23-time Slam champion Serena Williams is back on the training ground. After spending a few weeks away from home, Serena traveled to Washington and trained alongside her sister Venus.
Williams will play at the Canada Open in Toronto next week, playing in just her second singles tournament in a year. Serena surprised everyone by heading to Eastbourne in June, competing in the doubles draw alongside Ons Jabeur and getting in shape ahead of Wimbledon.
The seven-time All England Club champion faced world No. 115 Harmony Tan in the first round and suffered a heavy defeat. Playing for the first time in a year, Serena lost 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 in three hours and 11 minutes.
Williams served for the win in the dying moments of the third set and took a 4-0 lead in the match’s tie break before losing.
Serena Williams is back on the training ground.
Tan won a tight first set after trailing 4-2, and Williams responded with a solid performance in the second set.
Serena took a 5-0 lead and won the set in game seven on her serve to build momentum. Showing well on the court, Williams took a 3-1 lead in the deciding set before Harmony locked the result at 3-3.
The American broke again at 4-4 and served for the win in the tenth game and moved closer to her 100th Wimbledon triumph. Instead, she played a terrible game to bring her rival back to the positive side.
Williams defended a match point on her serve in the twelfth game and took a 4-0 lead in the match’s tie break. Tan won five straight points to erase the deficit and grabbed the first match point at 9-7 for the proudest moment of his career.
Serena will look to have a better run in Toronto, 22 years after her debut in this competition. Williams retired in the title clash against Martina Hingis before winning titles in 2001 and 2003.
Serena waited a decade to lift her third crown at the Canada Open in 2013, before losing in the semi-finals the following two editions. Williams’ previous stint in Canada dates back to 2019.
She performed at a high level and beat Elise Mertens, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Naomi Osaka and Marie Bouzkova to advance to the final. Serena faced teenager Bianca Andreescu and pulled out after the fourth game due to injury.
