Serena said she was saddened by the gun violence and deteriorating race relations in the United States, admitting she fears for the safety of her own family in the current volatile climate.
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Commenting on the same, Kerber said there is still a long way to go to match Serena’s level.
The sisters, who paired up again this year after a two-year absence, have won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles together. “It was getting down to the pressure”.
It was a lovely win for Williams, who landed her seventh singles title at Wimbledon after two Grand Slam finals earlier this year. But in that semifinal, no less, she fell victim to the stress as well as to 30th-ranked Roberta Vinci.
Williams has been chasing this goal since past year, but had to suffer through losses at both the Australian and French Opens. How does it make she feel to know She has inspired and are still inspiring millions of girls all over the world ‘That’s why I ultimately feel like I’m here. “I put a lot of pressure on myself”. But I just had a very clear feeling it was going to be a rough tournament for me after winning a Grand Slam and coming here.
“I had to start looking at positives, not focusing on that one loss per tournament which really isn’t bad, and for anyone else on this tour would be completely happy about it. Once I started focusing more on the positives, I realised that I’m pretty good”. If I can just play my game, I know I have a really good chance at winning this match.’ Her humilty, her fight for equal prize money inspired many people. “Then I started playing a little better”.
It was breezy, but that didn’t seem to hamper Williams, whose older sister Venus sat in her guest box, a couple of seats over from music’s power couple of Beyonce and Jay Z.
On a warm, breezy afternoon, the first set was neck and neck until Williams fired a massive backhand for a victor to break for 7-5. She slammed 13 aces.
For Mouratoglou, who said he was more relieved to have discovered the “true Serena” than that she finally won a 22nd major, it was a glimpse of his player back at her best. She really played an unbelievable match. “I think I played what I could today”.
But the relentless tennis calendar marches on, the Olympics is less than a month away, and Williams can only keep going, for now, without letting her thoughts carry too far into the future.
She added: “I’ve won gold and I love gold. She did everything right”.
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When the American won Wimbledon 12 months ago, her fourth major title in succession, another triumph seemed all-but inevitable but surprise defeats at New York, Melbourne and Paris poured doubt on the 34-year-old’s pursuit.
