Tennis-As Williams prepares to take U.S. Open court, everyone else a warm-up act

FILE PHOTO: People pass a poster advertising the match of veteran tennis player Serena Williams, who said that she plans to retire after the 2022 U.S. Open, outside a stadium at the National Bank Open in Toronto, Ontario, Canada August 9, 2022. REUTERS/Chris Helgren/

NEW YORK (Reuters) - It's rare that a world number one and defending champion is the warm up act at the U.S. Open but that was the case on Monday as Daniil Medvedev played second fiddle to Serena Williams, who takes to the court later having hinted the match could be her last.

Williams, 40, said in a Vogue article in early August that she was "evolving away from tennis" but has never confirmed the U.S. Open as her final event.