23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams will be making her second career appearance at ASB Classic. The last time when she was in Auckland, New Zealand Serena was six weeks pregnant with her daughter Olympia. The American was unaware of that. She realized her pregnancy right before the Australian Open 2017.

“I’m not pregnant, as a start, so that works, so I can only do good now,” the top-seed in Auckland Serena Williams said. “I’m in a really different frame of mind. It’s just so surreal and so crazy, looking back – I have all of these funny memories of me just being miserable in the first trimester of pregnancy, being six weeks pregnant and not knowing…so now, we joke about it and I’m so happy to be here.”

In 2017, Williams lost in the second to the American Madison Brengle. Later that month she claimed her 23rd Slam by defeating her sister Venus Williams in the finals.

“I always knew that I would have to come back [to Auckland], for sure. I didn’t even realize what was happening, and now I’m here with my daughter. This is kind of where it all began. It’s amazing. It’s so exciting to be here with her, and to know that this is literally where it started,” she continued.

Serena Williams vs Svetlana Kuznetsova

On Monday Serena Williams is drawn to open against the two-time Grand Slam champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. They will be meeting each other for the 14th time in their careers. Serena acknowledged that Svetlana is a good friend of hers. “First of all, she’s a really good friend of mine, and second of all, she’s a really great player,” World Number ten Williams said. 

The Russian champion Kuznetsova gave a spectacular perforce on the Ohio court last year. She toppled three top-ten seeds to reach the finals of Cincinnati Open 2019.

Doubles venture

Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki will be playing doubles play at ASB Classic 2020. The women’s game at ASB Classic 2020 will be getting underway from Monday, January 6.

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The duo will be opening against the Japanese pair NaoHibino and Makoto Ninomiya.