The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions

Appropriately, Serena Williams gave birth to her daughter in the middle of the U.S. Open

Serena practically won the U.S. Open without playing in it.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 28: Serena Williams poses with the Daphne Akhurst Trophy after winning the Women’s Singles Final against Venus Williams of the United States on day 13 of the 2017 Australian Open at Melbourne Park on January 28, 2017 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
TennisBy Alex Putterman on

Serena Williams cannot win the U.S. Open because she is not in the U.S. Open. Naturally, that did not stop her from bringing us the biggest story of the tournament.

Because as the third round was underway in Flushing on Friday, Williams gave birth to her first child, a six-pound, 13-ounce baby daughter.

Serena’s sister Venus was moments away from facing Maria Sakkari when the news broke, and she spoke to ESPN (briefly) about her excitement at becoming an aunt.

Venus was not the only one very, very excited about Serena giving birth.

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There’s definitely some symbolism in the fact that Serena managed to be the talk of the U.S. Open without actually being there. No matter how many talented players make noise in the world of women’s tennis, Serena is forever the sport’s queen.

Now, we should probably let Serena and her fiancé, Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, enjoy their new daughter for a little while before we start thinking about tennis. On the other hand, here’s what ESPN had to say about the 23-time Grand Slam champion’s return to the court:

Her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, said in an interview recently that the plan, barring any complications, is for Williams to start training in November.

“The goal is to be ready for the Australian Open and then we’ll see,” Mouratoglou said of Williams’ desire to defend her title. “If she’s ready, she’ll compete. If not, we’ll delay the comeback. I don’t think she should compete if she’s not really ready.”

The Australian Open begins Jan. 15. If it seems crazy that Serena would be ready to return to tennis four and a half months after giving birth… well, you probably shouldn’t doubt her.

About Alex Putterman

Alex is a writer and editor for The Comeback and Awful Announcing. He has written for The Atlantic, VICE Sports, MLB.com, SI.com and more. He is a proud alum of Northwestern University and The Daily Northwestern. You can find him on Twitter @AlexPutterman.

View all posts by Alex Putterman
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