Six-time US Open champion will sport black, one-shoulder dress.
Serena Williams will make a major fashion statement at the US Open this month.

The six-time US Open champion will wear a black, one-shoulder dress designed by Virgil Abloh for Nike.

Simona: Sloane Makes Me Better

Vogue Magazine posted images of Serena's US Open outfit here.

Serena's name is stiched onto the sleeve of the dress and on the customized NikeCourt Flair sneakers she'll wear in New York.

Abloh's quotation graphic, the word "logo", appears above the Nike swoosh logo on the dress.

“When I first tried on the dress, I felt very strong and feminine at the same time," Williams told Vogue Magazine. "It has all the really strong elements, from the leather to that really cool stretchy material.

"I felt so feminine in the tutu, which is probably my favorite part of it. It really embodies what I always say: that you can be strong and beautiful at the same time."

 

“QUEEN” @off____white

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on

Aug 13, 2018 at 10:50am PDT

A limited edition of Serena's dress and jacket will be available at select Nike locations in the U.S. beginning in late August, Vogue Magazine reports. 

Photo credit: Nike

The Greek freak wants to put in the hard yards down the road. Stefanos Tsitsipas didn’t get the win on his 20th birthday and instead lost to Rafael Nadal 6-2, 7-6(4) in the Rogers Cup final. But the loss was not in vain because the Greek says he learned a valuable lesson from falling to Nadal on Sunday.

Tsitsipas says that the thing that stuck out most to him about the final is how big the gap between himself and Nadal is right now.

"And the patience that Rafa has is amazing. He never cracks. He will always grab you like a bulldog and always will have you–he will always make you suffer on the court."

Stefanos Tsitsipas on playing Nadal

📸@tennis_shots pic.twitter.com/1xAV9e6kLo

— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) August 13, 2018

“How much gap there is between him and me in our games, and how much more I need to—I don't know,” Tsitsipas said. “I don't want to be rude, but bust my ass more on the court.”

The Greek became defeated four Top 10 players en route to his first Masters 1000 final, but in the end his takeaway was that he needs to work even harder to get where he wants to go.

Credit Tsitsipas for having the presence of mind to recognize his deficiencies and to view his defeat as a chance to further his development. Not all players would come away from a groundbreaking run to a final with such perspective, and it shows that Tsitsipas may indeed have what it takes to make good on all the potential he has shown in 2018.

What does he need to do in order to get to the next level?

“Work more hours and become stronger and more solid baseliner,” he said. “And withstand pressures, physical pressures on the court that to [Nadal] it just seems like nothing special. That's the big difference between my game and his game.”

Tsitsipas has talked often about how he has watched Federer and Nadal closely, looking for clues to their success. He demonstrated a very good read on what makes Nadal so special and shared his observations after the final.

“And the patience that Rafa has is amazing,” he said. “He never cracks. He will always grab you like a bulldog and always will have you—he will always make you suffer on the court. And it is amazing what he has built as a player. I mean, he was … normal like all of us, and he managed to become this beast, this monster that he is today.”

Tsitsipas will rise to No.15 in the ATP rankings on Monday, up 12 spots thanks to his performance in Toronto. But he knows the hardest work has yet to be done. Thanks to Nadal, he was given a first-hand glimpse of what it might take, and he was paying attention like a good student.

“I need to work much more,” Tsitsipas concluded, “and hopefully I can reach his level one day.”

The Spaniard doesn't live for practice, he lives for improvements. Does practice make perfect? From Rafael Nadal’s perspective there is no perfection, only the quest for improvement. And that’s what the Spaniard says gets him out of bed in the morning.

“I think things are not easy, never, at all even if you are very good,” 32-year-old Nadal told reporters after winning the Rogers Cup on Sunday.

"It's about always improving. So if you want to keep having the same success than you had 10 years ago, you need to add things to your game. So that's why I wake up every morning…"

— Rafael Nadal

📸@tennis_shots pic.twitter.com/CNCqBSMGGR

— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) August 13, 2018

Nadal admits that he may have lost a step—okay maybe a tenth of a step—over the course of his 16-year professional career, but he says that he can make up with that by adding to his game in other ways.

It’s a challenge he has embraced emphatically throughout his career, and it explains the rapid rise of his backhand over the last few seasons, and his ability to do more with the drop shot than ever before.

He doesn’t just practice, he aspires.

“And my way to understand my career and this sport in general is if my career already is for 16 years, during this 16 years, I am sure that I lose things when comparing when I was 18 or 19 years old,” he said. “So if I lose speed sometimes, if I lose this energy that when you are younger, we need to add other things on my game.”

“So it's about always improving,” says Nadal. “So if you want to keep having the same success than you had 10 years ago, you need to add things to your game. So that's why I wake up every morning.”

Nadal says when he’s done improving, he’ll be done playing.

“And I don't understand go on court to practice,” he said. “I go on court to improve something. That's the way that I understand my career, the way that I understand the sport. … And when arrive the day that that not happens, that's going to be the day that I take a boat and I go to go fishing. That's it.”

The World No.1 wants to remain fit for the U.S. Open.
Rafael Nadal has played his last U.S. Open warmup match. The World No.1 has announced his withdrawal from this week’s Western and Southern Open at Cincinnati.

