Share

For Serena, Grand Slam is 1 feat to still chase

New York - Serena Williams says completing a Grand Slam is a goal she'd like to accomplish. For now, her focus is on winning another major tournament, not four in a row.

Williams was two victories away from sweeping all four in the same year when she was stunned by Roberta Vinci in the US  Open semi-finals in September. Her dominant season earned her Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year honours, and she was feted late Tuesday at a banquet in Manhattan.

Asked if the Grand Slam is a goal in 2016, Williams said: "It is, obviously; I've never done it."

"We'll see," she added. "I'm not putting any pressure on it. I'd have to have a good year in the beginning, win Australia, win French — I've only won the French three times, so that's going to be a little difficult to do."

Williams hasn't played competitively since that upset in New York, resting elbow and knee injuries. She says it was driving her nuts to watch the tour's Asia swing on TV so she had to stop.

Her workouts are back to full throttle, and the 34-year-old woke up at 6 a.m. Tuesday to train in Florida before catching a plane.

In her acceptance speech, Williams listed the many obstacles she's overcome, mentioning "controversies" then adding, with a laugh, "horses" -a sly reference to the debate about whether US Triple Crown winner American Pharoah should have instead received the award.

She closed her speech by quoting the Maya Angelou poem "Still I Rise."


We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
How much would you be prepared to pay for a ticket to watch the Springboks play against the All Blacks at Ellis Park or Cape Town Stadium this year?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
R0 - R200
33% - 1815 votes
R200 - R500
32% - 1774 votes
R500 - R800
19% - 1082 votes
R800 - R1500
8% - 459 votes
R1500 - R2500
3% - 186 votes
I'd pay anything! It's the Boks v All Blacks!
5% - 252 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE