Tennis legend praises Alja Tomjlanovic for ‘career-best’ win over Serena Williams at US Open

Ajla Tomljanovic has got what it takes to win a grand slam and is in the best form of her career, say tennis legends Wally Masur and Mark Petchey after the Aussie ended Serena William’s career.

The 29-year-old top-ranked Australian beat Williams in the sport’s biggest arena in front of 23,859 – thrusting her into uncharted territory and sending a strong message to her opponents.

Tomljanovic, who has reached the Wimbledon quarter-finals twice, was victorious in three compelling sets which included a suspenseful second set tiebreaker.

Serena Williams, a 23-time grand slam winner, retired after the match

Both Masur and Petchey were in awe of the cool-headed performance in front of a volcanic Arthur Ashe Stadium.

 ‘Ajla to me has got the game to go well in these grand slams,’ said Masur on Stan Sport’s Grand Slam Daily.

‘She’s got to feel like she belongs, like she’s a part of the show. And she certainly showed that tonight against Serena and I think that’s hugely important.

‘She’s got the game. She’s got the physicality. She could have played another two sets, Ajla. She’s in her prime.’ 

Petchey stated that Tomljanovic looked in career-best form against the American great.

Ajla Tomljanovic, who has reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon twice, could go all the way at the US Open, say Wally Masur and Mark Petchey

‘That’s got to be the best performance of Ajla’s career given the occasion playing Serena and knowing potentially it was going to be Serena’s last match,’ he said.

‘The quality of tennis that Ajla produced out there was probably the best I’ve ever seen her produce. I mean, she’s obviously had two quarter-finals at Wimbledon (in 2021 and 2022) and now she’s knocking on the door (to win her first major).’

Masur, who reached reached a career best of world No.15 in men’s singles, was dazzled by Tomljanovic’s ability to stay composed during the big moments and rebound when she needed to in the three hour hour match.

‘It would have been very easy with the momentum of the crowd to let Serena run away with that second set,’ he said.

Tomljanovic showed composure in front of 23,859 spectators at Arthur Ashe Stadium

‘But she pushed and she pushed and she kept Serena out there and made her earn that second set, and that paid dividends ultimately.’

Could she go all the way at Flushing Meadows? Masur said that with the early exits of of top seeds, it’s entirely possible. 

‘I’ve always seen Ajla as a player that wants to dominate and want to dictate. But tonight, you know, she had to defend for a good portion of the time – she was very willing to do it, she did it very well, and she’s got the athleticism to do it,’ he said.

‘The women’s game is pretty wide open, isn’t it? Upsets – they’re not few and far between, it’s happening all the time. So, if she’s in the right mindset and she doesn’t suffer a bit of a letdown after beating Serena, anything’s possible.’

 Tomljanovic will next face world No.35 Liudmila Samsonova on Monday (AEST) for a place in the quarter-finals.

Tomljanovic will next face world No.35 Liudmila Samsonova on Monday (AEST) for a place in the quarter-finals.

Victory over Samsonova, a winner of two US Open lead-up events, would earn Tomljaovic a quarter-final against either Tunisia’s fifth-seeded Wimbledon runner-up Ons Jabeur or Veronika Kudermetova, also of Russia.