Serena Williams teases return to competitive tennis, says Tom Brady ‘started a really cool trend’ during New England Patriots’ Super Bowl victory – but not without a few wacky challenges
‘I can’t wait for the moment when I get to play again!’
Serena Williams, on her near-miss on the women’s No. 1 ranking, a week ago: “The next day, I don’t know if I was even close. I don’t think that I would have been able to have any fun for that long without any sort of challenge. I was just trying to make sure I didn’t get too upset.” Serena – ranked No. 1 in the world by Tennis.com’s editors – was, at the time, serving as a guest player at the Miami Open, where she lost to the top-ranked Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. Cornet went on to win the tournament, and Williams dropped to No. 2.
Williams, on that week: “It was a huge shock that I was No. 1, but I was used to that. I was used to being No. 2. I just had butterflies in my stomach every time I went up. I was like, ‘Man, I just hope I’m No. 1. That’s a really nice feeling. If I didn’t get to play, I don’t know what I would have done with my life. I don’t know what I would have been doing.’ I have never had that in my life.”
On being the first woman to hold No. 1 for more than three months: “The only thing that would make it better is, then we would have had enough matches to win the Grand Slams. I think we’ve got to give that credit to Rafa, who was the best last year.”
On how many more matches she may play before winning her first professional title: “I think I will be the first, but I have to beat somebody first. Then I will be the first.”
On her rivalry with Serena Williams and the ‘Tom Brady situation’: “She’s the only person I know that could turn something into something out of nothing, and