NEW YORK—The US Open final will see heavy favorite Serena Williams take on a young, first-time Grand Slam finalist. Does this storyline sound familiar?
If you ask Serena or her coach Patrick Mouratoglou though, Saturday will not see a repeat of the drama that unfolded when Serena lost to Naomi Osaka 12 months ago.
"He knows better than to say that to me," Serena said, when she was told that Mouratoglou said he would coach in the stands again. "I think he was just playing with you guys. That's not an option for me."
"It's not going to happen, so I won't have to do it again," Mouratoglou said.
Serena's opponent will not be Osaka, but Canadian Bianca Andreescu. The 19-year-old hasn't lost a completed match since early March. Both Mouratoglou and Serena had very good things to say about the world No. 15.