World No.1 Rafael Nadal has withdrawn from #CincyTennis citing personal reasons.

"I am also sad for those amazing fans in Cincy who always gave me great support. I am sure I’ll see them next year.”

Wishing our 2013 champion the best! pic.twitter.com/u2fYNBAyZq

— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) August 13, 2018

Nadal, who claimed the Rogers Cup title on Sunday by defeating Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-2, 7-6(4), hinted that this might be the case after the final.

“I really just finished, do pictures with all the staff here,” Nadal said when asked about his impending decision. “I need to come back to speak with my team, to speak with the people who are close to me and really make a decision about what is going on in the next week and the next couple of weeks.”

Nadal admitted that there is a lot to consider when it comes to a big decision such as this, including Spain’s upcoming Davis Cup semifinal against France in Lille on September 14-16.

“As you know, I only want to play,” he said. “I want to be everywhere. I love this sport. I don't like to miss events. But at some point if I don't stop for myself, my body stop me. So that's the experience that I have. So I have to talk with the people who are next to me and make a decision about the next week and about the schedule until the end of the season.”

Not long after, Nadal announced his withdrawal. He released the following statement:

"I am very sorry to announce that I won’t be playing in Cincinnati this year. No other reason than personally taking care of my body and trying to keep as healthy as I feel now. I am very thankful to my friend Andre Silva, Tournament Director of the Cincinnati tournament, who after speaking to him on the phone understood what I said to him and understands the situation. I am sure the tournament will be a success and I wish him and his team all the best.”

He added: "I am also sad for those amazing fans in Cincy who always gave me great support. I am sure I’ll see them next year and I am sorry I won’t be with them this year.”

Top-seeded Nadal will be replaced by a lucky loser in the draw.

The two-time champion opens with Daria Gavrilova for the right to face Petra Kvitova in round two. Two-time champion Serena Williams will take the court for the first time since suffering her most lopsided loss as a WTA pro at next week's Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati. The 36-year-old American will open with Australia’s Daria Gavrilova, and if she wins she’ll take on No.8-seeded Petra Kvitova in the second round.

See the full women’s singles draw here:

Women’s singles draw at @CincyTennis

Serena Williams squares off with Daria Gavrilova in round one and the winner of that match faces Petra Kvitova in round 2. pic.twitter.com/g92R0AWUnm

— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) August 11, 2018

Williams is a two-time champion at Cincinnati, last winning the title in 2015. The 23-time major champion currently owns an 11-4 record in 2018 but she has dropped her last two matches and won a total of seven games combined in them.

Williams is 2-0 lifetime against Gavrilova and has never dropped a set. The American owns a 5-1 lifetime record againt Kvitova but lost the pair's last meeting in 2015 at Madrid.

She's baaa-ack!

Hey there @serenawilliams 👋#CincyTennis pic.twitter.com/eQxUQ1nxhS

— Western & Southern Open (@CincyTennis) August 11, 2018

There are several enticing first-rounders at Cincinnati. Here’s five that we’ll be watching closely:

[9] Karolina Pliskova v Agnieszka Radwanska
[WC] Victoria Azarenka v Carla Suarez Navarro
[14] Venus Williams v Maria Sakkari
Johanna Konta v Aryna Sabalenka
[10] Julia Goerges v Kristina Mladenovic

If the seeds hold, the quarterfinals shape up as follows:

[1] Halep v [7] Muguruza
[4] Kerber v [6] Garcia
[8] Kvitova v [3] Stephens
[2] Wozniacki v [5] Svitolina

Main draw play begins on Sunday at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.

The Serb begins his quest for a first Cincinnati title in a tricky quarter of the draw. Novak Djokovic has been drawn into Rafael Nadal’s quarter at next week’s Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati. The top-seeded Nadal is a 2013 champion at Cincinnati, while Djokovic is a five-time runner-up at Cincinnati that has yet to win the title.

See the full men’s singles draw here:

Here’s the men’s singles draw for @CincyTennis

Who were the draw Gods mean to? pic.twitter.com/vFIKKs6HW3

— TennisNow (@Tennis_Now) August 10, 2018

Djokovic opens with American Steve Johnson in the first round and could face Marco Cecchinato of Italy in what would be a rematch of this year’s epic Roland Garros quarterfinal in the second.

Nadal could face Canada’s Milos Raonic after a first-round bye.

Seven-time champion Roger Federer, making his first appearance on the hardcourts this summer, will face either Peter Gojowczyk or Joao Sousa after his first round bye. Meanwhile, Federer has been hard at work in Ohio.

The Swiss boys, Roger & Seve 🇨🇭⚽😊#Federer pic.twitter.com/5ts5N7he2Q

— Suama (@suamax8) August 11, 2018

There are several enticing first-rounders at Cincinnati. Here’s six that we’ll be watching closely:

Denis Shapovalov v Frances Tiafoe
Stefanos Tsitsipas v David Goffin
Andrey Rublev v Kei Nishikori
Stan Wawrinka v Diego Schwartzman
Lucas Pouille v Andy Murray
John Isner v Sam Querrey.

If the seeds hold, the quarterfinals shape up as follows:

[1] Nadal v [5] Dimitrov
[3] Zverev v [7] Cilic
[6] Anderson v [4] Del Potro
[2] Federer v [8] Thiem

Main draw play begins on Sunday at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.