After spending the past two weeks in quarantine Serena Williams was put through her paces on Friday as she played her first competitive match of the season.
The former world No.1 exited the bubble knowing that she had a match to be played later in the day but her first objective had nothing to do with tennis. Instead, Williams and her family took a trip to the local zoo to the obvious delight of her three-year-old daughter Alexis. Like her peers, Williams was eager to get out the mandatory quarantine but admits there were also some advantages to it as well.
“We went to the zoo,” she told reporters. “I am so glad it’s over because to be in a room (for so long) with a three-year-old and being her best friend is definitely difficult, especially after training and working out.
“Honestly, I wouldn’t trade anything, spending hours and hours and hours with her was really fun.”
Following the family outing it was back to work for the 23-time Grand Slam champion as she took part in the Day at the Drive event. A one-day exhibition event which also features Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
Taking on Naomi Osaka in her match, Williams held her nerve to prevail 6-2, 2-6, 10-7. A much-needed boost for the American who trails her rival 1-2 in their official WTA head-to-head. The latest performance drew praise from commentator and former player Casey Dellacqua who said she ‘was looking super-fit’ before later adding “Nothing like starting the year with a bang.” Meanwhile Williams was relishing playing in front of a packed crowd again.
“Thanks every one for having us. We honestly haven’t played in front of a crowd for over a year, it’s been a really long time, so this is really cool,” Williams said.
“We were so happy to be here and now it’s worth it.’
The 39-year-old heads into the Australian Open chasing after history once again. Should Williams win the tournament she would finally equal the all-time record for most major titles won by a singles player which is currently held by Margaret Court. Williams’ last Grand Slam triumph was in Melbourne back in 2017. More recently she has finished runner-up four times in the premier events between 2018-2019.
The Australian Open will start on February 8th.
