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SI ‘sportsperson’ Serena talks up grand slam aim
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SERENA Williams says completing a grand slam is a goal she’d like to accomplish. For now, her focus is on winning another major tournament, not four in a row.
Williams was two victories away from sweeping all four in the same year when she was stunned by Italy’s Roberta Vinci in the semifinals of the US Open in September. Her dominant season earned her Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year honors, and she was feted late Tuesday at a banquet in Manhattan.
Asked if the grand slam is a goal in 2016, Williams said: “It is, obviously; I’ve never done it.”
“We’ll see,” she added. “I’m not putting any pressure on it. I’d have to have a good year in the beginning, win Australia, win French — I’ve only won the French three times, so that’s going to be a little difficult to do.”
Williams said that joining gymnast Mary Lou Retton and speed skater Bonnie Blair on the list of women to claim the award motivated her to succeed on court next year and target even more milestones.
Williams hasn’t played competitively since that upset in New York, resting elbow and knee injuries. She says it was driving her nuts to watch the tour’s Asia swing on TV so she had to stop.
Her workouts are back to full throttle, and the 34-year-old woke up at 6am on Tuesday to train in Florida before catching a flight for New York.
In her acceptance speech, Williams listed the many obstacles she’s overcome, mentioning “controversies” then adding, with a laugh, “horses” — a sly reference to the debate about whether US Triple Crown winner American Pharoah should have instead received the award.
She closed her speech by quoting the Maya Angelou poem “Still I Rise”.
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