Tearful Serena back on top of the world
Source: Agencies |
February 17, 2013, Sunday
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ALL week, Serena Williams played down the prospect of returning to No. 1, but when it happened, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing.
The 15-time grand slam winner replaced top-ranked Victoria Azarenka on Friday after coming from a set down to beat former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open in Doha.
It ended of an emotional 2-1/2-year journey for Williams marked by a string of injuries and doubts about whether she could dominate the women's game again. After clinching victory with an ace, the American held up one finger and wiped away the tears flowing down her cheeks as she addressed the cheering crowd.
"I never thought I would be here again," Williams said. "Oh my gosh, I've been through so much. I never thought I would be here. Thank you Jehovah (she is a Jehovah Witness) for giving me another chance."
At 31, Williams becomes the oldest player to attain the top spot. Compatriot Chris Evert held the No. 1 ranking in 1985 just shy of her 31st birthday.
No. 1 was not a priority two years ago for Williams. Just returning the court was a challenge.
Shortly after winning Wimbledon in 2010, she cut her feet on broken glass while on her way out of a restaurant in Germany. That led to two operations on her right foot. Later, she got clots in her lungs and needed to inject herself with a blood thinner. Those shots led to a pool of blood gathering under her stomach's skin, requiring another hospital procedure.
Williams lost the top spot to Caroline Wozniacki in 2010 and tumbled down the rankings. But she made a comeback worthy of a No. 1 in 2012, winning Wimbledon, the Olympic gold medal, the US Open and the season-ending WTA championships. She lost only one match in 2012 after her first-round exit at the French Open.
"There were often times that I never thought I'd play again. Then I thought I'd never be able to win tournaments or grand slams," Williams said. "No. 1 was so far off. It was always a dream, but I was No. 1 when tragedy struck, and it was just an awful thing to happen. So I'm happy that I'm back."
Among those to pay tribute to Williams becoming No. 1 was Maria Sharapova, the American's next opponent, who said it proved the staying power of the game's older players.
"It just shows you how the generations have shifted a bit," the Russian said. "Maybe five, 10 years ago you saw a lot of the younger players achieving much more success and winning grand slams. And now you see Li Na and Serena doing so well ... It just shows you how if you stay healthy and you're able to keep working hard, the things that you're able to achieve in tennis at that age."
The 15-time grand slam winner replaced top-ranked Victoria Azarenka on Friday after coming from a set down to beat former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open in Doha.
It ended of an emotional 2-1/2-year journey for Williams marked by a string of injuries and doubts about whether she could dominate the women's game again. After clinching victory with an ace, the American held up one finger and wiped away the tears flowing down her cheeks as she addressed the cheering crowd.
"I never thought I would be here again," Williams said. "Oh my gosh, I've been through so much. I never thought I would be here. Thank you Jehovah (she is a Jehovah Witness) for giving me another chance."
At 31, Williams becomes the oldest player to attain the top spot. Compatriot Chris Evert held the No. 1 ranking in 1985 just shy of her 31st birthday.
No. 1 was not a priority two years ago for Williams. Just returning the court was a challenge.
Shortly after winning Wimbledon in 2010, she cut her feet on broken glass while on her way out of a restaurant in Germany. That led to two operations on her right foot. Later, she got clots in her lungs and needed to inject herself with a blood thinner. Those shots led to a pool of blood gathering under her stomach's skin, requiring another hospital procedure.
Williams lost the top spot to Caroline Wozniacki in 2010 and tumbled down the rankings. But she made a comeback worthy of a No. 1 in 2012, winning Wimbledon, the Olympic gold medal, the US Open and the season-ending WTA championships. She lost only one match in 2012 after her first-round exit at the French Open.
"There were often times that I never thought I'd play again. Then I thought I'd never be able to win tournaments or grand slams," Williams said. "No. 1 was so far off. It was always a dream, but I was No. 1 when tragedy struck, and it was just an awful thing to happen. So I'm happy that I'm back."
Among those to pay tribute to Williams becoming No. 1 was Maria Sharapova, the American's next opponent, who said it proved the staying power of the game's older players.
"It just shows you how the generations have shifted a bit," the Russian said. "Maybe five, 10 years ago you saw a lot of the younger players achieving much more success and winning grand slams. And now you see Li Na and Serena doing so well ... It just shows you how if you stay healthy and you're able to keep working hard, the things that you're able to achieve in tennis at that age."
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