Serena Williams' sore shoulder diminished as she prepared for the 2016 U.S. Open and possible tennis history.
Williams equaled Steffi Graf's 22 major singles titles at Wimbledon in July, but her injury was evident in her third-round loss at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Competition at Flushing Meadows begins Monday. Williams is the top women's seed and will try to atone for last year's lost in the semifinals.
Despite skipping a recent prep tournament, Williams, 34, admits she is not in great shape despite improvement in the joint.
Asked when her shoulder problems began, Williams replied: "Ironically enough, the day after the finals of Wimbledon.