'I can't imagine what she must feel' - Iga Swiatek amazed by Serena Williams' coolness under the spotlight

The world No. 1 Iga Swiatek believes that only Serena Williams could handle the febrile pre-match atmosphere that surrounded her first-round match of the US Open. The star-studded Arthur Ashe Stadium was absolutely rocking ahead of the 40-year-old’s 6-3 6-3 win over Montenegro’s Danka Kovinic, and Williams delivered a stirring performance to match the occasion.

Ad The media attention around Williams has been relentless since the 23-time Grand Slam champion announced that she was “evolving away” from tennis, with the US Open believed to be her final tournament. US OpenUS Open order of play, Day 3 – When are Serena, Murray and Kyrgios playing?AN HOUR AGO Speaking in a press conference after her straight sets triumph over Jasmine Paolini, Swiatek has been impressed by the way the tennis icon has handled it. “I can't imagine what she must feel having this kind of atmosphere around her and just finishing,” said Swiatek.

“I know she's doing a tournament, but I feel like yesterday people did so much work to show appreciation to what she's done. US Open Day 3 order of play and schedule John McEnroe — Serena 'the GOAT' like Billie Jean King and Michael Jordan “It's pretty amazing. I have never seen something like it.

For sure it was like the most popular first round of a slam ever. Yeah, it's just amazing. “It shows how much she has changed our sport and how much she has done.

I'm pretty happy that she can experience something like that. “I also feel that not every player would handle that kind of fuss around your first match of the tournament. She's handling it pretty well, as usual.