PARIS – Serena Williams launches another attempt to clinch an elusive 24th Grand Slam title on her least successful surface
Williams returns to action still dealing with the lingering effects of an Achilles injury sustained in her US Open semi-final loss.
The former world number one skipped the Rome tune-up event as a result but is confident of making a challenge for a fourth Roland Garros crown.
“I wouldn’t be playing if I didn’t think I could perform,” said Williams, who turned 39 on Saturday.
“I’m not at 100% physically. But I don’t know any athlete that ever plays physically when they’re feeling perfect. That’s just something I think as athletes we have to play with.”
She is playing at Roland Garros for the 18th time, having made her debut in Paris in 1998.
Her last major came at the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant. Since giving birth to baby Olympia, she has reached four finals in nine attempts without being able to land that elusive 24th Slam to equal Margaret Court.
Williams has not gone beyond the last 16 in Paris since her defeat to Garbine Muguruza in the 2016 final.
She takes on American Kristie Ahn in a repeat of their first-round tie in New York.
World number five Elina Svitolina will try to transfer the momentum from her Strasbourg triumph into another deep run. The Ukrainian opens against Varvara Gracheva.
Muguruza faces Tamara Zidansek of Slovenia and fifth seed Kiki Bertens, who like Svitolina sat out the US Open, plays Katarina Zavatska. – AFP, September 28, 2020
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