Razeen Gutta
Tennis great Serena Williams has caused a massive upset in the second round of the US Open defeating world number two Anett Kontaveit in her quest to win one last Grand Slam at the age of 40.
Celebrities such as Bella Hadid, Jared Leto and Zendaya cheered Williams on in New York as the 23-time Grand Slam champion won the enthralling three-set match 7-6, 2-6, 6-2 on Wednesday.
Many would have expected Williams to bow out at Flushing Meadows against the Estonian Kontaveit after she said in an interview with Vogue that she is “evolving”.
“Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me,” she said.
After her second round result, however, it appears the global icon has one more Grand Slam run left in the tank.
Williams defeated Danka Kovinić in the first round and her upset over Kontaveit has now set up a third round tie with Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic. She will also play doubles with her sister Venus.
Serena said post-match that she loves challenges. “After I lost the second set, I thought, ‘Oh, my goodness, I have to give my best effort because this could be it’. I love a challenge. I don’t have anything to prove.
“I don’t have anything to win. And I have absolutely nothing to lose,” she told ESPN.
Image source: @SkySports
