Serena Williams shares what she wasn’t allowed to do on the court that Aryna Sabalenka can.
Serena Williams came back to singles tennis this summer, hoping to win Wimbledon. But things didn’t go as planned, and she was knocked out in the first round. The world No. 1, Aryna Sabalenka, also didn’t win the title.
Serena, with 23 Grand Slam wins, is one of the greatest female tennis players ever and the most successful woman in the Open Era. She’s still one Grand Slam away from beating Margaret Court’s record, so she’ll need to keep working on her comeback to reach that goal.
Serena was ranked world No. 1 for much of her career, but right now, that spot belongs to Sabalenka, who has won four Grand Slams. The 28-year-old Belarusian player might find it hard to match Serena’s incredible success, but with more years on tour, she still has a chance.
At the Fanatics Fest in Manhattan, Serena praised Sabalenka but also pointed out one thing she loves about her—how Sabalenka shows her anger on the court, something Serena wasn’t really allowed to do. “Sabalenka is number one. She’s such a spitfire,” Serena said. “She gives her all out there. I see a bit of myself in her. When she’s losing, she’s mad. I wasn’t allowed to show that anger, but I love how she does.”
During Serena’s career, people sometimes criticized her for showing frustration, like in the heated 2018 US Open final against Naomi Osaka. Sabalenka has also had her moments, like when she smashed her racquet during a US Open semi-final.
Now, Sabalenka is getting ready for the US Open, the last Grand Slam of the year, hoping to win for the third straight time. If she succeeds, she’ll have won half as many US Opens as Serena has in her career.