Both players are 39 years old, and both are rounding into form as they eye another Grand Slam, whether on Paris’s clay or Wimbledon’s grass.
They have been on often-parallel tracks for two decades and as they close in on the big four-oh, Serena Williams and Roger Federer still cannot break the habit. Both are ranked eighth in the world at age 39 after playing very little so far this year. Both are back at the French Open trying to keep their minds from racing ahead to Wimbledon, even if both have to know their chances are better on the well-manicured lawns of the All England Club in London than on the gritty red clay of Roland Garros where younger set can grind them down. Federer has conceded that he is not going to win it all in Paris, even if he will not be easy to beat. Williams has conceded nothing of the sort and while Federer took a break on Wednesday on the eve of his second-round match with Marin Cilic, Williams fought hard on Court Philippe-Chatrier. Her opponent was Mihăela Buzarnescu, a 33-year-old lefthander from Romania with a Ph.D. in sports science and a ranking of 174 that does not do justice to her talent or her ability to conjure winners from unexpected places. She was ranked as high as 20th in 2018 before injuries and shoulder surgery knocked her down. Williams controlled the play in the opening set, lost command in the second and then reclaimed full possession of the steering wheel in the third: roaring, shrieking, smiling but never not caring. “It’s always good when you enjoy your job,” she said, looking weary but relieved as she spoke on court after her 6-3,5-7,6-1 victory. There was ample cause for concern. She is not yet at her fittest, not close to her finest. Court coverage is a challenge: she suffered in the longer rallies on Wednesday. So are changes of direction and consistency. But she has looked better in both her matches in Paris than she looked in her matches in Rome or Parma, Italy, last month, where she lost early in both clay-court tournaments in her return to competition after a three-month break.
