LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — There was zero interaction between the two, not even a furtive glance, when Venus Williams walked past Serena Williams in the Top Seed Open’s warmup area Thursday before their 31st matchup as pros.
Moments later, both headed to the court, each wearing a face covering — Serena sporting a leopard print design, Venus with a light blue medical mask — and were greeted not by the roars of an appreciative audience but basically by silence. Zero fanfare because, well, there are zero fans at the first tennis tournament in the U.S. since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.