When Steffi Graf was going for the Grand Slam in 1988, the German legend said the pressure going into the final major of the year in New York was “suffocating”.
“I remember above all the extreme fatigue I felt in New York. I was feeling the expectation around me that wasn’t mine and that was becoming suffocating. It was terrible,” Graf said of that history-making run 27 years ago – the last time anyone has achieved the Grand Slam.
Which is why Serena Williams warned the press that she wouldn’t be talking about the possibility of her completing a historic Grand Slam at the US Open much longer, as she hopes to stay focused on a fairly simpler task, which is to defend her title there.
Just like there was a ban on talk of the ‘Serena Slam’ at Wimbledon, Williams plans on enforcing another ban regarding the Grand Slam moving forward.
The 33-year-old, who captured her 21st grand slam title with a win over Garbine Muguruza in the Wimbledon final on Saturday, has a golden opportunity in front of her as she can equal Graf’s Open Era record of 22 majors won as well as go for the Grand Slam on home soil in New York next month. She has won the US Open title on her last three trips there.
“You better ask all questions about the Grand Slam because it will be banned soon,” Williams said after her Wimbledon victory.
“Because I can’t think about that. I have to go into New York thinking ‘listen I want to win the US Open, I want to defend my title’. And that’s the only reason I want to be there, I want to go in that locker room and take my famous picture on my knees and hold up that number four, that’s what I want to do and that’s the only way.
– Also: Djokovic wins third Wimbledon title
– #360view: Serena Williams looks better than ever
– Wimbledon: Anything is possible after Serena Slam
“And that’s how I got through this, it wasn’t about winning the ‘Serena Slam’ it was about winning Wimbledon.”
She does hope the New York crowd helps her in her quest for making further history.
“It would be amazing, it would be really good, to have this opportunity to go in New York, being American, with that amazing New York crowd. Hopefully, people will be really cheering me on to push me over the edge and give me that extra strength that I need to go for this historic moment,” said Williams.
The world No 1 is the current holder of all four major titles but she feels winning all four in the same season remains the ultimate challenge.
“I think it is the ultimate because of what everyone writes and what everyone says and seeing it as the ultimate… obviously you can’t help but see it that way too. There’s a reason it’s been 27 years since it’s been done, it’s not the easiest thing to do,” she says.
Williams’ coach, Patrick Mouratoglou believes she is capable of pulling off the Grand Slam but doesn’t think she will be done with tennis after that.
“I don’t think she wants to stop, I’d be surprised if she stops. I think she loves to be No1, she loves to win grand slams and as long as she thinks she can, I think she will,” said the Frenchman.
Mouratoglou, who teamed up with Williams after her opening round French Open defeat back in 2012, believes Williams has improved her consistency, and her ability to move up the court and take the balls early.
“Knowing Serena as I have done she will be thinking about that calendar Grand Slam in 5 minutes.” Roddick on @BBCOne pic.twitter.com/pM5NLv8Tma
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) July 11, 2015
While every dominant player in the men’s game has at one point had struggles against a particular rival – the way Roger Federer has faced difficulties against Rafael Nadal for example, it seems no one is able to threaten Williams on a regular basis and she doesn’t have a negative head-to-head record against any of the other active players. She is also about to enter her 250th week ranked No1 in the world.
Asked to explain the reason behind such extended dominance, Williams said: “I’m the kind of person, where I’m like a sponge. When I lose I just gather up that information, I expand. I learn so much from every loss.
“In the beginning of my career, when Venus (her sister) was playing, I learned so much from her losses and her wins, it really helped propel me for my career and my game.
“I’m the kind of player that when I lose, instead of not learning, I learn a lot from it and I think that’s something that helps me out.”
