Mats Wilander on Serena Williams: "Has pushed the boundaries of sport"
Mats Wilander spoke to Eurosport about Serena Williams ' departure from tennis soon. And sprinkled roses for the grande dame of tennis.
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Aug 14, 2022, 07:52 am
Serena Williams says goodbye to tennis. But not without a small farewell tour, for which the 23-time Grand Slam winner chose the preparatory tournaments for the US Open in her native North America. After the fourth major event of the year, the 41-year-old will finally say goodbye. From the sport that the American had so decisively shaped in the past decades.
Mats Wilander also emphasizes this when asked about the imminent departure of the 23-time major winner: "She has pushed the boundaries of sport and brought tennis into the living rooms and in front of the televisions of people who would not normally watch tennis," said the Swede. Accordingly, it is only right and proper that the American is considered the greatest player of all time.
Williams' futile hunt for the 24th
But Serena's hunt for Grand Slam title number 24 will also be remembered, after the title with which the most successful player of our time would have drawn level with Margaret Court. "I still remember how heartbroken it was to see that she had 23 Grand Slam titles and a couple of finals, but was unable to claim that elusive 24th title to win."
One thing is certain, the departure of the American will be difficult, as Wilander emphasizes: "Serena Williams' departure from professional tennis will be a sad day, because she has given tennis so much." In her contribution to Vogue, Williams herself impressively underlined how much the 41-year-old is interested in tennis. And showed himself completely human. Wilander: "Serena has shown that she is one of the greatest athletes of all time, but she has also shown that she is a human being and that is where our passion and admiration for Serena Williams begins."