American tennis legend Serena Williams retired as the greatest tennis player in the open era. She has more Grand Slam in her closet than any other player, both male and female. In her prime, it seemed almost impossible for anyone to defeat her. However, there was a time when she was a rookie.

As any other young player, she had dreams in her eyes and looked up with awe at a few of the top players back then. One of them was the Argentine tennis star, Gabriela Sabatini. Here’s what Serena wrote about Sabatini in her autobiography.

Serena Williams was in awe of Gabriela Sabatini

By the time Serena arrived on the tour, Sabatini was a popular name in the world of tennis. In 1990, she clinched the US Open and was a regular at the latter stages of Grand Slam events. Serena had a fan moment when she saw the Argentine tennis star. However, the American was clear in her mind that she had the ability to defeat her.

“We went to tournaments from time to time. I remember watching Gabriela Sabatini and thinking she was so tall and so beautiful, but at the same time thinking, Man, I can beat that girl,” Serena wrote in her Autobiography, On the line.

Despite her awe of the Argentine star, Serena believed in her abilities to triumph against her; something that her father ‘King’ Richard would’ve been proud of.

She further added, “That’s where my head was at as a kid. My parents had me thinking I was invincible. Gabriella wasn’t built like the other girls on the tour; she was big and powerful, almost majestic. I kept staring at her and wondering if I would ever be that tall, that graceful, that powerful.”

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Sabatini retired from tennis in 1996 when Serena was still young. While they never faced each other officially, it would have been a great contest to see two greats of different generations fighting it out on the court.

Serena teases her fans with comeback hints

Serena Williams last played a competitive match at Flushing Meadows. As the American described, she evolved away from tennis. Just like Serena, her fans also hate the word retirement. While the 23-time Grand Slam champion is busy with different activities now, even a slight hint regarding tennis gets the hopes high for her fans.

Recently, the 41-year-old posted a transition video. In the video, we can see Serena transform into a bunch of tennis balls. While Serena didn’t say anything about a comeback, fans believe she was missing tennis and might as well come back.

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We are also eager to see Serena back on the court. However, it seems highly unlikely as the legend has not said anything officially about it.