Daily temperature checks. A “bubble” that requires written permission to leave. No fans in the stands.
To make an early bid for understatement of the fortnight, this 2020 US Open will be different.
But will the unusual precautions also produce an uncustomary champion?
Venus Williams would like to think yes, although recent history goes against such a story playing out for the 40-year-old competing in her 22nd US Open.
The seven-time major singles champion last reached the second week of a major three years ago in New York (semifinal).
She is also seven years older than the oldest US Open women’s singles champion in the Open era, 33-year-old Flavia Pennetta (2015).
But there are reasons to believe Williams can go deep this year in the wide-open women’s singles draw, 19 years after she last won her home major.
The 40-year-old is used to being extra vigilant about her health and, after playing on tour for more than two decades, new situations and protocols hardly rattle her.
On court, a new coach has breathed fresh tactics into her game, and after a five-month break from competition, she’s looked fresher and quicker than she has in years.
“I feel like her maturity and her ability to take care of herself will serve her well in the bubble in New York,” Pam Shriver, ESPN analyst and 21-time major doubles champion, told USOpen.org.
“I think people who have sort of an open mindset and ability to adapt to a very different US Open have the opportunity to succeed. And I think Venus has that kind of mindset.”
For nearly a decade, Williams has needed to have a mindset that prioritizes self-care. In 2011, she was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome, an autoimmune disease that manifested itself in her through chronic fatigue and joint pain.
She had experienced the symptoms for years, but an accurate diagnosis had eluded medical professionals. Once she received the diagnosis, however, Williams was able to take the right medications and plan her life accordingly.
As the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, she has taken additional precautions, such as driving to the US Open from South Florida.
Her coach, Eric Hechtman, estimates that he has navigated their rented Four Winds 28-foot C Class RV more than 5,000 miles since July, when their trip north started with a stop in West Virginia for World TeamTennis.
“She’s understandably extra cautious,” Hechtman told USOpen.org. “We’re doing everything necessary.”
He and Williams started working together in March 2019 in Indian Wells. Williams split with longtime coach David Witt in November 2018 after an 11-year partnership.
Hechtman played collegiate tennis at the University of Miami and had served as an occasional hitting partner for Williams during off-seasons while he worked as the tennis director of the Royal Palm Tennis Club in Miami, where he mostly worked with juniors.
Williams is the first pro he’s coached, but he’s found that she has a ready-to-learn attitude much like that of his former pupils.
“We’ve definitely looked at some different technical things,” Hechtman said. “Luckily with Venus, she’s been really open to maybe tweaking a few things.”
"I am having a blast out here. I’m grateful to be able to play professional sports." — Venus Williams
Shriver has been impressed with the changes she’s seen in Williams’ game.
In Lexington, Ky., earlier this month, Shriver liked how much smoother Williams’ first serve looked. The weapon that has carried Williams her entire career had less of a hitch than in the past.
Williams relied on her serve in Lexington to beat two-time major champion Victoria Azarenka and push little sister Serena to three sets in what was their 31st meeting (Serena leads 19-12).
“The serve has been a big motif in my whole career,” Venus said. “When it’s working, it gives me that extra advantage.”
Shriver also noted how Williams’ forehand looked more sound and that Williams looked as if she had regained a step or two during the pandemic-induced break that she had lost over the years.
“I think there are a lot of players that used the time, the break, as a positive, instead of worrying about being off tour and having lots of anxiety. I feel like Venus shows signs of having worn this pandemic fairly well,” Shriver said.
If she can bring those changes to New York and land a decent spot in the draw, “I think she can be one of the stories of the Open,” Shriver said.
For Williams’ part, she, like the majority of players, is pleased to be playing matches again, with or without fans. It’s an attitude that will fare her well during what promises to be an unpredictable US Open, one that not even the 40-year-old Williams has come close to experiencing.
“As Billie Jean King said, ‘Champions adjust,’ and I am having a blast out here. I’m grateful to be able to play professional sports,” she said. “This is real life right now. This is what we’re dealing with, and you gotta run with it.”
