“No Off Days”- Hitting Partner Reveals What Makes Serena Williams Exceptional

There are a bunch of people who work really hard in order to help champions like Venus and Serena Williams succeed in the sport. Two of them are brother Jermaine and Jarmere Jenkins, and they have worked with the Williams’ sisters as their hitting partners.

Jermaine Jenkins is currently the USTA Player Development women’s national coach, and he has been the hitting partner of Venus Williams. He even went on to coach Naomi Osaka in 2019. On the other hand, Jarmere Jenkins has been the hitting partner of Serena Williams since 2017.

In a recent interview, Jarmere revealed how he feels while training with Serena. He mentioned that she was more than just a tennis player for him and said:

“Growing up watching Serena and Venus on TV, you only get to see one side of them. Working with Serena, I view her as much more than just a tennis player; I see her as an entrepreneur, a mentor, a wonderful mom, wife, sister, and an amazing friend. There’s so much more that goes into being Serena.”

The 30-year-old also highlighted that he was 100% committed to his job at the moment. He said, “Working with Serena, it’s definitely going to open up some doors and some other opportunities down the road. Right now, I’m 100 percent focused on the job at hand, and then I’ll let this take me to wherever it can go.”

“Commands that level of excellence on a daily basis”- Jenkins on Serena Williams

Jarmere reflected that the job had also prepared him for many future challenges and also emphasized that the pressure is really high when one steps on the court with Serena.

“This job has prepared me for anything else that I’m going to have to do in the future, whether it’s tennis-related or not. When you step on the court with Serena, whether you feel like it or not, you’ve got to be ready to go. The pressure in those moments is high,” continued the hitting partner.

Jarmere also disclosed that Williams never takes days off. According to him, it is this trait that makes her who she is at the moment. “She commands that level of excellence on a daily basis; there are no off days. That’s what makes her who she is,” he said.

Recently, Serena Williams suffered defeat at the Australian Open 2021 semi-finals against Naomi Osaka. Although she played well at the tournament, she was not able to win her 24th Grand Slam title.

With age not on her side at the moment, Serena hasn’t been in great touch, especially in the semi-finals and finals. However, she is still the tennis queen and fans have huge expectations from her. Will Williams be able to win her 24th Grand Slam title in 2021?

Also Read: “She Believes She Can”: Serena Williams’ Coach Insists She’s Playing To Lift Her 24th Grand Slam