Williams had earlier announced her plans to retire from tennis and although she did not specify when many have speculated that it will be after the US Open.
When asked how she felt about the news that she was going up against the 23-time Grand Slam winner, she said: “I was happy; I won’t lie.”
“It’s a privilege to share the court with Serena,” Kovinic said in an interview. “I just really hope that I can show my good game. Maybe my best game.”
The two have crossed paths in locker rooms before but according to Kovinic, she was never able to muster the courage to request Williams to join her in a practice session.
“Serena is an icon,” recognized Konvinic.
It is a sentiment echoed by many tennis fans and is evident in the spike in the US Open opening round ticket sales.
“If I wasn’t playing her on Monday, I wouldn’t have all this attention. I’m aware of that,” Kovinic said.
“So it’ll be a very nice experience and, at the same moment, maybe a little bit stressful. Of course, I will feel pressure. But I will try to turn it into something positive.”
When asked what she is most eager to find out about how Williams plays, she said:
“Everything. “I know she hits hard, but I don’t know how different that is from the other girls I play.”
Other players have also weighed in on how Konvinic must be feeling.
“It’s a tough one,” said Caroline Garcia.
“Danka knows that she’s going to step on court with every single person there against her. When Serena was playing in the past, the atmosphere already was electric, so I can’t imagine what it’ll be out there now.”
Someone who has been in Kovinic’s shoes is Emma Raducanu. About her match own opening round with Williams at the Western and Southern Open, she said:
“I couldn’t think about who was on the other side of the court, because I knew as soon as I did, my mind would probably start going. So I just had to take it, look at the ball, not think about anything else.”