Serena Williams U.S. Open match live updates

With the crowd on Arthur Ashe Stadium certain to be on her side and a flawless first-round record at the U.S. Open bolstering her, Serena Williams will have several advantages Monday night before she strikes a ball.

To beat her, Danka Kovinic will have to play the match of her life.

The 27-year-old from Montenegro has yet to capture a WTA singles title, though she has logged her best year at the majors to date. She reached the third round at both the Australian Open and Roland Garros for the first time, clocking a gutsy, three-set victory against reigning U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu in Melbourne along the way.

“After the first set, she was hitting slice forehands. I’ve never hit a slice forehand in my life. For sets I was basically doing that. I don’t know how it ended up so close,” Raducanu said Friday, when asked about Kovinic’s game. “… I remember she was really, really solid, was staying with you, counterpunching. Then after you drop one after a long rally, then she would attack. She’s happy to run, happy to rally. She’s a great athlete. It’s going to be a good matchup, I think.”

Kovinic will be looking to rediscover that strong defending from January tonight. She enters the matchup on a five-match losing streak after she withdrew from Wimbledon with a lower back issue, and hasn’t won a match since the French Open in May.

At No. 80 in the world, she is one of just two players from Montenegro with a WTA ranking (the other sits at No. 988). She reached a career-high ranking of No. 46 in 2016.