Serena Williams must wait for major No. 24 after US Open loss

Serena Williams will have to wait until 2020 to try to tie Margaret Court in the record books.

 

For the fourth straight time in a Grand Slam final, Serena came up short against a superior opponent, this time falling to 19-year-old Canadian star Bianca Andreescu, 6-3, 7-5, in the U.S. Open final before 26,191 — including Meghan Markle — at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

 

Serena remains stuck on 23 Grand Slam titles, one shy of Court’s all-time mark of 24. She is now 0-4 in her last four attempts at winning a major as a mother, falling in back-to-back U.S. Open and Wimbledon finals. She was attempting to join a select group of moms to win a Grand Slam title.

 

“Bianca played an unbelievable match and congratulations,” Williams, who turns 38 this month, said court. “So proud and happy for you. It was incredible tennis out there. If anyone could win this tournament outside of Venus, I’m happy it’s Bianca.”

 

Andreescu, meantime, became the first Canadian man or woman ever to capture a Grand Slam singles title. Milos Raonic and Genie Bouchard both lost in Wimbledon finals. She is also the first teenager to win a Slam since Maria Sharapova at the Open in 2006.

 

“Oh man, it wasn’t easy at all,” Andreescu said. “I tried to prepare my best. I tried to step on the court and not focus on who I’m playing. That’s easy to say but I’m really proud of how I dealt with everything.”

 

Andreescu appears to have the power, mentality and all-around game to become world No. 1 and to win multiple Slams going forward.

 

“I hope so, I hope so, that’s going to be our mandate, all of us around her, ” her coach Sylvain Bruneau said on ESPN.  “She’s 19, there’s a full career ahead of her so we’re going to try to make a lot of other good things happen.”

 

Andreescu said she plans to be greedy and win more major titles going forward.

 

“I love this feeling way too much,” she said. “I’m the type of person who’s never satisfied and I’m looking forward to this for many years to come.”

 

As a young girl, Andreescu wrote herself a mock winner’s check for the U.S. Open to motivate herself. It wasn’t quite the $3.85 million she took home Saturday, but it apparently worked.

 

“I just kept visualizing this moment and I just never let up and kept fighting for my dreams,” she said on ESPN.

 

Her victory brought social media congratulations from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the NBA champion Toronto Raptors, among others.

 

Leading 5-1 in the second set, Andreescu had a match point on her serve but couldn’t close it out. Serena won four straight games to tie it at 5-all and Andreescu admitted to some nerves as the crowd roared for a Serena comeback.

 

“Obviously it was expected for Serena to come back,” she said. “That’s what she does best. She’s a true champion on and off the court.”

 

After Andreescu held for a 6-5 lead, she won the match with a vicious forehand return of serve that went past Serena.

 

Soon Andreescu and Williams embraced at the net, the Canadian lay down on her back on the court and closed her eyes. Then she climbed up into her box to hug her coach and parents.

 

While Andreescu will head into the Australian Open in January with a Grand Slam title and plenty of confidence, Serena will be left looking for that elusive No. 24 to finally tie Court. The clock is ticking on her career.

 

“My team has been so supportive throughout all the downs and downs and downs,” Serena said, “and hopefully we’ll have some ups soon.”