Serena Williams is trying to ignore “the elephant in the room” ahead of the US Open.
“I’m ok with it. I’m really not even talking about it,” said the tennis pro at an event in New York on Wednesday.
If she wins the US Open, which starts on August 31, it will be her fifth major title in one year and the first calendar grand slam by a woman since Steffi Graf did it in 1988.
We just kind of wanted to celebrate just kicking off [the] US Open and having fun and relaxing and enjoying it
Williams instead channelled any nervous energy into singing at a karaoke night, now in its second year. Before the show, she said she was more worried about her song choice than her tennis game.
“I’m gonna make a game time decision. I always get so nervous every year like, ‘I don’t know what to do, I don’t know what to do,”’ she said.
Williams, 33, ended up choosing “Under the Sea” from “The Little Mermaid”, complete with dance moves and Caribbean accent.
“We just kind of wanted to celebrate just kicking off [the] US Open and having fun and relaxing and enjoying it,” said Williams.