Serena Williams's practices add a wrinkle: A top men's player

Williams has practised with men throughout her career, usually employing a man as a full-time hitting partner

It was not because of the three qualifying matches he had won, but rather because of who joined him for a practice before the Australian Open began: Serena Williams.

“Some of my friends who don’t really know tennis were saying, ‘If he’s hitting with Serena, he must be pretty good’,” Eubanks said.

His session with her was part of a new strategy for Williams, who is training with some of the best current players from the men’s tour to raise the intensity of her practices. In addition to Eubanks, Williams has practised this month with No 15 Stefanos Tsitsipas, No