By ADAM ZAGORIA
Sporting an all-black “Cat Suit,” Serena Williams made her return to Grand Slam tennis on Tuesday and scored a victory in her first match following the birth of her daughter in September.
Williams, the three-time French Open champ playing as an unseeded player, knocked off Kristýna Plíšková, 7-6(4), 6-4, to advance to the second round.
“You can’t beat a cat suit, right,” she joked to Jon Wertheim of Tennis Channel on court, adding that the suit was a message to “all the moms out there that had a tough pregnancy and had to come back and be fierce…That’s what this represents.”
Williams, who owns a flat in Paris, hadn’t played in a major since winning her 23rd Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open over her older sister Venus. She remains one shy of Margaret Court’s all-time women’s mark of 24 majors and has made it clear that reaching — and surpassing — Court is her ultimate goal.
Venus lost in the first round in Paris, leaving Serena to hold the fort for the family.
Williams had not played a single competitive match on clay this season and was just 2-2 through four matches in 2018.
Still, Williams banged 13 aces but Pliskova served 15 herself.
“Today wasn’t easy, you know?” she said. “I think I’m going to tell [my daughter one day] that I had fun. I went out there and I thought about her. When I walked on the court, I texted to see how she’s doing. I was a little worried as moms always do, but she’s doing great.”
The 23-time Grand Slam champ hadn’t played since losing in the first round in Miami to Naomi Osaka in March.
“Of course, if I didn’t miss it, I wouldn’t be out here,” she said. “But I definitely missed it. IT’s such a pleasure after everything I went through to be able to come back and just step out on the court and winning is even more of a bonus.”
Williams is considered a long shot to win the French Open, but could be more of a threat later this summer at Wimbledon.
Roger Federer, winner of 20 career Grand Slam singles titles, earlier called Serena the greatest of all time.
“[Serena] is all the way up there,” Federer told the Wall Street Journal. “I’m probably up there with somebody, somehow. Maybe there’s a group, a best of five – and if you’re in that group, you should be pleased and happy. Tennis is a funky sport when it comes to that stuff.”
“I’m in full admiration of Serena,” he adds, “and Venus, too, by the way.”
