June 2, 2021 - Letters from Roland-Garros - S. Williams over M. Buzarnescu: 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.

The third set offered teaching points on the art of defense from Mihaela Buzarnescu ––– returning Williams' baseline forehands with stabs that sent the ball soaring high into the air, requiring Williams to backpedal, take a breath, and wait to hit the ball on the bounce back to her opponent. This tactic, often, led to longer and longer points, which the two would bring to their close ––– at the net.  

The biggest question driving the French Open is this: whether Williams, who has now reached thirty-nine years of age, will claim another grand slam title (she has twenty-three), and inch one step closer to taking the record of twenty-four from Margaret Court –––– the Australian, who won her last grand slam title in 1973.

In Buzarnescu, Williams faced a proven opponent; though currently ranked number one hundred and twenty-seven in the world, at thirty-three, she's a veteran who knows how to hang in matches, and as recently as 2018, was ranked as high as number twenty. 

Watching Williams, it's easy to tell how much each match, each set, each game, each point means to her ––– as almost every grand slam tournament that she plays over the next year or two, may be her last. Against Buzarnescu, after a few longer, more challenging and entertaining points, on more than one occasion, both players looked over at each other ––– and whilst catching their breaths, smiled and applauded at their collective effort.  

Shortly after the match, Williams was interviewed while still on the court, and basking in the glow of a match won and advancing through to the next round. The interviewer’s question, which he asked in both French as well English, matters less than Williams’ answer. 

“I love my job” she said. “I don't smile very much, but I was enjoying being out here. It was kind of fun.”