Serena chases Court
That’s why she came back to playing tennis after having a baby and so many medical complications
LONDON, United Kingdom — Serena Williams is in a good place, pain-free at last and 100 percent focused on winning Wimbledon, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou said Wednesday.
Williams has worked incredibly hard to come back from giving birth, and multiple injury problems, in order to target Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam titles.
Crucially, the American’s trademark ability to raise her game to another level is back — and she has found her rhythm once more, the coach said.
Williams, the 11th seed, takes on the Czech world number 54 Barbora Strycova on Thursday in the semifinals.
“She’s in a good place at the moment. She’s happy,” Mouratoglou told reporters.
“Her husband is here, her daughter is here, and she’s pain-free now for three weeks.”
“When you focus on your pain every day, it’s very difficult to prepare well for tournaments.”
“You compete with pain, so it’s difficult to focus on the match because you’re suffering.”
“Now things are different. And when she’s playing, she’s 100 percent focusing on the game and on winning.”
“She raises her level when it was necessary, which is one of her trademarks, and this is back, so everything’s positive.”
The Greek-French tennis coach has been working with Williams since 2012, a partnership that has produced 10 of the American’s 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
Australian great Court won her record 24 majors between 1960 and 1973.
Mouratoglou said Williams was intensely focused on overtaking Court, starting by drawing level by winning Wimbledon.
“That’s why she came back to playing tennis after having a baby and so many medical complications,” he said.
“The effort she’s put in, I’ve never seen something like this.”
“You have no idea how hard she worked to come back to that level, and she came back for that, so it will probably mean a lot if she makes it.”