(Mike O’Kane/NYSD)
Of all the players we will watch over the next two weeks. Of all the stories that will unfold. There’s one that will standout and the tennis world’s lonely eye will gaze upon.
Serena Williams.
The greatest woman’s player of all time will be going for the Grand Slam at this Open and also the record for most Open’s won by a singles player.
Pressure? No way.
“I don’t feel that fresh pressure,” she said. “If I make it far, maybe I’ll start to feel pressure. But as of now, I really don’t feel any. I’m just here, like I said earlier, to perform and to the best I can.”
The pressure is on everyone else and it’s safe to say the only person who can beat Williams is Serena herself. Just looking at the field, it’s going to be tough finding someone in her class.
Maria Sharapova? Samona Halep? Her buddy Caroline Wozniacki? None of them can compete on Serena’s level when she is at the top of her game.
Right now, she is playing that way.
“I think I won 13 before, and then I won in the last three years eight,” she said. “So that’s a lot, and I think just more consistently.
“Also clearly working with Patrick [Mouratoglou] has helped me a lot and helped me to achieve that consistency and have different goals, you know, change different elements in my game, ameliorate them, and also just be overall a better competitor on every single surface and every single match that I play.
“I think in the long run, that’s really been able to help me to get better.”
There are nine Americans in her quarter, including her sister, who she can meet in the quarterfinals.
“It’s better than the Round of 16, so… That’s how I look at it,” she said.
More importantly, there are nine Americans in her quarter, so there will be a lot of patriotic matches during the first week.
“You have Sloane (Steph
ens), I seem to play her every tournament,” Williams said. “Madison (Keys) is playing really well. So is Sloane actually, she’s playing excellent. So it’s not anything simple or easy to go through.”
At 33, Williams is the veteran on the tournament, who has learned a thing or two about dealing with the press and keeping quiet during these weeks. She had her share of controversy in the past, but now knows what to say and do.
More importantly at an age where most players are slowing down, Williams is getting better and better, couple that with being wiser and you may have a complete player.
“I think being experienced has really helped me a lot, helped me get through a lot of matches. It’s helped me overcome a lot of things.
Yeah, it’s been great. I’ve really enjoyed it. I know some matches I got through just on my experience alone, so that’s been really able to help me out.
Which is shy she is so deadly on the court and why she will be the one to watch the next two weeks.
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