Serena Williams Wins First Match In 7 Months

Serena Williams had her first match in over seven months Tuesday, defeating Bernarda Pera in the first round of the Top Seed Open in Lexington, Kentucky. The tennis legend returned to the court as she prepares for the U.S. Open in a few weeks.

Williams might have been a little rusty because of the extended time off, losing the first set 4-6 before winning the match’s final two sets.

“I knew I’ve been practicing really well, and I wasn’t getting a good rhythm out here and I just kept thinking, ‘Serena, play like you've been practicing,’” Williams said after her victory. “I knew that I could play a little bit better if I just hung in there.”

The last time Williams competed was Feb. 8 when she was upset by Anastasija Sevastova as part of Team USA in the Fed Cup. January’s Australian Open was Williams’ last individual competition. Qiang Wang defeated Williams in the third round of the year’s first grand slam tournament.

“We've been stuck at home for six months and I've never been home for that long since I was a teenager,” Williams told reporters Saturday. “Even when I was pregnant, I was traveling a lot to so many different places, so it's been a long time since I've been home that long.”

The U.S. Open will be the year’s second grand slam, following five months of cancelations and postponements. Tennis has seemingly had the most difficult time of any sport looking to return during the coronavirus pandemic.

Several of the best tennis players in the world have announced they won't play in the U.S. Open, which is set to start on Aug. 31. Williams, the mother of a 2-year-old daughter, has been vocal about her own concerns regarding the coronavirus.

“Now I've been social distancing for actually a really long time, for probably two weeks now, and every little thing makes me crazy,” Williams said in a series of TikTok videos in late March.

“And by anxiety I mean I'm just on edge. Any time anyone sneezes around me or coughs I get crazy. I don’t hang out with anyone, and when I say anyone I mean my daughter.”

Williams won the ASB Classic in New Zealand less than two weeks after the start of the new year. The 23-time grand slam winner last won a grand slam when competed in the 2017 Australian Open.

Williams is ranked No. 9 in the world.