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NEW YORK — Serena Williams isn’t ready to say goodbye just yet.
In her first match at what is expected to be the last U.S. Open — and last tournament — of her remarkable career, Williams overcame a shaky start to overwhelm Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3 on Monday night in a packed Arthur Ashe Stadium with an atmosphere more akin to a festival than a farewell.
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Early, Williams was not at her best. There were double faults, other missed strokes, missed opportunities. She went up 2-0, then quickly trailed 3-2.
Then, suddenly, Williams looked a lot more like someone with six championships at Flushing Meadows and 23 Grand Slam titles in all.
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She rolled through the end of that opening set, capping it with a service winner she reacted to with clenched fists and her trademark cry of “Come on!” The more than 23,000 in attendance rose for a raucous standing ovation.
There would be more as Williams carried that terrific level into the second set against Kovinic, a 27-year-old from Montengero.
Williams will face No. 2 seed Anett Kontveit of Estonia on Wednesday.
