‘Run Over Broken Glass to Get a Ball’-Serena Williams’ Former Coach Reveals the ‘Brutal Competitor Inside’ Her

American tennis star Serena Williams made a long-awaited comeback recently. The 40-year-old took a wildcard entry to the Wimbledon Championship 2022. However, her comeback did not last long, as she lost to Frenchwoman Harmony Tan in a tough match.

Playing after a long time, Serena looked rusty, but her grit and determination were the same as usual. From her early days, Serena was a fierce competitor. In her teenage days, the former world number one was under the guidance of the renowned coach, Rick Macci. In a recent video, he explained a quality of Serena’s that makes her different from others.

Serena had both calmness and intensity

Recalling the time when Williams was 11 years old, Macci understood that she had more time than anyone else he has coached. Added to that, she had that rage outside, but a calmness inside.

“A lot of times when you have time, you look sloppy or there’s no urgency, but I saw she had the calmness and she had the intensity, so when those two things meet, that’s like the ideal performance state. They look at this physicality she has and this rage that’s there outside,” he said.

Further, he explained how this quality of Serena made her a better player.

Read more: ‘I Wish I Could Play Like Him’- When Serena Williams Was Inspired by Roger Federer’s Game During His Reign

“You are a brutal competitor and you’ll run over broken glass to get a ball and yeah, it’s not that big a deal. I am pretty calm and that separates great from the good, and I was right. She went on to become the greatest player ever,” he concluded.

Serena Williams might play in the US Open

Serena Williams had a disappointing return to court. The 40-year-old was eliminated from the first round of the Wimbledon Championship. However, she still looked confident about her game in the post-match press conference.

The former world number 1 has brushed aside the talks of retirement and is still up for the challenge. Now that she has used a wildcard entry in Wimbledon, she probably will be planning to use it wisely in mega-events. Talking about her plans, she said,

“There’s definitely lots of motivation to get better and to play at home”

Watch this story: Martina Navratilova firmly believed in a young Serena Williams surpassing her records

It will be interesting to see how she fares in the US Open. can she win her 24th Grand Slam title? Let us know in the comments.