After all the fanfare and glitzy production value that has become the norm for an opening night in Flushing Meadows, Serena Williams returned to the United States Open with a fairly routine win.
The 17th-seeded Williams overcame some early minor struggles to outclass her opponent, No. 68 Magda Linette of Poland, 6-4, 6-0, in Williams’s first match in Arthur Ashe Stadium since 2016.
Much changed for Williams after that tournament two years ago. Five months later, she won the Australian Open for her 23rd Grand Slam title, the most in the Open era, and in September she gave birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian.