If Williams were to win this year’s US Open women’s title, it would make it her fourth straight US Open win — giving her a calendar-year Grand Slam, which was was last attained by Steffi Graf in 1988. As far as Willams is concerned, the pressure isn’t on.
“I just want to play tennis. I don’t necessarily want to hear about this history and that history, because I just want to be able to do the best that I can. I want to be able to win and I don’t want any distractions. That’s how I’m going to handle it,” Williams told Yahoo Sports. That’s her recipe for excelling, she just plays tennis. It helps that she’s a monster at it. Williams won her first Grand Slam singles when she was just seventeen at the 1999 US Open. She was coached by her dad Richard, and she practiced with her older sister Venus, a seven-time champion.
Today marks the first match in New York, and the Williams-led lineup has already sold out. To keep herself in check, Williams says, “I compete a lot against my standards. I have such high standards for myself and I expect the best from and nothing else.”
Williams is living the dream, and age is just a number to her, “I really don’t feel my age. It’s gratifying at whatever age you achieve it.” At 33, Williams is the oldest women’s world champion. She is three Slam singles short of meeting Australian Margaret Court’s overall record, and she would take part in an extraordinary Slam calendar year with Graf, Court, Maureen, Connolly, Don Budge, and Rod Laver, that’s if she wins at the US Open. Williams is just short of Steffi Graf’s Open Era career-holding record of 22 titles. Graf Tweeted that Serena’s accomplishments are “incredible.”
