Serena Williams Earns First Singles Win In More Than A Year As She Eyes U.S. Open

Serena Williams won her first singles match since Roland Garros in 2021 as she tries to gear up for a potential run at the U.S. Open starting later this month.

Williams, 40, looked rusty at times and her usual brilliant self at others in beating Nuria Parrizas 6-3, 6-4 to reach the second round in Toronto.

It marked her first singles win since beating fellow American Danielle Collins in the third round of last year’s French Open.

“I just wanted to be out here today,” Williams said on court. “Obviously, I love playing out here in Toronto. I’ve done well in the past. I was just out here doing my best today.”

After a year off the singles court, Williams, the 23-time major champion, returned at Wimbledon last month but lost in the first round to Harmony Tan, 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7).

“I do love that she’s trying to get some reps in this far ahead of the U.S. Open because she has sometimes in the past played one lead-in event going into Slams,” former U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick told Steve Weissman of Tennis Channel Monday on The Rich Eisen Show. “I don’t think she can get away with that now having been off for so long.

“If she can get two or three matches a couple weeks in a row going into the U.S. Open, then she’s got a shot to actually win some matches. Let’s not get carried away and say she’s got a shot to win the tournament but I think the only chance she has to make a big run in New York City is to find her base over the next couple of weeks.”

Serena, playing her first hard court event since last year’s Australian Open, next faces 12th seed Belinda Bencic or Tereza Martincova.

Next week she is also scheduled to play the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, an event she won in 2014 and ‘15.

The U.S. Open begins Aug. 29. Williams did not play after Wimbledon in 2021 due to a hamstring injury.

Williams remains one major shy of tying Margaret Court for the all-time record at 24.

Venus Williams, 42, will play her first match in Toronto Monday night against Jil Teichmann.