Welcome to this week's edition of "Hot Shots," a USOpen.org-curated look at what you may have missed on social media over the past week. Ahead of Wimbledon on Sunday, Serena Williams acknowledged a strange coincidence concerning her first WTA win in a year. Meanwhile, big names like Sloane Stephens and Billie Jean King celebrated progress on and off the court.
The stars align for Serena Williams and … Beyonce?
Serena Williams surprised the world when she returned to tennis this week, teaming up with Tunisia’s singles world No. 3 Ons Jabeur for the doubles competition at the Rothesay International Eastbourne. Together, the duo won a tight first-round match against Spain’s Sara Sorribes Tormo and the Czech Republic’s Marie Bouzkova on Tuesday, 2-6, 6-3 (13).
Another American icon – and friend of Serena’s – also made an unexpected comeback earlier this week: Beyonce dropped her lead single from her first solo studio album in five years.
Coincidence? Serena thinks not.
Sloane Stephens excited for junior wheelchair tennis at US Open
This year, the US Open Wheelchair Championships presented by Deloitte will feature 16 singles players in both the men’s and women’s tournaments, as well as eight doubles teams in each draw. That’s twice the number of wheelchair players from 2021. Additionally, the 2022 US Open will introduce a junior wheelchair competition – the first of its kind at any Grand Slam tournament.
The US Open’s 2017 singles winner Sloane Stephens responded to the news on Twitter with great enthusiasm.
Equality champion Billie Jean King reflects on social issues
Icon Billie Jean King had a lot to say this week, as Pride Month comes to a close and a major civil rights law reached a milestone anniversary.
First, the former world No. 1 and social justice pioneer shared a photo on Twitter that featured the unveiling of a Patsy Mink portrait. Representative Mink, a Democrat from Hawaii, helped ensure the survival of Title IX in the House of Representatives.
King also shared a photo while recalling her stint as Grand Marshal of the 2018 New York City Pride March. While imploring to “remember you are exactly who you are meant to be,” she wrote “the fight for equality continues.”
Finally, she weighed in on Friday’s Supreme Court decision to strike down Roe v. Wade. She said it was “a sad day in the United States.”
Tennis stars prepare for Wimbledon
The world’s best tennis players are just days away from the third major of the year, and questions abound. Will Rafael Nadal extend his major record to 23 career titles – and keep his quest for a calendar Grand Slam alive? How many more can world No. 1 Iga Swiatek add to her 35-match winning streak? Is it time for Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, Italy’s Matteo Berrettini, Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, or Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia to finally win a major?
Social media offered some insights as to where things stand.
Posting a photo that incorporated the Wimbledon logo into a shot of him practicing, Novak Djokovic said he was excited to play his “childhood dream tournament.”
Carlos Alcaraz commented on his training with Argentina’s Diego Schwartzman.
This year’s Roland Garros champion Iga Swiatek, recovering from a shoulder injury, returned to “work mode.”
The clay major’s other women's singles finalist, Coco Gauff, smiled as she passed by the London Eye.
Meanwhile, Matteo Berrettini practiced with a potential semifinal opponent on Centre Court.
