Serena Williams has inspired many with her game and with her mental strength. The 23 times Grand Slam champion is a role model for young players who aspire to be the next big thing in tennis. With her career, the girl from Compton has proved that dedication is the most important factor.

Speaking of which, a fan who is following in her footsteps is Alycia Parks. The 21-year-old, who plays under the American flag just like Williams, recently achieved a record that helped her stand by her idol’s side.

Sharing a pedestal with Serena Williams

Parks is currently testing her luck on the hard courts of the Ostrava Open and the record arrived from her latest clash. On Thursday, she edged Maria Sakkari to claim her first Top 10 win in a three-set nail-biting match. Further, by doing so, she became the second American female outside the WTA 100 after Serena Williams to outdo an elite player’s game.

The American first took down the former World no.1 Karolína Plíšková in straight sets and then made history by outclassing the WTA No.7 Sakkari in the round of 16. The Greek was looking strong at first. In fact, she gave a kick start to the match by marking the first set under her name. However, things changed after Parks opted for one of Williams’ gestures.

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She took a pause, put the palm of left her hand out and gently pushed it down. Thus messaging herself to stay calm. The move for sure helped her calm her nerves as after that she secured a seat in the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 event.

“I pattern myself after Serena because of her serve, but I also like Venus’ movement,” the young blood later admitted. Further, this wasn’t the first time Parks impersonated the 23 times Grand Slam champion. Earlier she posed as Williams‘ body double for Gatorade commercials.

Williams’ victory against an elite player

The seven times Wimbledon champion made a comeback in the greens of London after a year-long injury. Following that, she walked out of the WTA rankings for the first time in 25 years and, with the help of a protected ranking, entered the last Grand Slam of this season as well as her career.

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Though her tussle with the second seed and then World no.2, Anett Kontaveit proved why the name Serena Williams is regarded so highly. She outclassed the Estonian professional in a thrilling three-set long match. The six-time US Open champion advanced to the round of 32 with a 7- 6 (4) 2-6 6-2 win.