Novak Djokovic created history as he bagged a record 23rd grand slam title at the recently concluded French Open. However, he is not the only person who relishes in the glory of winning 23 grand slams. A certain Serena Williams won her 23rd major way back in 2017, by clinching the Australian Open that year. But, the number 23 and a highly decorated career aren’t the only similarities between the two legends.

As pointed out by Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs, there is an uncanny resemblance between the passion, temperament, and personality traits of Williams and Djokovic which perhaps have propelled them to such cosmic heights.

Stubbs speaks on the similarities between Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic in her podcast

It is well known that Novak Djokovic doesn’t shy away from expressing his emotions on the court. This side of his was on full display during his Roland Garros final against Casper Ruud. He got involved in an argument with the chair umpire for ‘rushing the clock’ during changeovers, as he trailed 5-6 in the opening set.

While analyzing Djokovic’s on-court antics in the episode ‘French Open Speed Round’ of her Spotify podcast, Rennae Stubbs compared the on-court persona of Djokovic to that of Serena Williams.

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“He just wants to let his emotions out.. So, he just finds something to let it out and that was the argument with the umpire and all that stuff.. So yeah, there’s no question about, you know, he needs to have an outlet. And that’s just how he gets through matches..”, she said in The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.

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She compared the Nole’s behavior with that of the American tennis legend and said,

You know, Serena was a little bit the same, sometimes.. Letting her emotions out, like she’ll break a racquet and then just move on.. So some players need that and some players don’t. Some really detract from them, but for Novak it doesn’t”.

But, is Stubbs being fair by comparing Serena’s antics with that of Djokovic? Let’s find out.

Serena had her fair share of on-court outbursts

From smashing racquets to major bust-ups with umpires and officials, Serena Williams was no stranger to controversies throughout her storied career. Williams infamously got involved in a verbal spat with the chair umpire during her 2011 US Open final against Samantha Stosur, calling her a ‘loser’. Instances, where Serena displayed her racquet-smashing skills, were plentiful, be it at the US Open semifinal in 2009 or the much-talked-about US Open final fiasco in 2018.

Having said that, these outbursts provide the right ‘outlet’ for champions like Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic to take their game to the next level. They thrive when faced with adversities, and their decorated careers are a testament to that fact.

Can you recall the other instances when Serena showed fiery side on the court?

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