How far can Serena Williams go at the U.S. Open?

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When 40-year-old Serena Williams beat second-seeded Anett Kontaveit in the second round of the U.S. Open last night, the collective thought started to creep in: can she really do this?

In her post-match on-court interview, Williams was asked if she was surprised at her level of play.

She smirked — as though she would ever be surprised about winning a tennis match. "I'm just Serena," she said. Read more about her victory here.

Williams announced earlier this month that she'd be "evolving away from tennis," and that this U.S. Open would be her last as she focuses on growing her family and her businesses.

Clearly, there's at least one person who believes she can complete the storybook ending. Here's why she may not be wrong:

The crowd is on her side. Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, N.Y., is the biggest tennis venue in the world. Its listed capacity is 23,771, but the announced attendance for last night's Williams-Kontaveit showdown was 29,959 — a record for a U.S. Open night session. And at least on TV, it seemed like the overwhelming majority of them were rooting hard for Williams. Celebrities have come out in droves to watch Williams' swan song (Mike Tyson and Martina Navratilova sitting together is like athlete MadLibs), but only Tiger Woods was granted a spot in Williams' box, with the two fist pumping toward each other throughout the match. Woods' 2019 Masters win, though he didn't retire afterward, may be the closest recent comparable if Williams pulls this off. The strong Serena support can also get in her opponents' heads. "This is totally about her and I was