A year has passed since Serena Williams played a singles match. The last time was exactly one year ago at Wimbledon where she tearfully retired due to a torn right hamstring. Williams is now back at Wimbledon with a new coach but with still the same goal, winning Wimbledon.
This will be Serena Williams’s 21st Wimbledon. She has won 7 Wimbledon titles. This time, Williams is determined to give a different and better lasting memory of Wimbledon. “It was always something, since the match ended, that was always on my mind,” she said. “So it was a tremendous amount of motivation.”
It has taken Serena a lot of effort to come back on court. By missing three major Grand Slams, it looks like her ranking has dropped from former world number one to triple digits overnight. There were also rumors that she may not return to tennis after all. However, they were quickly dismissed in an interview. “I didn’t retire,” William said on Saturday, “I had no plans to be honest. I just didn’t know when I would come back.”
Serena’s life off the tennis court is also a handful, which was another spark for rumors. After leaving the All Englands Club last year in heartbreak, she juggles her tennis career with motherhood and business. Her daughter, Olympia, has just turned four years old and her new business, Serena Ventures, is also a handful. “A part of me feels like that is a little bit more of my life now than tournaments,” Williams says of her new interests.
Business and motherhood aren’t the only new change for this year’s Wimbledon. Serena Williams has just parted with long-time coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. The two have been together for over a decade with Mouratoglou helping her win 10 of her 23 grand slams. When questioned on how it felt for Patrick not to be there with her in the box, Serena took no hesitation in saying, “I didn’t even think about it. It feels good.”
Williams will now work with her sister’s coach Eric Hechtman. Hechtman has been with Venus Williams since 2019. Though this is the first tournament for Serena in over a year, he fully understands that the goal is not to just improve from last year. “She’s a champion, right? And she’s playing Wimbledon for a reason,” he said. “Just like I think anybody that walks into the tournament, their goal is to win the event. And that’s our goal.” Although Williams was unsure whether she was going to return to tennis after her hamstring injury in 2021, she is back on the court and is feeling very good.
When asked about what would be considered a “good result” for Wimbeldon, Serena smiled and said, “[y]ou know the answer to that. C’mon now.”
This will be Serena Williams’s 21st Wimbledon. She has won 7 Wimbledon titles. This time, Williams is determined to give a different and better lasting memory of Wimbledon. “It was always something, since the match ended, that was always on my mind,” she said. “So it was a tremendous amount of motivation.”
It has taken Serena a lot of effort to come back on court. By missing three major Grand Slams, it looks like her ranking has dropped from former world number one to triple digits overnight. There were also rumors that she may not return to tennis after all. However, they were quickly dismissed in an interview. “I didn’t retire,” William said on Saturday, “I had no plans to be honest. I just didn’t know when I would come back.”
Serena’s life off the tennis court is also a handful, which was another spark for rumors. After leaving the All Englands Club last year in heartbreak, she juggles her tennis career with motherhood and business. Her daughter, Olympia, has just turned four years old and her new business, Serena Ventures, is also a handful. “A part of me feels like that is a little bit more of my life now than tournaments,” Williams says of her new interests.
Business and motherhood aren’t the only new change for this year’s Wimbledon. Serena Williams has just parted with long-time coach, Patrick Mouratoglou. The two have been together for over a decade with Mouratoglou helping her win 10 of her 23 grand slams. When questioned on how it felt for Patrick not to be there with her in the box, Serena took no hesitation in saying, “I didn’t even think about it. It feels good.”
Williams will now work with her sister’s coach Eric Hechtman. Hechtman has been with Venus Williams since 2019. Though this is the first tournament for Serena in over a year, he fully understands that the goal is not to just improve from last year. “She’s a champion, right? And she’s playing Wimbledon for a reason,” he said. “Just like I think anybody that walks into the tournament, their goal is to win the event. And that’s our goal.” Although Williams was unsure whether she was going to return to tennis after her hamstring injury in 2021, she is back on the court and is feeling very good.
When asked about what would be considered a “good result” for Wimbeldon, Serena smiled and said, “[y]ou know the answer to that. C’mon now.”
