Serena Williams signaled she is not quite ready for retirement, advancing to the second round of the U.S. Open on Monday with a scrappy 6-3, 6-3 win over Danka Kovinic.
The victory over the 80th-ranked Kovinic, just her second this year, will be a confidence boost for Williams, but the path to a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam now gets treacherous.
Waiting in the wings is Estonian second seed Anett Kontaveit, who breezed past Jaqueline Cristian 6-3, 6-0.