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Serena Williams dominates Maria Sharapova

(CNN) The last time Serena Williams had played at Arthur Ashe Stadium — a dramatic loss to Naomi Osaka in the 2018 US Open final — it led her to start seeing a therapist and kept her from wanting to pick up a tennis racket.

It’s a story that’s been retold often: A year ago, a then-20-year-old Naomi Osaka had prevailed against her idol 6-2, 6-4 in New York to win her first major, but it was overshadowed by controversy. Serena Williams clashed with chair umpire Carlos Ramos, culminating when he docked her a game for calling him a “thief.” After the match, while Osaka accepted the trophy, boos rang around Arthur Ashe Stadium. Osaka wept.
The mood Monday felt much different.
A laser-focused Serena Williams entered the stadium to roars from the crowd. The 37-year-old American’s opponent was a familiar one in five-time grand slam champion Maria Sharapova — though remarkably the two previously had never faced each other at Flushing Meadows. This didn’t have the feel of a US Open first-round match.
The results were also the same as the last 15 years: Serena Williams, seeded eighth, won 6-1, 6-1 in less than an hour, improving her record against the Russian to 20-2 as she seeks her 24th major title.
After the match, Serena Williams addressed the crowd during her interview with ESPN.
“Thank you for supporting me,” she said. “I’ve said it once, but I’ve had a lot of tough matches here and a lot of tough losses, but coming out tonight makes it all worthwhile.”

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