The Open de Australia has started this Monday and has done so with the first victory of Serena Williams in the present edition of 2021. The American swept the German off the track Laura Siegemund by a double 6-1 to face Serbia in the second round Nina Stojanovic.
The current number 11 of the WTA ranking thus took the first step to get a new Grand Slam. His sister also passed by Venus Williams and another of the great favorites to the title, the Romanian Simona Halep. A step that he has already taken on other occasions, but that of Michigan does not earn a major since 2017, precisely when she was crowned queen again on the slopes of Melbourne.
That the ‘curse’ of Margaret Court chasing Serena Williams has some truth. Since the powerful American tennis player stayed within a Grand Slam of the legendary Australian, she has not won an Australian Open title again, Roland Garros, Wimbledon or of US Open.
The curse’
No one in all of tennis history has been able to surpass or even match the 24 mark major by Margaret Court and, at the moment, only Serena Williams is on the prowl – in masculine Rafa Nadal Y Roger Federer they are still active with 20 titles each.
Serena Williams, in a 2021 Australian Open match
Reuters
Serena has already won her first match in Australia. A victory that comes 23 years after his debut in Melbourne. It was in 1998 when the little girl from the Williams participated for the first time in the Australian Grand Slam. And not only that, but it was his first appearance in one of the big four.
Now she aims to be proclaimed champion for the eighth time at the Australian Open, she already achieved it in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015 and 2017. To these titles of the first Grand Slam of the year are added the three Roland Garros (2002 , 2013 and 2015), seven Wimbledon (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016) and the six US Open (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013 and 2014).
Since 2017 he has not won a Grand Slam, the first he conquered in U.S in 1999, just a year later, to contest his first major. His first ‘victim’ was Martina Hingis; the last, in Australia, his sister Venus Williams, whom he has beaten in a total of seven finals.
Serena Williams, at the Australian Open 2021
Reuters
The fact that he has not won any new greats since that 2017 edition of the Australian Open does not mean that he has not had opportunities to add his 24th title. He has played up to four finals since the Williams, two at Wimbledon and two at the US Open -in 2018 and 2019 in the two tournaments-.
In all of them she was defeated, the ‘curse’ of Margaret Court became latent, and never before the same rival. At Wimbledon 2018 he lost to Angelique Kerber, in that same year, but at the US Open, he fell against Naomi Osaka, to fall a year later before Simona Halep, in the British tournament, and in front of Bianca Andreescu in his country.
Serena’s goal
With all this history behind, in the first big of the year there is no talk about anything else: will Serena Williams be able to match the legend? She assures that she does not feel pressure: “That milestone is on my shoulders and above all on my mind. I think it is good that this goal is constantly in mind. I am calm and without any pressure.”
Serena Williams, in a 2021 Australian Open match
Reuters
Before playing, the youngest of the Williamses stated that her shoulder injury was overcome and that she believed she would be practically one hundred percent at the meeting in Melbourne. Serena is strong and has shown it on the court in her debut with a 6-1. Now he must follow that rhythm to be able to reach a new final, win and be able, finally, to equal Margaret Court by adding his 24th Grand Slam.
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