Witnessing History: Serena's Last Match
TueNight was there! Here's what it was like...
At 40, and without playing many matches this year, Serena Williams wasn’t expected to make it past the first round of the U.S. Open. Her intent was to retire after this tournament, play her best and say goodnight — on her own terms.
Watching her play Danka Kovinić last Monday night, I saw a familiar fire and spirit come charging back, as she defeated Kovinić in straight sets. Something told me this champion wasn’t nearly done. You could see it in her inimitable game face — eyes narrowed and focused, shoulders squared.
And so, taking a risk, I snagged tickets for Friday — not knowing whether Serena would make it past a Wednesday night matchup with the No. 2 seed, Anett Kontaveit, but knowing if I waited until after Serena won, the tickets for Friday night would be insanely expensive. I looked my husband in the eye and said with confidence, “If I get these tickets, she will win.” And guess what?! Call it a 55-year-old’s intuition.
Watching her scrap to a win against Kontaveit, my husband and I practically rolled around on the floor with glee. “We’re going to see SERENA!” It was a rare chance to see a legend, the greatest tennis player of all time (GOAT!), and well, a grown-ass woman showing us all how it’s done.
Our newsletter editor Margaret (who watched the game at a sports bar in Washington, DC) saw my Instagram posts and my TikTok (see below) and started texting me a barrage of questions. “How did you get tickets?” “What are you wearing?” Some of them made me giggle. So I thought I’d share them with you, FAQ style.
How did you manage to get tickets?
StubHub had (has!) tons of them. They aren’t cheap but I did a bunch of research on what would be a good seat (I always check out this site, whether I’m going to a sporting event, concert or Broadway, to see what the view might look like) found two in the loge section, which is the middle tier of Ashe, and bit the bullet. Totally worth it.
Had you ever been to the U.S. Open before, and if yes, was it different this time, and why?
Yes! I’ve been a handful of times. And, in fact this is my second time seeing Serena there; the first time was 11 years ago in 2011 when she beat Ana Ivanovic in the quarterfinals. The Open is one of the greatest things you can do in NYC. Just taking the 7 train out to Flushing in Queens is fun; the train is mostly above ground so it’s a bit of sightseeing in and of itself. Typically I buy a day pass or a ticket to one of the stadiums and just wander around the outer courts to see amazing players up close and then watch a star-studded game in Louis Armstrong or Arthur Ashe. (This guy has great tips.)
What did you wear?
Some people get super fancy like this one older gent sitting across from me in a canary-yellow suit. I’m all about comfort — I wore these green balloon-y cargo pants, a white tee, black sneaks and a mask!
Could you see everything with bare eyes or did you need binoculars or the Jumbotron?
The loge section had great sight lines — I could see everything. I did use my camera to zoom in on courtside celebs shown on the Jumbotron, such as Spike Lee, Billie Jean King, and Ciara. (It was my second time seeing Ciara, Margaret! The first with you! She’s stalking me.) [Last year the TueNight Crew went out for pizza in Manhattan and we spotted Ciara with her husband and bodyguards — Ed.]
Was it hot?
Nope. It was a breezy 68-70 degrees.
What was the food like?
Surprisingly good — but the lines were INSANE. There was the usual stadium fare —burgers, hot dogs and pizza — but also poke bowls and Korean rice bowls. Also, I happened to try the Open’s sweet-tart tasting drink the Honey Deuce which has vodka and melon balls. A very drunk couple sitting in front of us were getting up to get their fourth round and brought back one extra so they gave it to me. 🥰
Did you see any famous people, like, not on the Jumbotron?
Spike Lee was several rows below me. I watched as he moved to the front of his section, took out his iPhone and filmed Serena’s final shots. It was funny to watch this world-famous director getting the camera shot like the rest of us.
What was the overall vibe of the crowd when it looked like Serena wasn’t going to win?
I think we all knew it was inevitable. We watched her get really, really exhausted. People were cheering every shot. Some people were cheering when her opponent Ajla Tomljanovic faulted, which is lame and rude. But as the game hit its third set, we were on our feet cheering for nearly every point.
Did you cry?
😭😭😭
What kind of merch were they selling?
The usual U.S. Open-branded tennis everything. I couldn’t find any official Serena-focused merch; there were guys in the crowd outside the grounds hawking some pretty tacky tees but I didn’t get one. The only thing we kept was the commemorative glass from the honey deuce drink.
Were people as stressed out in the stadium as I was watching the game on TV?
YES. Holy shit yes. The woman next to me had her head buried in her lap.
Was anyone rooting for Serena’s opponent?
Probably but I couldn’t hear them. Certainly no one in our section!
When you were shouting “Serena!!” like everyone else, did you feel at all guilty because it might have made her opponent feel bad?
A little. I mean, the roar of the crowd was deafening for Serena. It was a testament, too, to Tomljanovic, that when she won, she didn’t jump up and down but sat down and let Serena have her final moment.
Was the referee losing her mind?
The referee had a really funny way of saying deuce. She said, “Nnnnnnnndeuce,” and everyone around us kept repeating it everytime she said it. She also had to quiet the crowd down a lot with just “Please.” More like “Pleece….Pleece.” Which, of course, I now say to my husband all the time. “Pleece.” But you have to give it to that referee and our unruly crowd. She did her damn best to keep us in line.
Was anyone at the game utterly sh*tfaced the way people get at, say, football games?
Oh yes, the aforementioned set of couples in front of us. And they were shrieking for Serena and then when they (very kindly) gave me their extra drink the guy kinda yelled at me “Now make surrrrre to share that….with yer hubby…”
What was actually happening when the rest of us were watching commercials?
Mostly music, dancing and mugging for the Jumbotron camera. In some cases if they caught you on camera you could “upgrade your seat.”
Could you even get a signal on your phone in a crowd of that many people?
Yup, no problem.
What was the subway ride home like?
As fun as the subway ride to the game was, the ride home was an absolute shitshow. The second game (Danill Medvedev v Yibing Wu) started after Serena’s match ended, around 10pm. We watched a few minutes of it and then roamed around the grounds, did some shopping, had a drink, and then headed to the subway around midnight with the throngs of people. My feet are still not in perfect shape, and my dogs were TIRED. I was practically limping over the wooded walkway to the Mets-Willets Point station. Once we got there the police had us barricaded back until a previous group left; there wasn’t enough room on the platform. And then of course we had to change subway trains three times. We didn’t get home until 2am.
Did the U.S. Open make you want to play tennis?
I’d love to. I used to play a little in high school, college and in my 20s. My torn meniscus, onetime tennis elbow and healing feet keep me from making it a reality. BUT maybe someday.
In your list of Top New York Experiences, where would this match rank?
Oof that’s hard. It’s in the top 10 for sure.
If you could say one thing to Serena Williams, what would it be?
Thank you — you’re a badass and an inspiration.
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What an awesome experience, had me emotional all over again! And girrrl... you've got some TikTok skillz.🤳 Thanks for sharing, Margit.