Once again, Serena Williams did not let an injury stop her in a Grand Slam tournament after she beat out Croatia’s Petra Martic for a spot in the top eight of the 2019 U.S. Open with a score of 6-3 6-4. The former world No. 1 had an ankle injury during the final set of her match with Martic, which required her to have an ankle restrapping.
Serena Williams on her ankle injury
When asked about her injury, Williams said that it was frustrating for her that she had the injury again especially after she had to bow out of the Cincinnati Masters a few weeks prior due to a back injury. She said that this succession of injuries affected her a bit mentally during the game but she powered through anyway.
Williams and her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, downplayed the effect of the ankle injury on her performance in the next rounds of the tournament. She said that she can manage the injury for the rest of the U.S. Open.
Williams also said that the injuries are not exactly an ideal situation for her and that she should have had a check-up with a trainer. When she had the injury during the Martic match, she just wanted to get compression on it right away so she can get back to the game.
Mouratoglou assured fans that Williams already knows how to deal with her injury. He further said that while the injury seems like it is common for the 37-year old star, they are still trying to assess how it will play out. It can be remembered that it was also an ankle injury that cost Williams her fourth round match against Czech player Karolina Pliskova during the Australian Open in January.
Williams in the 2019 U.S. Open
Williams is on a campaign to get her 24th title on a Grand Slam tournament. If she achieves that in the U.S. Open, she will tie Margaret Court’s record for having the most titles in the four Grand Slams during the Open Era.
With defending champion Naomi Osaka and other favorites Barty and Simona Halep out of the U.S. Open, Williams and Elina Svitolina are now the top two people who are predicted to win. Williams is the only person in the top eight who has previously won a Grand Slam.
Serena Williams at the U.S. Open, ranking, and results in 2019
Ranked no.8, Serena Williams has a 24-5 win-loss record in 2019. Serena Williams is currently having a run at the U.S. Open where she beat Maria Sharapova 6-1 6-1, Caty McNally 5-7 6-3 6-1, Karolina Muchova 6-3 6-2, Petra Martic 6-3 6-4 and Qiang Wang 6-1 6-0.
Serena will face Svitolina in the semifinal. The head to head is 4-1 for Serena Williams.
The last time that they competed against each other, Svitolina won 6-4 6-3 in the 3rd round in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016.
This year, Serena Williams was the finalist in Wimbledon and in Toronto.
Serena Williams won 72 titles in her career: 42 on hard courts, 13 on clay courts, 7 on indoor courts, 2 on carpet courts and 8 on grass courts. (See the list of her titles)
