Serena absence leaves draw wide open
SINGAPORE: Women’s tennis starts its 2018 campaign with the usual early focus on the Australian Open and a huge question mark over who can fill the yawning gap left by the absence of Serena Williams. No one was able to get anywhere close last year, not just in terms of consistently winning the biggest tournaments but also when it comes to charisma.
Williams left Melbourne a year ago with a 23rd Grand Slam title under her belt but soon hung up her racket for the remainder of 2017 upon discovering she was eight weeks pregnant at the time of her triumph. Her forced hiatus will extend past this year’s tournament after she decided last week that she was not fully match-ready, giving the chasing pack more chances to stamp their authority on the women’s game.
Boris Becker, who knows a bit about both winning grand slams and star appeal, believes the landscape at the top of the women’s game is just too confused at the moment. “I think there is a real opportunity for the next superstar. It’s not clear cut,” he said.
“(Simona) Halep is number one at the moment but we have four or five different girls. It’s just that there is no one dominating, but it’s up to them.
“I could mention 10 names who could win the Australian Open, that’s good and that’s bad. I think the sport needs a strong rivalry because that’s good for fans. But the women’s game doesn’t have that at the moment.”
SERENA HAD CLOTS AFTER GIVING BIRTH
NEW YORK: The birth of your first child should be a thrilling experience, but 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams had some scary side effects after her daughter was born. Williams revealed she had blood clots after baby Alexis Olympia was delivered on September 1 last year via emergency C-Section.
“Sometimes I get really down and feel like, ‘Man, I can’t do this,’” she told Vogue. “It’s that same negative attitude I have on the court sometimes. I guess that’s just who I am.”