Former seven-time Grand Slam champion John McEnroe says Serena Williams is “like Roger Federer” and she is definitely not going to the US Open just to be a participant. Williams, 40, is set to play the final tournament of her pro tennis career at the US Open.
Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam champion, is just 1-3 since returning to singles action at Wimbledon. Williams’ best days are clearly behind her but her competitive spirit has remained the same. “Hopefully she’ll enjoy it.
Serena is like Roger [Federer] – she’s not going there to lose first round,” McEnroe said, per Eurosport. “She’s played four matches [recently] and lost three of them, so that’s not what Serena wants. With all due respect to Cincinnati and Toronto, she wants to try to do something at the [US] Open.
That’s what matters. I think that she realised, ‘look, I’ve got to get out in the court, feel it, go through those emotions that you feel on a court so that by the time I get to New York, I’ll be at least somewhat comfortable with where I’m at, and I can do my thing’
McEnroe: It’d be nice if Williams made a nice US Open run
Two weeks ago in Toronto, Williams suffered a 6-2 6-4 loss to Belinda Bencic in the second round. Last week in Cincinnati, Williams picked up a 6-4 6-0 defeat versus Emma Raducanu in her opener.
Williams clearly can’t compare with younger players from the physical standpoints but one thing is for sure – she will leave it all out there. “The younger players are sticking with her now thinking ‘maybe she’s not moving quite as well, now the pressure is not quite the same’
So that’s something she’s going to have to overcome as well as being consistently in points. But the bottom line is that people are going to be pulling for her big time. She will be in the night matches and should probably play night every time as long as she’s in the tournament – it would be nice to see her make some type of nice run,” McEnroe added.
