WHAT HAPPENED: While the most celebrated mother at the US Open, six-time champion Serena Williams was winning in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday, the most astonishing, feel good 'mom' story of the tournament—that of Tsvetana Pironkova—kept growing.
Playing in the shadow of Arthur Ashe Stadium on Court 5 on a sun-splashed afternoon, the 32-year-old Bulgarian and mother of two-year-old son Alexander continued on her amazing comeback journey with a 6-4, 6-1 win over Donna Vekic for a spot in the fourth round.
Pironkova has embraced her new tennis life with a different perspective.
"Everything changes. Your priorities have nothing to do with what they did before. Nothing is the same really," said Pironkova earlier in the tournament. "Right now I'm just happy to be playing. Having the opportunity for him to watch me also makes me really happy.
"I don't know how to really explain it. It's just great to be playing without that extra pressure that I had on my myself before. Before it was like almost [a] life-and-death situation for me to win a match. Right now it's not really like that. Before all, it's just enjoyment to be on the court,” she said.
Pironkova’s last tournament was Wimbledon 2017. She had not been able to play any tournaments before coming to Flushing Meadows because of the shutdown of the WTA Tour.
She has no ranking and gained entry into the main draw through the protected ranking rule and the fact that there were a slew of women who did not choose to play.
But, once ranked as high as world No. 31 in 2010, Prinkova has shown no signs of layoff or dip in her game, as she has not lost a set through the first week of the tournament.
"Coming from a three-year absence on the tour, you always have your doubts," Pironkova said after upsetting former Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza. "Right now my results actually make me really happy because it shows that I did the right things preparing for this comeback. That makes me proud."
Pironkova didn’t have to do much more than keep the ball in play with strong groundstrokes as the No. 18 seeded Vekic was her own worst enemy in the 64-minute match. A US Open quarterfinalist in 2019, the Crotian sprayed balls all around, making 31 errors and committing nine double faults.
The only bump came in the opening set when Pironkova dropped serve for the only time when up 4-3. She broke right back and then wrapped up the first set on a Vekic forehand miscue.
WATCH: Pironkova-Vekic Round 3 Highlights
WHAT DOES IT MEAN: Nine mothers started the US Open, and in addition to Williams and Pironkova, there is one other still in action later on Saturday: Victoria Azarenka, who takes on Iga Swiatek in the third round.
Pironkova is not that surprised that there are so many mothers who are playing.
"Obviously there's a lot of challenges, but they are priorities in the first place. That would always be my son and my family and their health and happiness. I would never make a compromise with that," said Pironkova.
"But, you know, if you make a good schedule, if you really have the right motivation, I guess you can combine the two things, motherhood and being a professional tennis player. It makes a lot of work, but everything takes work."
MATCH POINT: Pironkova plays the winner of the nighttime match between 2018 US Open runner-up Madison Keys and Alize Cornet. Pironkova had her left thigh taped against Vekic.
"Yeah, I would say physically the challenge is quite big," said Pironkova.
Can she hold up physically to pull off another upset?
