Three Grand Slam singles champions were in action in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Day 6 of the 2024 US Open, but the biggest trophy case beloned to a fan in the stands: Serena Williams returned to Flushing Meadows for the first time since her 2022 retirement as a spectator.
The 42-year-old American's last professional tennis match came two years ago in Queens against Ajla Tomljanovic, but she was a famous face in the crowd during Ashe's matches on Saturday, a slate of play which featured Jessica Pegula and Jannik Sinner in the day session. Iga Swiatek and Daniil Medvedev followed in the night slate.
It was a welcome return to Flushing Meadows for the former world No. 1, who gave birth to her second daughter with husband Alexis Ohanian during last year's fortnight.
Williams arrived early on Saturday, shared a hug with tournament director Stacey Allaster, and posed on the tournament's iconic blue carpet in a two-piece denim outfit (not the first time that she's rocked a denim skirt in New York, as longtime tennis fans surely know).
But thrilling on-court action wasn't all that captured Williams' attention: She enjoyed herself in between games, too, thanks to the courtside tunes from Ashe's DJ, and she was captured on cameras grooving to the music as Sinner faced Australia's Christopher O'Connell.
Though 2022 US Open champion Swiatek didn't play Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova until the evening, she got a chance to meet with Williams behind-the-scenes in the afternoon, and admitted to being star-struck by the all-time great, even though they, until recently, occupied the same locker room.
"It was really nice to see her. She has a lot of positive energy," Swiatek said. "It's nice that she came on-site and she was chatting with the players, because for me, yeah, I still felt, even though we met before and for like couple of years we have been on the same sides and on tour together, she's still like star-striking [sic] me.
"It was nice that she approached me, because I wouldn't, for sure, find courage to do that (smiling) if it was the other way. But, yeah, she's really nice and really positive.
"I'm happy that she's following tennis and my game, because she told me that she's cheering for me. It's always nice to hear that from somebody like Serena."
In 21 US Open appearances, Williams won the singles title six times, and posted a staggering 108-15 record in singles in Flushing.
She partnered her sister Venus Williams to win twice in doubles, and also won the mixed doubles title with Max Mirnyi in 1998.
Also in the crowd for Ashe's day session was another New York legend: six-time US Open doubles champion Mike Bryan.
