Serena Williams teases return to competitive tennis, says Tom Brady ‘started a really cool trend’
By Patrick Brennan
24 Aug 2013, 11:51 am
Updated: 24 Aug 2013, 5:35 pm
Former world number one Serena Williams gave an interview which she has repeatedly called over the past year so that her thoughts could be reflected on her past two title wins and the potential to win another Grand Slam. She was clearly still taking it all in, even though she has been away from the tour for more than five months, and with her future career in the sport in mind, there was a lot she was not willing to disclose.
Mostly, she spoke about her long-term future, her hopes for the future of women’s tennis, and she spoke openly about her relationship with Tom Brady. Williams came back to the tour in June with high hopes, but still not quite satisfied. Her performance in Miami, after her world number eight opponent, Petra Kvitova, won the match, with Williams missing the final by two sets to love, was her most impressive win in five months and she clearly held her nerve in going for the title. There was, however, still some disappointment as she was not able, for the first time, to take her title in a final against someone who was younger than her or who had lost as many matches as she had.
Having lost to Kvitova in Miami, Williams said there had been a “very positive” reaction in the media, but she could not say exactly how many times the headline had been rewritten or how many times her name had been repeated.
After the Williams-Kvitova match, she went to the gym, had another set of interviews and then went over to her sister, Venus, where she stayed for a few hours. After the interview, she was back on the court and in the changing tent talking to one of her coaches. This time, the coach was Pete Sampras, who had been her coach for nine years, since she was ten years old, and who then coached her to two junior Grand Slam titles in 1998 and 2002. Sampras would only take her as far as the final as she was due to play for the US Open, but the US Open was back in March, so he continued to coach Williams.
“I got back to the States, and I was at my sisters apartment the next morning, and she was there, and