Sabalenka, a nine-time WTA Tour winner, and Swiatek, the current French Open champion, are the latest in a long series of polished phenomena that have crossed Williams’ career. One of the biggest stars to emerge, Naomi Osaka, saved two match points to defeat Garbiñe Muguruza on Sunday. Still, from Jennifer Capriati and Monica Seles to Maria Sharapova and Sloane Stephens, Williams has seen many young talents come and go and, occasionally, distance themselves from tennis.
A sport with a history of suffocating its youth did not suffocate Williams, 23 times Grand Slam champion in singles and whose love for the sport seems to have deepened over time. Against Sabalenka, she studied a page of notes written during the changes, as if she were back at school. She played with her “Queen” necklace. She took balls from the corners and ran from side to side as if she were on the asphalt of a school in the playground.
Darren Cahill, one of Halep’s coaches, described Williams’ move as the best he saw of her “in a very, very long time” and said: “If you can stay on more points and get more balls back, stay alive, then it has the power to reverse these points. “
What Williams is doing is also inconceivable to younger Americans, three of whom followed in the second week. Amazed, one of three, Shelby Rogers, 28: “What she managed to accomplish is absolutely incredible because some days I wake up now and I’m like, ‘OK, I’m not 21 anymore.’ “
Williams’ serve often allows her to earn her share of easy points. But against Sabalenka, his main weapon continually failed. Williams put 52 percent of his first serve into play and recorded eight double fouls, including one in the fifth game of the third set, which gave Sabalenka two break points.