It’s hard being Serena Williams.
The pressure, the commitments, the chase for history, the constant reminder of the elusive 24th Slam. Did we mention the pressure?
“Every day having 'Serena' on your back is a massive target for the tour, for press, for stress,” Williams said. “But as Billie Jean King said, ‘Pressure is a privilege.’ So I wouldn't want it any other way. I just try to think about how fortunate I am to have been in this position, and honestly, to be Serena.”
So, what exactly does it mean to “be Serena?”
In addition to being a role model, a trailblazer, and a perennial champion, being Serena also means having the ability to maintain focus on the here-and-now, especially in tough match situations. And that’s been her main objective as she’s made her way to the quarterfinals at the US Open for the 17th time in her career.
Since returning from the five-month break from tennis, we’ve seen flashes of the dominant Williams of old, the Serena who can neutralize an opponent’s strength with a single stroke and run away with the match in the blink of an eye. But it hasn’t been consistent. Not only have her opponents tested her nerve in the first week at the Open, but Williams admitted to having to conquer her own mental demons of feeling like she needed to be perfect in every point.
Now that she’s secured confidence-building wins over Sloane Stephens and Maria Sakkari to reach the final eight, she’s gradually regaining her form, one winner at a time.
“I want to be focused from the first point to the last,” Williams said. “I feel like I have been focused, but I've been losing matches on literally one point that could swing a match a different way. I've been playing a ton of tight matches. I feel like, all right, I just want to be ‘Serena,’ focused from the first point to the last point, no matter what happens.”
So far, that “Serena focus” has worked well enough to keep her on-track for chasing her record-tying 24th Grand Slam title, an opportunity that has slipped through her fingers on her last four appearances in a major final. Could this be the year? Is the fifth time the charm for the six-time US Open champion? Fans can only hope so.
“Every day, I'm on a new journey, and in this tournament in particular, and this year, it's just a new journey,” Williams said. “So I feel really good. I feel like I'm going in the right direction.”
Certainly, the direction she’s been traveling in is one that surpasses one achievement after another. When you’ve been on Tour for 25 years, made 75 Grand Slam appearances and own 23 major titles, you’re literally rewriting the history books, one day at a time.
“I feel like every time I come here I'm being told I broke another record,” Williams said. In fact, nearly every time she steps on-court, she does. Each win at the Grand Slam level pushes her further into the record books. Her 355 wins at the majors are the most in the Open Era, far beyond Martina Navratilova’s next-best of 306. Against fellow American Kristie Ahn in the first round of the Open last week, Williams surpassed Chris Evert and became the all-time leader for most US Open match wins, with 102 (she’s now at 105).
And the milestones just keep coming. Minutes after her Round of 16 win over Maria Sakkari on Monday, Williams was greeted in her on-court interview with a “Congratulations, Serena, win No. 100 in Arthur Ashe Stadium!”, to which she responded with a laugh, “Really, another one?”
Yes, even for Serena Williams, it’s hard keeping up with all the legendary accomplishments. But she admits it’s never really been her main focus.
“It's cool. I don't think I appreciate it enough, which is unfortunate,” Williams said. “But I'm in the middle of a Grand Slam, so it's not the time for me to be focused on records when I'm thinking about winning a tournament.”
Indeed, pressure has been a privilege for Williams. With her 24th major just three wins away, the pressure is mounting exponentially on her shoulders. Luckily, she has 23 previous experiences to draw from and help her along the way.
