Serena Williams Produces Flaunty Serena Serves, Wills Royals Proceed to Flaunt Serenely with Newest Small
By DAVE SKRETTA
One royal procession and one U.S. Open first-round match produced our newest [Sports Picture of the Day](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/tennis/news/sports-picture-of-the-day/gc5hg8201e6g11whq0w776b7q3) and [Sports Video of the Day](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/tennis/news/sports-video-of-the-day/mztm5h690sk0110cx0mf41p0pm) on Monday. Let’s start with the royals.
We bid farewell to a powerhouse female leader (if only temporarily) as the United Kingdom marked the first official day of mourning for Queen Elizabeth II’s passing. Her son, King Charles III, and his family put on a brave face as they proceeded in a procession behind the queen’s coffin through the streets of London. Among those family members was the queen’s grandson, Prince William, and his wife, Catherine, the Princess of Wales.
But while their faces were solemn, there was still an air of grace that surrounded them — especially Catherine and her stylish black mourning hat. As they processed, their youngest child, 4-year-old Prince Louis, provided a tender moment.
As he walked behind his mother and father, Louis reached up with his hand and grabbed Catherine’s. It was a small gesture, but one that spoke volumes about their bond, and provided a rare moment of levity in an otherwise somber day.
Now, let’s head to the tennis court.
The U.S. Open is a time for upsets, and we’re only one day into the tournament and we already have a big one. On Monday, Danka Kovinic of Montenegro upset 11th-seeded Emma Raducanu of Great Britain 6-3, 6-3 in the first round. Raducanu burst onto the scene last year when she won the tournament as a qualifier — but she has struggled to replicate that success since then.
Kovinic is a veteran of the tour and is ranked 80th in the world. She broke Raducanu’s serve six times and hit 19 winners in the match. It was a disappointing result for Raducanu, but a well-deserved victory for Kovinic.
But the queen of the tennis court, Serena Williams, is off to a great start to her final tournament. She defeated Danka Kovinic in the first round, 6-3, 6-3, and looked dominant throughout the match. Williams is seeking her 24th Grand Slam singles title, which would tie her with Margaret Smith Court for the most major wins in tennis history.
Williams will face No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit of Estonia in the second round. Kontaveit is one of the rising stars of the WTA Tour and will be a tough test for Williams. But if Williams can continue to play at the level she did in the first round, she’ll be a contender to win the whole tournament.
So there you have it, our top sports moments from Monday. A somber day for the U.K., but also a day of hope and inspiration. And on the tennis court, Serena Williams is showing that she’s still a force to be reckoned with at the U.S. Open..
