“It looks like Serena Williams doesn’t want to quit”

Do you understand that Serena Williams has so much trouble clearly formalizing her retirement?
She said she was very bad at goodbyes. It must be a special feeling. It’s understandable. There is a pang in the heart. She knows she doesn’t have the same abilities as before, but deep down I feel like she doesn’t want to stop. You just have to watch his matches in New York. She is still very competitive. When she clenches her fist, we see all the love she has for this game.

How do you explain its longevity?
When she arrived on the circuit with her sister, I told myself that they would not have a long career. They had already been playing for so long, formatted by their dad from an early age. And I was completely wrong (laughs). There is in them this love of the game, this formidable rage to win. They have it in them.

More precisely what has revolutionized Serena in the game?
Mentally, she was monstrous. She had this deep aversion to defeat. From the start of the match, she took the ball so early. When you served moderately and she was a meter inside the court, forehand or backhand, it was scary. I liked the power it gave off. His service is remarkable too, of course. She had moments of weakness and doubt like everyone else, despite her outstanding track record and the absolute confidence she exuded. We remember her defeat against Virginie Razzano at Roland-Garros (in the first round in 2012).

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You almost beat her at the 2003 Australian Open…
Yet she practiced another sport by her quality of striking but I had managed to get her out of her hinges (defeat in the 1st round 3-6, 7-6, 7-6). It was a little pride. She managed to make me shine and play my best tennis on the central of Melbourne. It’s a memorable moment.

Anyone knows Serena Williams, even non-tennis fans. It’s like Michael Jordan in basketball or Tiger Woods in golf.

Emilie Loit

She was a great champion, but also for many a great diva…
They are players who exude a lot of charisma. It’s normal for them to take a little distance with their opponents. Handshakes have always been cordial. Of course she could be cold in the field. When I saw her again when I was a consultant on Eurosport for a show a few years later during a Roland-Garros, she was hypersmiling, very nice and imposed so much. All the technicians on set were impressed by his charisma.

What are your fondest memories of her?
Difficult to choose (she hesitates). I loved when she won Roland-Garros for the first time in 2002 on a surface that a priori was not her best. It’s like when Nadal won at Wimbledon (2008 and 2010) or when Federer triumphed at Roland-Garros (2009).

What does Serena Williams represent in sports history?
Her track record is exceptional, especially since she had great competitors in front of her at the start of her career such as Justine Hénin, Lindsay Davenport, Kim Clijsters… We may never find an icon of this magnitude. It’s a page that turns. No one wants her to stop. When you see the ticket prices to see her play at the US Open, it shows that she is an extraordinary champion, a global star. Anyone knows Serena Williams, even non-tennis fans. It’s like Michael Jordan in basketball or Tiger Woods in golf. His retirement will leave a big void, that’s for sure.