Serena Williams Opens Up About Elusive 24th Grand Slam

Serena Williams, winner of  23 Grand Slams, is now overcoming back to back disappointments in recent years, and looking forward to earn that elusive 24th Grand Slam title. The great Serena Williams notched up her 23rd major in 2017, and has since then suffered four defeats in finals. Playing her final match of 2019, Williams was beaten by Canadian teen star Bianca Andreescu at the US Open. She’s now prepping for the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand to get her 2020 season kick started with double the strength. The world No 10 has never won the tournament and will face Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round. “ meant a lot to me for a while, and now it's just about getting over that one hump,” Williams said before she begins her campaign at the Australian Open which is just two weeks away.

Talking more about overcoming difficulties, she explained, “I'm almost there, and I'm confident that I'll get there. It was tough for me. I really felt like I was close, but I didn't really 'show up' in those matches, and so I have to figure out how to compete in those. I haven't won yet, and I don't like to go places and not have that opportunity, but I have a new opportunity to try and do that."

Key Takeaways:

• Serena Williams, who was announced AP Female Athlete of the Decade Honour, is eyeing to earn that elusive 24th Grand Slam title
• Williams will play in the doubles with Caroline Wozniacki, and is now prepping for the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand to get her 2020 season started
• The world No 10 has never won the tournament and will face Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round

Serena Williams, looking ahead:

She became the oldest No. 1 in WTA history and equalled Steffi Graf’s record for most consecutive weeks atop the rankings. She became the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam singles trophy in the professional era. However, now Williams is itching to equal Margaret Court’s record 24 Grand Slam titles. In the US Open last year, she missed another close chance lost another final to 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu, a Canadian teenager. In her fourth major final since childbirth two years ago, the ace tennis star was looking for a history-making 24th major title.

Serena Williams, who was announced AP Female Athlete of the Decade Honour, is eyeing to earn that elusive 24th Grand Slam title

Talking further about her eternal lover for the game, the American had earlier said, “I’m extremely passionate about what I do. Most people that love their jobs are passionate about what they do. That’s just me.”

Also read: Meet the memory wiz: Vyshnavi Yarlagadda

Further praising the progress in women’s tennis during her career, calling it the “premier sport for women” she said, “It’s the best work in the world that a woman can do, in my mind. I’m a little biased obviously.” The 37-year-old added, “I feel like we fought so hard for so many years for so many different things. I feel like we still obviously have a ways to go, but a lot of that fighting through decades has come through.”

Apart from the games, Serena Williams has been outspoken about various social issues related to motherhood and parenting. Earlier she had boldly accepted that she was suffering from “postpartum emotions” and it was hard to cope with the struggles of balancing family, life and tennis. “I read several articles that said postpartum emotions can last up to three years if not dealt with,” she had said, NDTV reported.

The world No 10 has never won the tournament and will face Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova in the first round

The 36-year-old American missed most of the 2017 WTA season due to her pregnancy. The tennis ace had earlier spoken about the complications she suffered after giving birth to her daughter. During her pregnancy, she was ranked No 1 in the world and won the Australian Open in her first trimester.

READ:In A Landmark Move, Nine Names Sent For Padma Awards — All Women

Feature Image Credit: ABC

Read More Stories By Ria Das