Serena Williams faces Maria Sharapova in a blockbuster first-round match today at the US Open, the feature showdown on the first day of the year’s final Grand Slam tennis event.
Eighth-ranked Williams, who lost to Naomi Osaka in last year’s US Open final and to Simona Halep in last month’s Wimbledon final, is seeking her 24th career Grand Slam singles title to match Margaret Court’s all-time record.
The 37-year-old American owns a 19-2 record against Russia’s 87th-ranked Sharapova and has beaten her 18 consecutive times dating to 2005.
That lopsided rivalry, however, has not prevented the matchup from being the talk of the tournament since Thursday’s draw announcement.
“Of course I’m going to watch it,” Osaka said. “I think everyone in New York is going to watch it.”
Williams owns a 3-1 record over Sharapova in Grand Slam matchups, having lost their first such meeting in 2004 at Wimbledon, but this will mark the first time they have met in a US Open.
Williams last won a Grand Slam at the 2017 Australian Open, while pregnant.
Five-time Grand Slam champion Sharapova, 32, failed a drug test at the 2016 Australian Open and served a one-year ban. The 2006 US Open winner last won a Slam at the 2014 French Open. She has reached the fourth round at the past two US Opens.
Other first-day matches in Arthur Ashe Stadium send Swiss third seed Roger Federer against India’s 190th-ranked Sumit Nagal, top-seeded defending champion Novak Djokovic against Spain’s 76th-ranked Roberto Carballes Baena and French Open champion Ashleigh Barty, the second seed from Australia, against 77th-ranked Zarina Diyas of Kazakhstan.
Eighth-seeded Williams could meet second-seeded French Open champion Ashleigh Barty of Australia in the quarter-finals.
Barty, Osaka, Halep and Czech third seed Karolina Pliskova, seeking her first Slam title, are among the foes trying to deny Williams yet again in a quest she insists doesn’t dominate her thoughts.
She has not played since retiring from the WTA Toronto final with back spasms, handing Canada’s Bianca Andreescu the title.
Osaka ‘very confident’
Osaka won last year’s final after Williams was given a game penalty by umpire Carlos Ramos, who US Open officials have decided will not work on any match with Serena or Venus Williams at this year’s US Open.
This time, Osaka has had a better run-up to the Open despite a first-round Wimbledon crash out.
“This year I went to two quarter-finals back to back and I feel very confident about how I am right now.”
While it’s Osaka’s first time defending a Slam, she had her first taste of defending a title this year at Indian Wells.
Meanwhile, Halep, who has crashed out of the US Open in the first round the past two years, enters with confidence after beating Williams at Wimbledon.
“It cannot be worse than the last two years, to lose in the first round,” Halep said. “I’m really good. I’m feeling healthy. I’m feeling fresh.
“The pressure of doing something special, it’s off. Now what comes, comes as a bonus. I’m still working, I’m still motivated to win titles. I’ve started to feel more and more that I’m capable to do that so my confidence is very high.”
Barty says “nothing has really changed for me” since her title at Roland Garros.
“I just come here to play and do the best that I can,” Barty said. “I’m focused on my first round on Monday and that’s all I’m worried about for the moment.”