By Richard Pagliaro | Sunday, August 28, 2016
"I'm really fit right now," said Serena Williams of her shoulder issues as she takes aim at her 23rd Grand Slam title.
Photo credit: ITF Olympic Tennis
NEW YORK—Squealing sneakers piercing the practice court are sonic reminders of how quickly Serena Williams can change direction.
Dance is a form of stress relief for the world No. 1.
US Open Podcast: TN Talks To Steve Flink, Brad Gilbert and Robbie Koenig
Williams must put her fast feet into action from the first ball as she opens her US Open quest facing dangerous Olympic doubles gold medalist Ekaterina Makarova.
Swaying under Olympic stress and a creaky serving shoulder, Williams has not played since her straight-sets Rio loss to Elina Svitolina.
High-stepping toward history, Williams is playing for an Open Era-record 23rd Grand Slam title, including a seventh US Open crown.
The soon-to-be 35-year-old Wimbledon champion aims to make history dancing around potential dangers:
*Serena has made just seven tournament starts this season and arrives in New York amid speculation about the state of her shoulder.
*Four different women—Angelique Kerber, Victoria Azarenka, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Svitolina— have beaten Williams on hard court this season.
*The sport's most dominant server has been more erratic on second serve.
*She faces tough-first-round opponent in Makarova who has already beaten her in a Grand Slam (2012 Australian Open), won the 2014 US Open doubles title and should be confident after winning the Olympic doubles gold.
Four-time US Open champion and ESPN analyst John McEnroe says Williams' diminished serve makes her a target for opponents, but still believes she will capture her Open-Era record seventh US Open crown.
"Yeah, I think (Serena’s) vulnerable," McEnroe told the media on a conference call to promote ESPN's US Open coverage. "I've heard mixed things about her shoulder. I'm not sure if she's a hundred percent. But if anyone saw her play at Wimbledon, see her once she gets going, to me if she plays up to her ability, she's going to win this…from the little I've seen, she doesn't seem to be serving with the same pop. Her serve really went off in the Olympics. That would lead me to believe that something's there.”
Williams, who rarely discusses injuries in depth, says she's been doing "a lot of physical therapy" for her shoulder as well as a lot of practicing, which suggests her shoulder is improving.
Asked on a scale of 1 to 10 where she rates her fitness, Serena gave herself high marks.
"Oh, I'm really fit right now," Williams said during Friday's US Open press conference. "I mean, I think I did serve pretty well at Wimbledon this year. I felt like I was able to hit aces when I wanted to."
Williams must manage advancing age, a pack of pursuers who can snatch her world No. 1 ranking if she falters in New York, the pressure of history and a recurrence of pain in that serving shoulder that prompted her to pull out of Cincinnati.
The top seed's second serve lacked some sting in Rio. She scattered eight double faults in a sloppy, 6-4, 6-3 setback to Svitolina, though she popped a 120 mph first in that match and also snapped off a 120 mph laser in her 7-6 (5), 6-2 second-round Rio win over nemesis Alize Cornet.
Some champions believe Serena's biggest challenge may be stress management.
"I played the Tour when I was 34. I retired when I was 34," Hall of Famer Chrissie Evert said. "And mind you, we definitely had different games and I didn't rely on what she relies on. But the fact of the matter is, when you get older, you have less days that you're motivated and you have less days that you—you really have more flat days, because it's just mentally, emotionally and physically, those three components, aren't always in sync.
"And when you're young and you're eager and you're just on the Tour, those three components are usually in sync, and that's why you play so well. "
Williams may suffer physical and mental lapses that make her more vulnerable, but Evert also insists the world No. 1's top level remains unrivaled.
"It's so understandable to me that she has some scratchy matches during the year and she doesn't play well," Evert said. "But her high level of play is still higher than any other player.
"So you know, who knows if she can get—what it takes for her to get that high level out there, but we know it's still there. We've seen it this year and it is still there. And if she can get it going, she's still going to win majors. But she's definitely going to have more bad days."
The question is: Can Serena summon it when she needs it most in New York? Or will we see the player who was sometimes flat-footed, reactive and erratic in a Rio Olympic loss?
Her track record of results suggests she will be present on final weekend. The top seed has reached at least the semifinals in seven straight Flushing Meadows starts and has contested Grand Slam finals in seven of her last eight majors.
Though prior to that brilliant major streak, Williams suffered some painful major losses to lower-ranked players, including No. 111 Virginie Razzano, 56th-ranked Makarova, 25th-ranked Sloane Stephens, Sabine Lisicki and Cornet.
World No. 2 Angelique Kerber and third-ranked Garbine Muguruza both enter the Open with shots to surpass Williams for the top spot. Kerber insists closing ground on Serena hasn't altered her view of the Grand Slam landscape.
"(It's) Serena and the rest of the field," a smiling Kerber said after the draw. "I mean, it's a new tournament. Everybody is ready for that. Everybody will give their best. Let's see how Serena will play here. Let's see how the others will play."
Williams was already wearing her game face in her pre-tournament presser suggesting her focus is on mastering the moment.
"The US Open is obviously a special place," Williams said. "I think I usually prefer to play more coming into the final Grand Slam of the year, but I really don't think there is nothing we can do about it. You just have to make the best of every single opportunity. That's all I can do now."