Fans of Serena Williams celebrated as the tennis star turned back the clock on Wednesday to defeat world number two Anett Kontaveit and move into the third round of the U.S. Open, putting her retirement plans on pause.
Footage from outside New York’s Arthur Ashe Stadium showed fans dancing and applauding after Williams’s triumph. Serena Gupta, a tennis enthusiast named after the iconic player, said the 40-year-old proved she “still got it.”
Williams had signaled her intention to retire earlier this month, saying she was “evolving away from tennis” but never confirming the U.S. Open as her final event.
Williams will next be in action on Thursday for a doubles match with older sister Venus, followed by a third-round clash with Australian Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday.
