Serena Williams will face Maria Sharapova for the Australian Open title
Serena Williams returns to the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday
The 37-year-old has enjoyed a renaissance season that has seen her reach the Australian Open and Wimbledon finals and sit just one victory away, against American compatriot Sloane Stephens, from playing for the US Open title for the first time since 2002.
'He's done a lot for the African American community, and it's cost him a lot. It's sad' 'To be compared to Ali or Jordan, I really have no words'
Serena Williams has not won a set in any of the four Grand Slam finals she has reached since returning from maternity leave in September 2017.
Separated in age by 25 years, their careers overlapped only briefly and Martina Navratilova, who herself won 18 Grand Slam singles crowns, never faced Serena Williams on a singles court.
Serena Williams did not need the help of a fan-filled Arthur Ashe Stadium to provide a lift during her 7-5, 6-4 win over the 96th ranked Kristie Ahn.
American 15-year-old Cori Gauff stole the show on the opening day of Wimbledon with a debut victory over five-time champion and her inspiration Venus Williams.
A summary of the first day's play at the US Open.
Bianca Andreescu is the first Canadian to win a major in the professional era.
Venus Williams rejected the suggestion she might be content to serve as an inspiration to younger players after her 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 defeat to fellow American Sloane Stephens in the semi-finals.
US Open: Serena ready for Svitolina challenge
Images from Day 3 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
IMAGES from the Australian Open matches played on Friday.
Jennifer Brady spent two weeks in hard quarantine gathering mental strength for her tilt at a maiden Grand Slam title and will hope there is plenty in reserve when she takes on Naomi Osaka in Saturday's Australian Open final.
Bianca Andreescu rolls to first-round win at Strasbourg.
IMAGES from the matches played at Miami Miasters in Key Biscayne, Florida, on Wednesday
Players competed at empty stadiums at Melbourne Park through the five-day lockdown but reduced capacity crowds of 7,477 have been permitted in each of Thursday's two sessions and the same number for the singles finals sessions on Saturday and Sunday.
Serena Williams, who had come into the first Grand Slam since in Auckland claiming her first title since becoming a mother, suffered an error-strewn 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 defeat by China's Wang Qiang in the third round at the Australian Open on Friday.
The world number 181 is the first mother since 1980 champion Evonne Goolagong to reach the Wimbledon final.
Images from Day 2 of the 2020 US Open in New York
Raonic advances, Sock ousted in Rogers Cup
Navratilova, who is openly gay, said it was vital for sports stars to speak out.
After the celebrity pair's first-round Wimbledon win over Andreas Mies and Alexa Guarachi last week, Murray tweeted: "Well that was fun... #SerAndy"
10 Interesting Glimpses from the French Open.
Seven-time champion Serena Williams moved ominously into the last 16 at Wimbledon when she recovered from a sluggish start to beat France's Kristina Mladenovic 7-5, 7-6(1) on Friday.
The 36-year-old American barely broke sweat in a one-sided first set but was tested by the world number 135 in the second without ever looking troubled.
Gauff will not compete in the Tokyo Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19,
Venus Williams gained revenge for her Wimbledon final defeat by Garbine Muguruza when the American advanced to the last four of the WTA Finals with a gutsy 7-5 6-4 victory over the Spanish world number two on Thursday.
The Romanian broke Williams's serve in the first game but that was the only one she managed for the rest of the opening set as the American bulldozed her way through the set in 20 minutes, serving it out with an ace.
The players have been allowed out to practise for five hours a day during their quarantine but Djokovic said he had headed to a local park on his first morning in Australia without restrictions.
Seven-time champion Williams had been bidding to claim a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam crown but made too many errors as Kerber ran out a comfortable winner in the final.
Williams said the number 24 is becoming an obsession for the media who talk of little else
Since having a child and returning to the WTA Tour Serena Williams's focus has been split between raising a family and work.
Germany's experienced Angelique Kerber stands in the way of the 36-year-old American and an eighth, and arguably most impressive, All England Club singles crown which would see her match Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam titles.
Coco Gauff has released videos protesting against killings of African-Americans in the US amid widespread outrage following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man in police custody in Minneapolis.
'The pride of the devoted Seinfeld fan is that he happens to love a show that doesn't take his love for granted, so that even on repeat viewings he is never really sure what directions an episode might take,' observes Sreehari Nair.
The 36-year-old, talked about what she has been going through since giving birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia, who turns one this September.
Bianca Andreescu, 19, the first Canadian to win a major in the professional era, prevented Serena Williams from equalling Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles.
A factfile on Serena Williams's controversial moments with officials at the US Open following her defeat to Japan's Naomi Osaka in Saturday's final.
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