A collage of Serena Williams
Serena Williams started the game in sublime fashion winning three back to back points. Here she can be seen returning a shot by Kovinc with great vigour. Pic/ AFP
Williams and the crowd were feeding off each other's energy. Pic/ AFP
Kovinc, ranked 80th in the world, put up a decent fight but was no match for the all-time great. Pic/ AFP
It wasn't Serena's best performance by a long shot, but the win meant a lot to her. Pic/ AFP
The home crowd gave Williams a big morale booster in the match. Pic/ AFP
A jubiliant Serena thanks the US Open 2022 crowd for their great support. Pic/ AFP
Williams was also greeted by former tennis player Billie Jean King after the game. Pic/ AFP
The 23-time Grand Slam winner will now face Anett Kontaveit in the second round of the US Open 2022. Pic/ AFP