Williams responds bluntly to a question about whether she should prioritise tennis over other aspects of her life, after receiving criticism from legends of the game, including Billie Jean King
Saturday 13 July 2019 17:23, UK
Serena Williams says she needs to rediscover the ability to win Grand Slam finals and believes playing more regular tour-level tournaments will increase her chances.
The 37-year-old suffered her third consecutive defeat in a major showpiece since her return to the sport from the birth of her first child as she was outplayed by a brilliant Simona Halep in the Wimbledon final.
Williams has only played six tournaments, including the first three Grand Slams of the season, this year and remains on 23 Grand Slam singles titles - one short of Margaret Court's all-time record.
Asked what was missing from her game to produce her best tennis, Williams said: "I don't know. I just have to figure out a way to win a final.
"Maybe it is playing other finals outside of Grand Slams would be really helpful just to kind of get in the groove so by the time I get to a Grand Slam final I'm kind of used to what to do and how to play."
She added: "I think if I overdo it, then that could also be a problem, as well. Especially on the hard courts. I've been on the softer surfaces, so to say.
"It would be interesting to see how my knee is on the hard court. I definitely don't want to do three tournaments before a Grand Slam."
Williams insists tension or the pressure of making history was not to blame for her defeat against Halep, who she said played "lights out", and confirmed she would play in Toronto and Cincinnati in the lead-up to next month's US Open, where she was the runner-up last year.
The American arrived at the All England Club without any competitive preparation on grass and the seven-time Wimbledon champion believes she can take positives from her campaign.
Williams has battled with a knee injury during this season but the world No 10 says she can't use that as an excuse.
"I can't say I blame injury. I wasn't injured when the tournament started," Williams added.
"That really is a positive for me, so... I just think that I just have to just keep going, you know, keep trying, keep working, maybe be able to play some tournaments uninjured, like I did with this one. Just keep moving forward."
Williams says it has taken an "unbelievable effort" to reach her past three Grand Slam finals since her comeback, but refused to accept the notion it would continue to become harder to win the biggest events of the sports.
"I don't really think about it really. I just go out there and play, see what happens," she said.
"That's kind of how I've been in my whole career. You know, I never thought about time in general. I don't think it's harder. I think it's just coming out there and doing the best that you can do. That's really all you can do really."
Williams also flatly rejected claims she should focus solely on tennis at this stage in her career, with Billie Jean King among some legends of the game to call for her to prioritise the sport over other aspects in life.
She said: "The day I stop fighting for equality and for people that look like you and me will be the day I'm in my grave."
