The only “it” girl who matters is defending U.S. Open champion Serena Williams, even after all these years.
The Serena Open begins anew tonight. Williams, who won her first Open in 1999 and is showing no signs of slowing down, takes the grand stage to kick off the first night session card against the tough Italian Francesca Schiavone at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
At age 31, Williams can become the oldest woman to win the Open, though she told The Post she feels 23 again.
With Maria Sharapova out with shoulder bursitis, Serena’s only legitimate threat is No. 2 Victoria Azarenka, who upset Williams in Cincinnati two weeks ago.
This is the 40th anniversary of equal prize money being instituted for men and women at the Open, but the men’s draw is now a significantly better show with much more depth. Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli abruptly retired this month.
When asked how to convince fans the Open isn’t just two weeks of waiting for a Williams-Azarenka final, CBS tennis maven Mary Carillo stumbled, bumbled and finally said, “There’s plenty of good women, but one of them needs to do something special.”
Serena goes for her fifth Open and 17th Grand Slam title — the sixth-most in women’s tennis. She needs two more to equal legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. Oracene Price, Serena’s mother, believes the careers of Serena and older sister Venus have not been truly appreciated yet.
“My motivation comes from a different place,’’ Serena said. “I love to play tennis and I love winning and that keeps me motivated that I’m doing well. I feel great. I feel completely recharged.’’
Unlike the embarrassing state of the American men’s game, the U.S. women are in decent shape. The bubbly, up-and-coming No. 15 seed Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys are projected to reach the top 10 soon. Stephens and Serena Williams could face each other in the fourth round.
“She’s such a good player and she’s so smooth,’’ said Williams, who has been a mentor to Stephens and was knocked off by her in the Australian Open. “She just has this game and this confidence.’’
Venus may not fare as well in what potentially will be her last Open. The unseeded Venus is trying to cope with Sjogren’s Syndrome and plays a tough first-round match against No. 12 seed Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium, who beat her this month.
“She’s getting better and better,’’ Serena said of Venus. “I think she has a good chance.’’
Still, an all-Williams sister quarterfinal matchup seems unlikely. Serena may not lose a set until the expected final against Azarenka. Agnieszka Radwanska and 2011 Open champion Sam Stosur are considered the next two best threats.
“I think Victoria is the one player that doesn’t fear Serena,’’ Evert said. “Victoria is like a street fighter. She’s hungry. Hardcourts are her best surface. It’s a good matchup for playing Serena. What she does better than anybody else against Serena is the moving and court coverage. She can run down Serena’s power and defuse it with her own power.’’
Serena believes this is all gravy anyway.
“That’s the beauty of my career,’’ Serena said. “I don’t need to do anything at all. Everything I do from this day forward is a bonus.’’
