Serena Williams began her quest for a 24th Grand Slam singles crown by crushing five-time major winner Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-1 today to reach the second round in US Open. Williams needed only 59 minutes to rout her Russian rival, improving to 20-2 all-time against Sharapova with her 19th consecutive victory in the rivalry.
The 37-year-old American, seeking her seventh US Open title, is also chasing the all-time record of 24 Slam singles titles won by Margaret Court. Williams, returning to the U.S. Open after last year’s infamous final in which her row with the chair umpire overshadowed Naomi Osaka’s maiden Grand Slam victory, used her trademark power to overwhelm Sharapova in the first New York meeting between two of the sport’s biggest names.
Eighth seed Williams showed no signs of the back spasms that forced her to retire in tears from the Toronto final two weeks ago and instead showcased some of her best on-court movement since returning from maternity leave in 2018.