This time the big show was cancelled: After two convincing individual victories, tennis icon Serena Williams suffered a mood dampener at the US Open.
In what was probably the last joint appearance with her older sister Venus, the 40-year-old failed in the first round of the doubles competition - and that obviously spoiled her mood. Without saying a word to the fans at Arthur Ashe Stadium or signing autographs from fans in the players' tunnel, the American quickly left the field.
The Williams sisters lost to the Czechs Lucie Hradecka and Linda Noskova 6:7 (5:7), 4:6 on Friday night. Thanks to a wildcard, the 14-time Grand Slam tournament winners were back on the pitch together for the first time since the 2018 French Open. Hradecka was "sorry" for having beaten her idols. "But I'm glad we made it."
Rafael Nadal then fought his way out of an almost inexplicable low in his second round match against Italian Fabio Fognini after a set and a half. In the end, the 22-time Grand Slam tournament winner won 2: 6, 6: 4, 6: 2, 6: 1. In the third round, the Spaniard meets Richard Gasquet from France on Saturday.
In the fourth set, Nadal injured himself: with a backhand hit, the racket bounced back violently from the ground against his nose. The bleeding wound had to be treated during a medical break. The 36-year-old ended the match with a nose plaster. "It happened to me before with the golf club, but not with the tennis racket," Nadal said afterwards, smiling about his faux pas. He feels "a little dizzy", it hurts "a little".
Nadal's compatriot Carlos Alcaraz had significantly fewer problems. The 19-year-old defeated Argentinian Federico Coria 6-2, 6-1, 7-5. On Saturday Jenson Brooksby from the USA is waiting as the next opponent on the fourth in the world rankings.
Kevin Krawietz and Andreas Mies experienced a rare feeling. The two-time French Open winners faced each other in mixed doubles as opponents. In the end, thanks to the 7: 6 (7: 2), 7: 6 (7: 4), Krawietz was able to celebrate making it into the second round with the American Nicole Mellchar-Martinez. This Friday, Krawietz and Mies will again play side by side in men's doubles against Philipp Oswald from Austria and Robin Haase from the Netherlands.
