Serena Williams visits US Open for first time since last match

NEW YORK — Welcome back to the US Open, Serena Williams.

Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, returned to Flushing Meadows on Saturday, but she watched tennis, not played it herself.

And she brought back an old look by wearing a denim skirt similar to the one she wore during the 2004 competition in New York.

This was Williams’ first visit to the US Open since 2022, when she played in the final tournament of her career there. She reached the third round before losing in her final match to Ajla Tomljanovic, though Williams was careful not to say she was retiring, instead describing it as “evolving” away from professional tennis.

Since then, she has been busy with her business interests, signing a book deal, releasing a documentary series currently airing on ESPN, and in July, hosting ESPYS. Williams gave birth to her second daughter a year ago.

The 42-year-old American has won six US Open singles championships – tied with Chris Evert for the most – during her decades of dominance with a racquet in her hands. This time, Williams was in a suite at Arthur Ashe Stadium as No. 1 Jannik Sinner claimed a straight-sets third-round victory over Christopher O’Connell.

Williams walked around the grounds and watched American Tommy Paul win at Louis Armstrong Stadium. At one point, she stopped by the players’ room to chat with current women’s No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who was scheduled to play Saturday night.

One of Williams’ close friends, 2018 Australian Open champion and former world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, joked after reaching the fourth round and winning on Saturday that she was disappointed not to see Williams in the Grandstand spectator seats.

“I’m going to text her,” Wozniacki said, laughing. “I’m pretty mad at her for not showing up to my game. … I think we’ll have to talk about that later.”