Time is running out for Serena to reach the career milestone that has become one of the sport's longest running storylines.
In the women's draw, Halep is seeded 2nd after top-ranked Kerber
Novak Djokovic continued his Wimbledon preparations by beating American Donald Young 6-2, 7-6(9) on Thursday to reach the semi-finals of the Aegon International tournament at Eastbourne.
Naomi Osaka suffered more pain during her post-match news conference at the US Open
A summary of Day 2 at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
Of the top 15 on Forbes' list of best-paid female athletes, 12 were tennis players. Indian badminton player PV Sindhu came in tied for 13th ($5.5 million), with Thai golfer Ariya Jutanugarn ($5.3 million) rounding out the top 15.
World number one Simona Halep swatted aside American Nicole Gibbs while Maria Sharapova was flawless in her straight sets victory over Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu in the opening round of the Shenzhen Open on Monday.
Switzerland won their third Hopman Cup on Saturday as Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic beat Germany's Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber 4-3(3), 4-2 in the deciding mixed doubles to secure a 2-1 victory in the final at the Perth Arena.
Mischa still finds time to tease 'Sascha', despite his little brother's rapid ascent up the tennis rankings.
Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu's Indian Wells triumph was not shown on television in her home country but that did not dampen the excitement across a nation where the future of women's tennis is suddenly looking as bright as ever.
Images from Day 1 at the Australian Open.
Up next for the twice Grand Slam champion is Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova who ended Angelique Kerber's resurgence with a 6-3, 6-3 victory.
Czech Karolina Pliskova rose to the top of the WTA rankings without striking a ball on Tuesday as results at Wimbledon saw her overhaul Germany's Angelique Kerber.
Top seed Dominic Thiem was knocked out the Rio Open in the first round on Tuesday, going down 6-3, 6-3 to Laslo Djere.
World No 2 Rafael Nadal sailed into the quarter-finals of the China Open, his first tournament in 13 weeks, with a 6-3, 6-4 win over German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk on Thursday.
Top-seeded Serena Williams said on Friday that she was not sure about the state of her balky right shoulder but felt more relaxed entering next week's US Open than last year.
Monica Puig gave Puerto Rico its first ever Olympic gold after an a outstanding display of tennis to defeat Germany's Angelique Kerber to win the women's singles title at the Rio Games on Saturday.
Not many would have bet on unseeded Americans Danielle Collins and Frances Tiafoe making it to the Australian Open quarter-final
Simona Halep's powers of recovery will be put to the test on day eight of the Australian Open on Monday when the world number one meets Japan's Naomi Osaka in a tricky fourth round clash.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Sunday
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza crashed out in the first round of the women's singles at Wimbledon after slumping to a straight set defeat against Angelique Kerber of Germany on Monday. The 113-ranked Sania, who is making a comeback to the courts after a three-month injury lay-off, lost 4-6, 1-6 to the 55-ranked Kerber in little more than an hour.
Leylah Fernandez's storybook US Open continued with yet another upset on Thursday, as the Canadian teenager shocked second seed Aryna Sabalenka 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4 to reach her first Grand Slam final.
Halep, the beaten finalist in the French Open last week, is the latest top player to pull out from the event after Czech world number three Karolina Pliskova opted to rest her injured elbow ahead of Wimbledon.
One year after shaking off a crippling foot injury to claim a stunning US Open victory, Sloane Stephens said her follow-up season felt just as good as the American prepares to play in next week's WTA Finals for the first time.
The absence of expectant mother Serena Williams and a failure by any of the other top women to produce the kind of dominance the American seven-times champion has consistently delivered makes this year's Wimbledon the most open in years.
The world number 181 is the first mother since 1980 champion Evonne Goolagong to reach the Wimbledon final.
The 27-year-old Romanian beat Sloane Stephens at Roland Garros to win her maiden Grand Slam title in June and will have spent 40 weeks at the top of the rankings by the end of the season.
Five things to watch out for at the French Open on Tuesday.
Serena Williams' memory is not as powerful as her first serve these days, although with so many achievements to recall it would be churlish to hold that against the American great.
Federer, Djokovic headline Day 2 at Flushing Meadows
The real Serena Williams finally turned up at the French Open on Saturday in pursuit of a 22nd Grand Slam singles title but it was to no avail as she lost to a tenacious opponent who beat her at her own power game.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Tuesday
Serena, a six-times champion in New York who is seeded 17th, will start her campaign against Polish world number 60 Magda Linette and could face Venus in the third round before a possible fourth-round showdown with Romanian top seed Halep.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday
It was Novak Djokovic's first match this year after his Australian Open hopes were dashed when he was deported following an 11-day saga revolving around his decision not to have a COVID-19 vaccination.
Other nominees for the prize are Angelique Kerber (Germany), Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic and Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark).
The peak remains tantalisingly close for Serena Williams but negotiating the final incline to a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam singles title is proving the trickiest of all.
Defending champion Angelique Kerber battled her nerves and blew a match point in the second set before finally overcoming Lesia Tsurenko 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 to reach the second round.
Former world number one Venus Williams salvaged a small bit of family pride when she fought back from a set down to see off Italy's Roberto Vinci 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(4)and reach the final of the Wuhan Open on Friday.
Could French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko serve up another shock at Wimbledon this year? Or will world number one Angelique Kerber get her season back on track at Wimbledon?
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