Kovinic who? Unknown from Montenegro prepares to send Serena into retirement

Montenegro's Danka Kovinic will find herself in an unfamiliar place in the tennis spotlight on the sport's biggest stage on Monday playing the part of potential party pooper at Serena Williams's U.S. Open retirement bash.

Since turning professional in 2010, Kovinic has yet to crack the top 40 in the world rankings and is still chasing a maiden WTA Tour title but for a few hours on Monday the 27-year-old will have the attention of the tennis world.

A first round win over Williams and Kovinic will in one match achieve the fame that has overlooked her during an unspectacular 12-year career.

Her name would forever be linked to the 23-times Grand Slam winner widely considered the greatest woman to swing a racket.

For a brief moment the 80th ranked Kovinic would go from obscurity to arguably the sport's most famous player.

No matter what Kovinic may achieve later in life, she would find enduring fame as the answer to a sport question on pub quiz nights or Trivia Pursuit: "Who was the last person to beat Serena Williams".

Williams, 40, signalled her intention to retire in a Vogue article in early August, saying she was "evolving away from tennis" but never confirming the U.S. Open as her final event.

The tennis world, however, is preparing a massive retirement party at Flushing Meadows and the hope is the celebrations carry on past opening day at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center.

Kovinic, an anonymous figure who has spent much of her career grinding away on outside courts, playing qualifiers and minor tournaments, will walk into a seething cauldron.

The match on Arthur Ashe Center Court, the world's largest tennis stadium, will be packed with most of the nearly 25,000 cheering for the tennis icon standing across from her.

Williams