"Everyone expects me to win every single match, every single day of my life," Serena Williams told reporters after her loss in the Australian Open final on Saturday.
“As much as I would like to be a robot, I’m not. But I do the best that I can.”
Unfortunately for her fans, Williams’s best against Angelique Kerber on Saturday was not good enough. It was not enough against Roberta Vinci in the semi-final of the 2015 US Open as well, though the enormous pressure on Williams could have played a part in that defeat.
“You guys put so much pressure on her there,” said Andrea Petkovic in Brisbane last month as she talked about the circus surrounding Williams’s bid for a calendar Grand Slam at the US Open last year.
“If she had won, I would’ve put her in my idol list forever and I would bow down in front of her. She was on every cab, every bus, on every TV, on every store. She would’ve had to lock herself in a tiny room and never get out again if she wanted to get away.”
This year, there will be no such pressure. At least, not the kind we saw last September for a major bid is now out of the question following her Australian Open defeat. However, Steffi Graf’s record of 22 grand slam titles remains on the horizon for the 21-time grand slam champion and fans will be keen to see her get their sooner than later.
So the pressure will still be around, but the bigger problem for Williams could be the changing mood inside the WTA locker rooms.
Vinci’s stunning triumph in New York and now Kerber’s win should raise the belief levels among the rest and that could mean trouble for the world No 1.
At 34, Williams is not the swiftest of movers on the court and Kerber used that to her advantage. The American was often too slow to react to Kerber’s drop shots and her attempts to dictate points from the net were really not convincing.
Williams could win only 15 of her 32 net points, but her coach Patrick Mouratoglou is convinced that should be her strategy going forward.
“With her game, it makes sense,” he said.
Given her age, shorter points should help as well. But can she pull it off against opponents like Kerber?
The coming months will provide answers, but the WTA certainly looks a lot more competitive than it has been in some years.
There is Kerber and then the likes of Petra Kvitova and Garbine Muguruza, both capable of winning the majors. Victoria Azarenka is getting back to her best and Maria Sharapova, if she stays healthy, is always a contender.
There is a wave of young players, such as Belinda Bencic and Madison Keys, who are making their way up the ladder as well.
So exciting times ahead. Williams will not have it easy.
arizvi@thenational.ae
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