Catsuit queen Serena back to winning business

Having been off the tour to give birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian in September, many in the sport wondered if Serena Williams would still be a contender at the majors especially with her ranking at 451.

Published : May 29, 2018 22:42 IST , Paris

 United States’ Serena Williams during her first round match against Kristyna Pliskova of Czech Republic.
United States’ Serena Williams during her first round match against Kristyna Pliskova of Czech Republic.
lightbox-info

United States’ Serena Williams during her first round match against Kristyna Pliskova of Czech Republic.

Serena Williams made a winning return to Grand Slam tennis which was as memorable as her body-hugging black catsuit when she reached the Roland Garros second round on Tuesday.

The 36-year-old downed Kristyna Pliskova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 to register her first victory at the majors since her 2017 Australian Open triumph.

“I missed Roland Garros so much, I missed the battle,” Williams, the 2002, 2013 and 2015 champion in Paris, said after playing her first clay court match since finishing runner-up to Garbine Muguruza in the 2016 final on the same Philippe Chatrier Court.

“I couldn’t play last year. I had a baby but I am so happy to be back.

“It’s been two years since I played here. It wasn’t easy but I have been training really hard. I feel good and just so happy to be back here.” Williams, the winner of an Open era record 23 Grand Slam titles, had arrived at Roland Garros with just four matches under her belt in 2018.

The last time she had been spotted on a court was in a first-round loss to Naomi Osaka in Miami in March.

Having been off the tour to give birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian in September, many in the sport wondered if Williams would still be a contender at the majors especially with her ranking at 451.

However, she gave a stinging response to the doubters on Tuesday even if her win over the 70th-ranked Pliskova tested the American.

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment