Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, is gearing up for her first singles tournament after a year-long hiatus from the circuit. A lot is at stake as she is making a comeback, defying all the allegations of retirement. Consequently, she will be under the microscope throughout her run in the Wimbledon Championship.
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Will Serena give a befitting reply to those who thought retirement was the best option? Well, here’s what her latest doubles partner had to say about her game.
Ons Jabeur about Williams’ chances in the 2022 Wimbledon Championship
The Tunisian tennis ace played alongside the American in the grass courts of Eastbourne, the very first event of Williams after her year long absence from the circuit. Therefore, it can be said that Jabeur can speak about her form with more accuracy than any other person. While addressing the media in the pre-tournament press conference, the current World No.3 spoke about her recent doubles partner. She said, “Honestly, I was so lucky to get picked by her. And play along her side gives me even more confidence to be much better players.”
“She is amazing and I am so glad that she came back. I feel like she’s okay. I play with her and she’s moving really good. You can see on the important points she can serve three aces and she is really great. And I wanna see her win a lot of matches here.” She added.
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With just a few days in hand before the major begins, Williams and Jabeur partnered again for a practice session at the Centre Court of Wimbledon. The same court which was unpredictably slippery last year and caused the former World No.1 to withdraw from the tournament.
Serena Williams and Jabeur’s run in Eastbourne International
Williams partnered with the 2022 Madrid Open champion to oil her skills before her singles run at the Wimbledon Championships. She took part in the WTA 500 tournament after almost a decade. The 40-year-old last appeared in the event in 2011 when like this year she was making a comeback from an injury.
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The pair, after struggling initially in the first set of the first round match, found their rhythm and got the better of their opponents in the last two sets. Thereafter, they defeated the Asian duo, Shuko Aoyama and Chan Hao-ching, to secure a seat in the semifinals. However, because of an unfortunate injury to Jabeur’s knee, they were forced to withdraw from the tournament.