Home

Tennis

Serena Williams’ WTA Rival Narrates How She Channeled Pain-Staking Ordeal into A Season of Triumph

Published 02/24/2024, 1:56 PM EST

Follow Us

via Imago

The US Open brought immense glory to Serena Williams‘ career as she not only won the home grand slam title six times but also attained achievements that proved to be pivotal in her career. Besides the countless moments of glory, there were times that caused her to react fiercely as well. One similar incident took place in the 2009 US Open.

Despite being an absolute legend, Williams was not immune to disappointment, while her opponent Kim Clijsters enjoyed the glory. And recently, Clijsters opened up about her semi-final victory against Serena which eventually led her to lift the only US Open title in her career.

Kim Clijsters recalls her historical win against Serena Williams

Former WTA pro, Kim Clijsters recently took a moment to reflect on the amazing events of 2009. While the season fetched several moments that marked a setback for Serena Williams, it turned out to be a huge success for her opponent Clijsters. In a recent podcast, the Belgian tennis star opened up about the emotional journey that led her to a victory at the US Open.

The 40-year-old stunned the tennis fandom by defeating Serena Williams in the US Open semifinals. Reflecting on a victory that even Clijsters didn’t expect, she mentioned how not expecting anything became the reason for her victory. “I think not having any expectation and being so excited to go out to play again. And it was Yeah, I think that’s the main reason why I was able to, to win,” she said.

While the WTA star was managing her personal life along with living her dream of being a successful tennis player, she also revealed how her participation in 2009 was meant to experience how it is to play along with handling the responsibility of being a mother.

She added, “We decided that the two leadup tournament studios open and the US Open. I was gonna play three tournaments in 2009. So that I could kind of get a feel for what it’s like to travel with a baby on tour and, and yeah, with a family.”

As the Belgian tennis star narrated the story of her win against the American legend amid being gripped by the grievance of her father’s demise and handing the family alongside, the verdict acted as an example of how being a tennis player brings challenges along with enjoying moments of glory.

WATCH THIS STORY | Serena Williams pays tribute to Roger Federer

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Akshay Kapoor

819Articles

One take at a time

Akshay Kapoor, a tennis writer at EssentiallySports, excels in crafting pieces that set new trends. His analytical skills riding on the back of certification in Digital Marketing help inject in-depth research as he covers the business undertakings of Tennis stars. Akshay’s articles touch the entire tennis spectrum, from iconic figures like Djokovic and emerging talents such as Holger Rune and Coco Gauff.
Show More>

Edited by:

Joyita Das