“It’s a Different Burden”: Serena Williams on Winning Her 24th Grand Slam

Former World No. 1 Serena Williams lost in the semifinal of the Australian Open 2021. Her defeat came at the hands of the eventual champion, Naomi Osaka. Due to the unfortunate result, Williams’ wait for her 24th Grand Slam title will continue. 

Recently, the former Grand Slam winner stated that she was used to the pressure to lift the much-awaited 24th Grand Slam. It was always on her mind and she saw the positive side of it. Although such baggage adds immense pressure on an individual, with time, Serena has made peace with it. 

Serena Williams on her 24th Grand Slam title: “It’s definitely on my shoulders”

The 39-year-old player spoke on this topic and stated, “It’s definitely on my shoulders and on my mind. I think it’s good to be on my mind. I think it’s a different burden on my shoulders because I’m used to it now, it’s relaxing.” 

The seven-time Australian Open champion won her last Major in Melbourne in 2017. During that time, she was in the initial stages of her pregnancy. After that, Williams made it to the final of a Grand Slam on four occasions (Wimbledon 2018, 2019, and at the US Open 2018, 2019), which indicates she’s still at the top and can compete against the best players in the world. 

At the Australian Open, the American superstar cleared the initial stages of the tournament successfully. During the earlier rounds, she emerged victorious against Aryna Sabalenka and also against Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, before ending her journey in the semifinal. 

In the previous season, Williams had the best performance at the US Open, when she reached the semifinal. Prior to that, she had fallen short in the third round of the Australian Open and withdrew before her second-round match at Roland Garros because of an Achilles injury. 

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