Serena Williams: How US Open victory of 1999 tells the story of what was to come
As the story goes, Serena Williams' rise began before she was born.
"There was a rage inside these two little kids," says Rick Macci, the Florida-based coach who helped guide them through their developmental years. In some ways, it already is. With her 41st birthday looming, Williams can no longer match her own imposing legacy on court. "Obviously she's number one, so she can say whatever she would like to say," she said. Then she smiled widely. "I personally don't think my mouth is big, if you're just looking at it."
But later, once Serena and Venus had become dominant, the Williams family began to notice a chill from spectators in New York, says sports writer SL Price. "I'm tall; I'm black," Venus had said at her 1997 US Open debut. "Everything's different about me. Just face the facts." "How many people do you know go out there and jeer a 19-year-old?" she said after the match, looking uncharacteristically resigned. "I'm just a kid."Back at the US Open of 1999, weeks away from her 18th birthday, the depth of Williams' talent was becoming obvious.The years of pro experience seemed at first to favour Martinez, who used deep, punchy shots and heavy topspin to clinch the first set 6-4.
Years later, in September 2017, Williams would endure a harrowing delivery of her daughter, Olympia. An emergency C-section, a life-threatening pulmonary embolism , and two more surgeries left her bedridden for her first six weeks of motherhood."I'll never forget that phone call, when she was finally cleared by her doctor to play," says Rye, who worked with her through her recovery.It was quite the comeback.
"I was behind the umpire's chair at the time and you're just like 'here we go again, don't do this, get it together,'" Price says. "But there's something about that unpredictability; it's Serena being Serena."Such would be the extent of her later dominance you could almost forget all the champions Williams had to overtake to get there.
It was a similar story in the semi-finals, when Williams took on defending champion Lindsay Davenport, the second seed. "I mean, I touch everyone," she said. "Everyone wants to see me. I don't blame them. Go get a look at Serena." It was a good match-up: Williams, a force of strength and poise, against Hingis, a brilliant tactician who ran famously cool.
By then, Williams looked exhausted. Standing behind the baseline, she used her bright yellow dress to wipe the sweat from her mouth. She stared blankly at the ground in front of her, awash in sunlight and stadium glare, and bounced the ball a few more times than usual before winding up to serve.
Belgique Dernières Nouvelles, Belgique Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
Serena Williams beams in snap with ‘dear friend’ Meghan Markle and daughterSerena Williams, 40, and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex, 41, who first met in 2010 at the Super Bowl in Miami but became friends in 2014, speak about ambition in Meghan's podcast
Lire la suite »
Meghan Markle sparks huge reaction with first podcast: fans all say the same thingMeghan Markle sparks a huge reaction with her first podcast starring Serena Williams – fans are all saying the same thing
Lire la suite »
Meghan Markle recalls a fire in baby Archie’s room on an early trip to South AfricaThe duchess described the harrowing story to Serena Williams in the first episode of her new podcast, 'Archetypes.'
Lire la suite »
Long Eaton: Arrest after thousands of cannabis plants discoveredA 31-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of cultivating the plants, police say.
Lire la suite »
Aspley: Three teens arrested after man stabbed in legPolice say a 19-year-old man suffered potentially life-altering injuries in the attack.
Lire la suite »