NEW YORK – When Serena Williams double-faulted twice and dropped her first service game, the far-from-impartial crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium moved quickly into sympathy mode. This US Open is reportedly her last singles event and the first-round match against Danka Kovinic might well have been her last.

And then, it happened. 

US Open: Scores | Order of play | Draw

Williams gradually began to play herself into being, well, Serena. She finished in a flurry, winning in straight sets, striking nine aces, a number of them at critical moments. This wasn’t the same 40-year-old who lost three of four matches at Wimbledon, Toronto and Cincinnati.

“I do feel different,” she said in a post-match press conference. “I think I was really emotional in Toronto and Cincinnati. “It’s extremely difficult still because I absolutely love being out there.

“The more tournaments I play, I feel like the more I can belong out there. That’s a tough feeling to have, and to leave knowing the more you do it, the more you can shine.”

This comes from an athlete who really, really likes to shine. She may be the shiniest women’s player ever. After the pomp and circumstance of that well-deserved victory lap you get the idea that it’s suddenly occurred to Williams that she’s playing in an actual tournament – not just playing a part in a made-for-television movie.

When that happens, history says – look out!

Of course, it’s not possible for a woman who turns 41 in four weeks, to win another Grand Slam title. But considering it would be a record-tying 24th, it suddenly seems slightly more plausible. After seeing her come to life against Kovinic, saving eight of 10 break points, are you ready to write her off? She’s certainly not.

"I think every opponent is very difficult. I’ve seen that over the summer. The next one is even more difficult."

- Serena Williams

This is the challenge for Wednesday’s second-round opponent Anett Kontaveit – the No.2-ranked player in the world.

“I’m really excited,” Kontaveit said after a 6-3, 6-0 over Jaqueline Cristian. “I was really rooting for her to win today. I’ve never played against her. I mean, this is the last chance. Better late than never.”

Be careful what you wish for. A free-swinging Serena is a lot to process.

“At this point, honestly, everything is a bonus for me I feel,” she said. “I think every opponent is very difficult. I’ve seen that over the summer. The next one is even more difficult. It’s good that I was able to get this under my belt.

“I’m just not even thinking about that. I’m just thinking about just this moment. I think it’s good for me just to live in the moment now.”

It’s a great moment for tennis, too. Although she said she didn’t want to make a fuss over her retirement, she actually seemed to enjoy Monday night’s post-match festivities. No one is better at playing her way into fine form from a dead stop. In 2017, she split two matches in Auckland, New Zealand – then ran the table at the Australian Open for the last of her Open Era-record major titles. Two decades ago, she beat sister Venus in the Wimbledon final, played only three matches in a span of seven weeks and beat Venus in the US Open final. After several major sabbaticals, Serena made comebacks an art form.

So now, the speculation begins. The morning after, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith – the Human Hot Take – was prematurely pontificating about whether Serena could win the US Open. Since the last one in Melbourne, she’s had four real opportunities to match Margaret Court’s overall major record. She lost in all four finals – most recently to Bianca Andreescu in the 2019 US Open final.

While only Iga Swiatek is ranked ahead of Kontaveit, the 26-year-old from Estonia hasn’t been tearing it up of late. She’s won four of seven summer hard court matches, losing to No.59 Anastasia Potapova, No.21 Jil Teichmann and No.44 Zhang Shuai. Technically, Serena is at No.605, but that’s just a number. Consider this: Williams has won 23 of the 78 Grand Slam singles events she’s played, a remarkable winning percentage of nearly 30 percent.

It may well come down to how Kontaveit meets this charged moment. Five of the eight questions in Kontaveit’s post-match press conference were regarding Serena.

"I’m not sure if I’ll ever experience something like this again. I think it’s a special moment for her.”

- Anett Konteveit

Kontaveit knows the Arthur Ashe crowd will not be her friend, that she will be fighting all kinds of swirling atmospheric conditions.

“I don’t feel like there is any pressure on me on the results or anything,” she told reporters. “I’m just going to take it as a real unique experience. I’m not sure if I’ll ever experience something like this again. I think it’s a special moment for her.”

How special? We shall see. Serena Williams might hate losing more than any player the game has seen. Which explains why she’s such a winner.

“It’s so important to give your all no matter what you do, no matter how many obstacles you face,” she said. “I’ve been down and out so many times in the public eye. I’ve had to come back. 

"You just never give up. It sounds cliché, but that really means something.”