The black skirt Serena Williams chose to wear for the end of her career was designed to have six layers, one for each of her US Open titles. But that much of the fabric, even the finest, can feel heavy in the heat of battle, so before the tournament, Williams discarded four of the layers and went her way.
All the props were still there, from Queen Latifah thanking Williams in a pre-recorded introductory video to the celebrities scattered throughout the crowd (Tiger Woods and actress Zendaya). Still, her second-round match against Anett Kontaveit felt more professional. Williams' daughter, Olympia, was not in the stands at this match to watch and blow kisses to the crowd. This time, Williams avoided the cape.
The result was a 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 6-2 win after a grueling 2-hour 27-minute match that proved Williams' physical abilities remain intact at 40. It also showed that she remembered how to access a deep fighting tank.
Kontaveit, an Estonian ranked No. 2 globally, challenged Williams to earn the win with gutsy returns and blistering pace. His pinpoint shots tested Williams' patience, including one in the third set that merely dusted the line so slightly that the record crowd of nearly 30,000 began booing.
Williams waggled a finger to silence his supporters: no one here was bothered by close calls.
After entering the tournament with just four matches in the last 14 months and insecurity in her game, the question is no longer whether Williams' body can perform at the level of a Grand Slam tournament. He fired 11 aces and six pesky double faults, looking agile and strong in his movement on Wednesday.
"Are you surprised with your level right now?" he was asked on the court after the match, and Williams responded in disbelief.
She'll face No. 46 Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round on Friday, and before that, she'll have more practice under her belt via a doubles match with sister Venus on Thursday night. The first doubles match of the first round is scheduled to open a night session at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"There is no rush here," he said. "I still have a little left. We'll see. The chair umpire's first plea to the crowd to calm down came just two minutes into the match.
They continued to shout for the 23-time Grand Slam champion during points throughout the night, but the players settled into the atmosphere, relegating her to the background for the most part, and carried on.
The nerves that tripped Williams with unusual double faults Monday seemed to have dissipated. Williams moved well early, pressuring Kontaveit to hit an extra ball on rallies, even if Williams didn't win them, and scoring points from start to finish.
Even then, the rust was still evident early on. After securing his first break point in six attempts to take a 5-4 lead, he returned the break to Kontaveit with a double fault.
But his serve came when he needed it most: he secured the first-set tie-break with an ace.
Williams' level dropped immediately in the second set as Kontaveit took a 3-0 lead.
Williams eventually won a game. But serving at 1-3, 40-0, Kontaveit pushed her to the deuce, ultimately sealing the game and crushing her opponent's hope of a comeback with a strong comeback that only clipped the sideline. Williams then sent a backhand into the net on the next point, and Kontaveit held.
The Estonian closed the second set with an ace to level the match. Williams left the court to regroup and came out refreshed, building a 2-0 lead that blossomed into a 4-1 lead without Williams raising much of his level; such was the advantage his experience and public support gave her.
But Williams needed the best of her to close. The night's biggest moment came on set point with Williams serving to take a 5-2 lead. Kontaveit had her on the run, but she dropped a lob, the second of the play, on the baseline and then closed in on the winner. AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" row at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
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