriend and fellow player Miriam Bjorklund.

“Here’s to many more years and memories together,” the Canadian wrote on Instagram.

Bjorklund is set to make her Wimbledon main-draw debut against No. 3 seed Ons Jabeur on Monday, having played her first-ever Grand Slam match at Roland Garros last month. A protective partner, Shapovalov railed against the Queen’s Club tournament, which evidently refused to let Bjorklund practice on site while she’d accompanied him for the ATP event.

“Ironic that @thequeensclub itself is named after a powerful and extraordinary woman, yet it’s openly discriminating against professional female tennis players by not allowing them to train at the club when they need somewhere to prepare for @Wimbledon,” he wrote on an Instagram story. “Time for a review of this policy.”

Shapovalov will play his first match on Tuesday against Arthur Rinderknech, aiming to end a six-match losing streak that dates back to his quarterfinal finish in Rome—where he defeated Rafael Nadal in three sets.

Around the grounds…

From the practice courts to pre-tournament press conferences—and everywhere in between—the players are understandably psyched for Wimbledon:

But of course, no round-up would be complete without wild card and noted TikTok comedienne Daria Saville, who showed off her pocketful of Lululemon attire with British star Heather Watson.

Saville had literally begun her pre-Wimbledon prep on the wrong foot when she lost her grass-court shoes in Germany, but rebounded to reach the round of 16 in Berlin as a qualifier.