"I don't think it's a personal attack against me"- When Anett Kontaveit defended US Open crowd's chants for Serena Williams

Anett Kontaveit claimed that Serena Williams deserved the support when the two locked horns at the 2022 US Open.

Williams received a wildcard for the tournament and booked her place in the second round by beating Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3. She faced the then World No. 2 Kontaveit. The American won the match 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-2 to book her place in the third round of the US Open.

The crowd in Flushing Meadows was fully behind Serena Williams and cheered for her all throughout the match.

After the match, Kontaveit was asked about the atmosphere and claimed that it was something she expected. The Estonian also said that it didn't feel like the crowd was rooting against her but that they wanted Williams to win.

"I expected it. You can expect something, I saw it from the previous match. When you're on the court, I mean, it was hard. I knew it was coming. Yeah, I guess you can't learn from anyone else's mistakes," Kontaveit said.

"Feeling it, it was something I never experienced before. I mean, I think they were not rooting like against me. They just wanted Serena to win so bad," she added.

Kontaveit added that the crowd's chants for Williams didn't feel like a personal attack on her and that the American deserved the support.

"So, I mean, I don't think it's a personal attack against me or anything. I mean, it's fair. I mean, she deserves this, yeah," Kontaveit said.

The second-round match between Serena Williams and Anett Kontaveit remains the only time the two locked horns. Williams was eliminated in the third round of the US Open after losing 7-5, 6-7(4), 6-1 to Ajla Tomljanovic. It turned out to be the last match of her illustrious career.

---

Anett Kontaveit's retirement comes less than a year after Serena Williams'

Serena Williams during her match against Anett Kontaveit at the US Open

The 2022 US Open was Serena Williams' last tournament and it will also be Anett Kontaveit's final appearance at the hard-court Major.

The Estonian announced her retirement from tennis after it was revealed that she had a lumbar disc generation on her back. The upcoming Wimbledon Championships will be her last tournament.

Kontaveit's last appearance on the WTA Tour came at the French Open, where she suffered a 7-6(6), 6-2 defeat to Bernarda Pera.