SERENA EQUALS GRAF’S FEAT
CLINCHES 22ND GRAND SLAM WITH WIMBLEDON WIN
LONDON: Wimbledon champion Serena Williams insists she won’t let her chase for the all-time record of 24 Grand Slam titles become a damaging distraction.
Williams ended one of the most frustrating periods of her career on Saturday when she equalled Steffi Graf ’s Open era record of 22 major titles with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Angelique Kerber in the Wimbledon final.
Since winning Wimbledon 12 months ago, Serena had been stuck on 21 Slams after losing in the US Open semi-finals and this year’s Australian and French Open finals.
The long wait to see her name alongside Graf was a stressful time for the 34-yearold American.
Having finally tied Graf ’s landmark with a seventh Wimbledon triumph that took her within two of Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 majors, Serena was asked if she was now focused on surpassing that tally to establish herself as the best ever.
But the world number one is adamant she won’t be making a point of targeting any more major milestones.
“Oh, God, no. I’ve learned a lot about 22. I learned not to get involved in those debates and conversations,” Serena said. “I definitely had some sleepless nights, if I’m honest. Coming so close. Feeling it, not being able to quite get there.
“I’ve just felt a lot of pressure. I put a lot of that pressure on myself. Obviously had some really tough losses. One thing I learned about last year is to enjoy the moment. I’m definitely going to enjoy this.” LONG JOURNEY Asked to reflect on her incredible success at the majors, which started with a US Open title as a trailblazing teenager in 1999, Serena admitted it was becoming hard to keep track.
“There’s definitely some blurs between eight, nine and ten,” she said. “I remember one through four. Gets really blurry after that.”
Serena will have a chance to win a second singles gold medal at the Olympics in Rio next month before attempting to close in on Court with a 23rd major at the US Open a few weeks later.
But even the ferociously competitive Williams seems happy to rest on her laurels, for a while at least.
“I love gold. Not to knock the
I definitely had some sleepless nights, if I’m honest. Coming so close. Feeling it, not being able to quite get there. I put a lot of that pressure on myself SERENA WILLIAMS, world No 1
This is how Serena is playing. I had one break point, and I couldn’t do nothing. I think I was not the one who lost the match, I think she won the match ANGELIQUE KERBER, world No 4
Olympics, but right now I am probably focused a little more on the slams, or at least I was with getting to 22,” she said.
“Now I feel like, you know, everything else will be pretty good.”