Durable Champion

US Open Champion 2008...

In 2007, Serena remarked that she will regain the no.1 status. Many questioned her confidence. With the US Open trophy in her hands for the 3rd time in 2008, she has regained the no.1 status. Why is this success so special and why it makes her a great athletic?

Firstly, she became disinterested in her sports mid-way, disappeared and grew out-of-shape. Her ranking fell off to outside 100. She worked hard, got into shape, and blasted her way to victory in the 2007 Australian Open, trashing Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in double quick time in that finals. She was no.81 and Sharapova, no.1 then. From then on, she became more motivated, more focused. All this while, many pretenders particularly from Serbia and Russia, seized the opportunity in the vacuum which Serena and Venus left, rose through the rankings. A few managed the no.1 spot even!

One wonders are they truly deserving of the no.1 spot? I have my doubts. These few pretenders have been passing around the no.1 spot like potatoes out of the oven. Serena is durable, so is her sis. Both are destined to achieve more grand slam success given the current field of dismal players. Many uprising starlets tried to xerox their style of play, powerful strokes from the baseline. However, they could only achieve scant success. The thing with the Williams sis is that the tournaments are there for them to lose. Not much depends on their opponents.

Many players are like supernova, they shine brilliantly, but briefly. The William sis are like stars, they glow for a long time before dying out. Serena won her first slam in 1999, Venus in 2000. Both won slams in 2008. My point exact. Except for 2006, at least one of them have featured in a slam final every year since 2000. Between them, they have 16 slams, 7 more than the combined slams won by all the other active players...On regaining the no.1 spot, Serena has stamped her authority and regain the supremacy she once reigned about a decade ago. Ana who? Jankovic? huh? No impression...

On this day, Serena taught her pretender how to play tennis, the Williams way!


I hoped that I have not bore non-tennis readers to death. This post is a tribute to my idol...how we can learn from her. If you really want something, you have to have the desire and the mental toughness to work towards it.