Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic will find herself in an unfamiliar place in the tennis spotlight on Monday on the sport’s biggest stage, playing the role of potential spoilsport at Serena Williams’ US Open retirement celebration.
Since turning pro in 2010, Kovinic has yet to break the world top 40 and is still chasing a maiden WTA Tour title, but on Monday the 27-year-old will capture the attention of the tennis world for a few hours.
A first-round win over Williams and Kovinic in one match will achieve the glory that has overlooked them during an unspectacular 12-year career.
Her name would forever be associated with the 23-time Grand Slam winner, widely regarded as the tallest woman to wield a racquet.
For a brief moment, 80th-ranked Kovinic would emerge from obscurity as arguably the sport’s most famous player.
No matter what Kovinic might achieve later in life, she would find enduring fame as the answer to a sports question at pub quiz nights or Trivia Pursuit: “Who was the last person to beat Serena Williams”.
Williams, 40, signaled her intention to retire in a Vogue article in early August, saying she was “moving away from tennis” but never confirmed the US Open as her final event.
However, the tennis world is preparing for a huge retirement party at Flushing Meadows and the hope is that the celebrations will continue after opening day at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center.
Kovinic, an anonymous figure who has spent much of his career slaving away on the outside courts, playing qualifiers and minor tournaments, will find himself caught in a seething cauldron.
The match at Arthur Ashe Center Court, the largest tennis stadium in the world, will be packed with nearly 25,000 spectators cheering on the tennis icon.
Williams will feel different emotions, but the setting and scene will be familiar when she plays at her 21st US Open, having hoisted the title six times, though not since 2014.
In contrast, Kovinic has won just two games at Flushing Meadows, beating Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic in the opening round in 2015 and Australia’s Lisette Faith Cabrera in 2020.
STAGE FRIGHT
When Kovinic has stage fright, she doesn’t show it but takes the opportunity by posting on Instagram and Twitter: “WHAT A MOMENT. Look forward”.
Williams, who was world number one for 319 weeks, arrives in New York ranked under 600 and unseeded.
She now plays sporadically, only appearing in three events this season. In fact, she has only won one match since her defeat in the round of 16 at Roland Garros in June 2021.
While few expect Williams to end her career with a fairytale run to a record-breaking 24th Grand Slam title, even fewer would count on Cetinje’s aggressive baseliner, Kovinic, to show her the exit.
Reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu, one of the few players to have recently faced her – she beat Williams in Cincinnati last week and lost to Kovinic in the second round of the Australian Open – is making no predictions.
“When I faced her (Williams) last week I couldn’t think about who was on the other side of the square because I knew once I did it my mind would probably start spinning,” said British teenager Raducanu . “It’s really, really challenging.
“I will know how Danka feels in such a situation. I remember she (Kovinic) being really, really solid, staying with you and countering. She is happy to run, happy to collect. It’s going to be a good match-up I think.”