Of course Serena Williams is confident. She deserves to be. And her opponents know that her improving game and overwhelming crowd support make beating her in this U.S. Open all the more difficult.
If two nights earlier was about posterity and sweet send-offs, Round 2 was about doing everything possible to win a tennis match, as Williams beat the world No. 2, Anett Kontaveit, in three sets.
Kontaveit was up for the challenge of facing Williams in front of fans who had little interest in her winning as they celebrate Williams’s career. She forced a third set, but the fans got what they wanted.
Williams met a valedictory night at the U.S. Open with a win that was fitting, and with a second-round match on Wednesday, the farewell party at Arthur Ashe Stadium continues.