Serena Williams Seeks to Make History at US Open
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ABC News(NEW YORK) — Serena Williams is the queen of Grand Slams, and the number one female tennis player in the world is back to defend her U.S. Open crown.
Williams, 33, talked with ABC News Good Morning America co-host Robin Roberts ahead of the her bid for her fourth consecutive U.S. Open title.
The tournament starts Monday and Roberts asked Williams how she was handling its approach.
“Actually it’s really easy. I don’t feel pressure to win here,” Williams replied. “I feel like I want to win here more than probably anybody but at the same time I don’t feel that pressure. I felt a lot of pressure at Wimbledon, getting that Serena slam and getting four in a row, that was interesting.”
Williams recently celebrated her second so-called “Serena slam,” which refers to her winning four Grand Slam tournaments in a row, but, although she’s been celebrated for her accomplishments, she had also faced body-shaming.
“I love me and I have learned to love me and I have been like this my whole life and I embrace me and I love how I look,” she said. “I love that I am a full woman and I am strong and I am powerful and I am beautiful at the same time and there is nothing wrong with that … It is so important to look at the positives and if I get caught up in all the negatives, it could really bring you down and I don’t have time to be brought down. I have too many things to do. I mean, I have Grand Slams to win or people to inspire and that is what I am here to do.”
Roberts asked the tennis superstar whether the physical or mental aspect of being on the court was more challenging.
“That’s a really good one, gosh, I don’t know I have to say mental,” Williams replied. “I mean just to stay in there 2 hours, 2 ½ hours can sometimes be tough.”
Williams won her first Grand Slam title in 1999, making history as the first ever African-American to do so since the 1950s. Roberts asked the player whether she was ever amazing at her journey in the sport.
“Sometimes … I’ll look at pictures of me winning that first Open and remember it like it was yesterday, and I remember thinking I’m just not going to miss on this shot, I’m not going to miss, I don’t care if I have to hit 100 balls I’m not missing,” she said. “Just remembering that moment, holding that trophy was everything to me.”
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