Serena Williams said she enjoyed the National Tennis Center, but she lives in a rented apartment to further isolate herself from exposure to the coronavirus because of her history of major lung complications.
“I want to be here, but I have real health issues,” Williams said Friday in a Zoom meeting with reporters covering the Western & Southern Open, which begins on Saturday in earnest. The tournament is a prelude to the August 31 US Open.
“I did not want in the [official player] hotel because I have lung problems and felt it was a big risk for me personally, “she said. In a house I can control more, there is no household [staff], not one of those games. I had to put my mind to rest so I could perform in New York. “
Williams suffered a pulmonary embolism during labor before giving birth in September 2017 to daughter Alexis Olympia, and another, life-threatening one shortly after birth, inserting that threatened Williams for six weeks and delayed her return to training.
Williams said she had been “super cautious” during the pandemic, adding that although the additional testing required by the USTA as it prepares for the US Open is a major adjustment for the players, she is all for it. At 38, Williams remains one Grand Slam singles title short of equal to Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24. Williams is already the most prolific Grand Slam title winner of the Open era.
The USTA decided to allow players to stay with their families as entourages in private homes instead of one of the two approved tournament hotels if the players agreed to certain conditions. These include a mandate to provide security to monitor the behavior and activities of those in the house during the three-week period in which the tournament is played in a bio-secure bubble at the traditional home of the US Open.
“They need to guide you, make sure people don’t leave, go to nightclubs and restaurants,” Williams said of the mandate. “I like that because people might get antsy and maybe go places. I want to know where people are going. I want to make sure we all keep ourselves in this giant bubble. There are more people now “with 128 pulls. Those are a lot of people, so I want to know that everyone keeps their word and is honest.”
A handful of top players, including WTA No.1 Ashleigh Barty and No. 2 Simona Halep, decided to cancel the US Open due to concerns about the coronavirus. Have all eligible players chosen to compete, would Williams, rank no. 9, the safe haven of a sown top-eight miss. Because of the withdrawals, Williams will be one of the top four seeders.
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