Serena Williams has undoubtedly come out as a shining star in the singles format of tennis over the past two decades. However, what often goes unnoticed is her legacy in the doubles format. During her glorious career, the former World No.1 won 14 Grand Slams and 3 Olympic golds, partnering with sister Venus Williams.
Considering her majestic record in doubles, it is needless to say that any tennis fan would want to pair with her on the court. Going back in time, in 2020, American model, Gigi Hadid got this once-in-a-lifetime chance. Stuck in their homes during the lockdown, the two teamed up for a virtual tennis tournament. However, in the process of practicing for the tournament, Hadid injured her arm, which later on became a hilarious anecdote.
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Gigi Hadid injures her arm while practicing for a tournament with Serena Williams
During the lockdown, a large section of society was locked in their homes. On the other hand, another section of society struggled to even manage one complete square meal. In the hope of helping the unprivileged communities, IMG modeling agency hosted the Mario Tennis Aces tournament. A charity virtual tennis tournament getting celebrities and players on the same page with the aim of feeding struggling Americans.
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Practicing for the tournament, Gigi Hadid, who had partnered with Serena, appeared on Jimmy Fallon’s show. Getting into the conversation, she opened up about how she hopes to match Serena’s level in terms of competitiveness. “I’ve been practicing a lot because if anyone’s more competitive than me it’s Serena,” she said. “And, like, I cannot, like, lose our friendship over [this], you know what I mean?” she further added.
Even though it was marketed as a charity event, it didn’t seem to lag the feeling of competition among the participants. The result? Hadid opted to take the extra step in her first practice night. Giving a detailed account of her arm injury, she said, “We’re playing controller version but the first night I played, I practiced on swing mode and fully pulled my entire arm. Like, the next day, I couldn’t lift my arm. I couldn’t do anything.”
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While fans had their loudest cheer for the pair of Serena and Hadid, they weren’t the only big names participating in the tournament. The tournament, won by TikTok star Addison Rae and tennis star Taylor Fritz, also featured pairs like Hailey Bieber and Naomi Osaka, Karlie Kloss and Maria Sharapova, and Venus Williams and DeAndre Hopkins.