BRISBANE, Australia — There may be no tougher act to follow in any sport in 2016 than Serena Williams' attempt to match her nearly perfect season of tennis last year.
Williams, who won the first three majors in 2015 and lost in the U.S. Open semifinals — 26 consecutive wins in majors, just missing a calendar-year Grand Slam — will begin that attempt when she teams with Jack Sock for the American team at the Hopman Cup in Perth, Western Australia.
The Americans play their first match Monday against Ukraine.
The tournament is part of the Australian Open Series that includes the Brisbane International, which begins Sunday and includes defending champions Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova, and next week's Sydney International and Hobart International, culminating in the start of the Australian Open on Jan.