The victory marked the start of Williams' latest bid for a record-tying 24th major title. As she left the court she flexed her biceps, and later she donned a T-shirt that read “Unstoppable Queen.”
Williams has been stalled on 23 major singles titles since the 2017 Australian Open, when she was two months' pregnant with now-three-year-old daughter Olympia and when she beat her sister Venus in the final.
Some players complained bitterly after being forced into hard lockdown because passengers on their charter flights to Melbourne tested positive for Covid-19