‘Going Through the Motions With No Energy’ – Chris Evert Once Reprimanded a ‘Lethargic’ Serena Williams for Playing Spiritless Tennis on the Big Stage

The year 2015 was a special one for Serena Williams. She started that year with a bang, winning the Australian Open title. Further, she went on to lift the French Open and the Wimbledon Championships title. The American legend came agonizingly close to winning a Calendar Year Grand Slam. However, she lost in the semifinals of the US Open.

Despite Serena’s successful 2015 season, she often had inconsistent performances that became a feature that year. The American legend had a slow start due to which she had to fight back to emerge victorious. Chris Evert once opened up about Serena’s slow start to her matches.

Chris Evert once slammed Serena Williams for her inconsistency

Before the Australian Open in 2016, Evert talked about Serena’s chances at the tournament and where she needed to improve. She said, “There’s so many matches in the first set she played like listless tennis, lethargic, like she was going through the motions with no energy.”

Further, Evert went on to add, “She’d get it when she got mad in the second set. She would finally pull these matches out. I would like to see her start out from the first point and play some motivational tennis, then I think she won’t put herself in those dangerous positions.”

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Talking about where Serena needed to improve, Evert said, “She can’t have another year like she had last year. She narrowly escaped so many matches, down a set, down a set and a break. It can’t happen again like that. That would be like immortal for that to happen.”

Serena on her post-retirement plans

Recently, the 23-time Grand Slam champion revealed what she’ll be doing after ending her tennis career. Serena feels that she is at an age where she can have more to give. Moreover, the former World Number One intends to spend quality time with her husband and her five-year-old daughter, Olympia.

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Along with this, she will also shift her focus to her business ventures like S by Serena and Serena Ventures.