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Wimbledon, England
Many people involved in tennis thought Serena Williams had finished at the age of 24. She had not won a major title since January 2005 and had skipped two Slams in 2006 due to injuries and depression. She watched glued her career total of seven major titles. At the time, Chris Evert, the American Hall of Fame, wrote a letter in Tennis Magazine begging Williams to find a way to shape himself and become a legend, rather than a star who disappeared.
won 23 major titles and, at the age of 36, is still in progress. At Wimbledon, she's one win in her 24th major, which would tie Margaret Court's long-time record.
Evert admits that she never thought it would happen.
"She went beyond any thought I had of her, from hunger and passion and intensity," Evert said. "I thought that she was a very talented player who loved tennis, I had no idea that she would prove to be the greatest of all time in any one." sport. "
Against Julia Goerges in the semifinals of Wimbledon on Thursday, Williams started a little rusty, but then dominated. His service was released and his setback, sometimes a problem of delay, became the weapon that we usually see in the Wimbledon champion seven times: she hit five winners with more than the two that she hit with her forehand. The match, which lasted one hour and 10 minutes, has never been in doubt: 6-2, 6-4.
Winning the title here would be a major feat, but really, just one of many for Williams. She won the Australian Open in 2007 after playing a few matches in preparation for the event. At the end of the tournament, she seemed irrepressible. She survived the death of her half-sister, who was shot dead in September 2003. She recovered from other injuries, such as the glass she walked on after winning Wimbledon in 2010, lacerating his foot. She had blood clots in her two lungs and recently another problem with dangerous blood clot after delivery. She also breastfed her child, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., for six months, and was excited about letting go to lose weight.
"I talked to him, we prayed about it," Williams said. "I told him," Listen, I'm going to stop. Mom must do that. I cried a little, not as much as I thought. She was well.
When asked if her convalescence was the most complicated and difficult period of her career, she said yes, but she was well worth it.
"I do not know if because I have Olympia," she says. "For me, I see only joy. In one way, it is by far the most difficult, but in a way, it is by far the best.
Now, while Williams is recovering from these difficult times, she is still motivated.
about a video of his best performance when I met him, "said Mackie Shilstone, a coach who has worked with Williams for 10 years. "She said it did not exist since she had never been at her best, that's what motivates her, she may never be found before." 39, she was retired from the field. "
Williams has played only 13 games this year, including six at Wimbledon, 11-2 on the season with a draw, at Roland Garros, when she refused to play her fourth round match because of pain in her right pectoral muscle
Earlier this year in Florida, she worked five weeks with Shilstone, one of her exercises Favorite: Put two players on one side of the net and Williams on the other, the players would hit balls in the corners, and Williams would chase them and hit the cross short.This lasted two minutes and then she had to serve.
"She had to serve immediately after two minutes to learn how to shoot while being tired," he said. Shilstone, he said they did it for an hour, with a two-minute break after half an hour.
Shilstone said that when Williams left, she was, at best, about 75% of her best conditioning. But that does not mean that he was expecting what she's losing, especially at Wimbledon
"When Serena is against the wall, she's at her best," he said.
Up to now, at Wimbledon, the strength of her serve has prevented her conditioning from hurting her. Williams took something of her service at the French Open and at the start of Wimbledon, but she increased the pace as the tournament progressed. During her first six games, 50% of the first services she received were not returned, the highest number of the tournament. Williams won 89% of his service games, and was broken only seven times. This is not a surprise because there has never been a player, man or woman, with such a simple and beautiful service technique. "I thought the biggest blow in women's tennis was Steffi Graf's forehand," said Mary. Carillo, a former pro and now a broadcaster for Tennis Channel. "Now, I'm going to say that the biggest blow of women's tennis is the Serena.How many other women can you reliably rely on to serve? Person. And this is the most important shot of tennis. And that's what she's been doing for 20 years. "
The Wimbledon final will not be easy for Williams. Her opponent, Angelique Kerber, 30, is a leftist who lost to Williams in the Wimbledon final in 2016. But earlier this year, she beat Williams in the Australian Open final, in three sets. Kerber's defense and agility are among the best in the sport. She said that she looked forward to the challenge of confronting Williams.
"We have had so many good games in recent years," Kerber said. "I know that she always pushes you to the limit to play your best tennis, which is the only chance to beat her."
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