Serena Williams recently shared how the abrupt end of her first romantic relationship served as a catalyst for her remarkable achievements in tennis. The former World No. 1 clinched 23 Major singles titles, an Open Era record in women’s tennis.
One of the defining moments of Williams’ career was the ‘Serena Slam’, where she secured four consecutive Grand Slam singles titles, though not within the same calendar year. Williams accomplished this feat twice in her career. The first instance was between 2002 and 2003, winning the French Open, Wimbledon Championships, US Open in 2002, and the Australian Open in 2003.
The second ‘Serena Slam’ occurred from 2014 to 2015, commencing with her victory at the 2014 US Open, followed by wins at the 2015 Australian Open, French Open, and Wimbledon Championships.
Reflecting on her journey, Williams revealed in the ESPN+ documentary ‘In the Arena: Serena Williams’ that her boyfriend before the 2002 season suddenly “ghosted” her after the US Open final.
“A few days after the US Open final, I’m in DC with my sister. I see this guy that I’m dating, so and so. and I stayed at his house for a couple of weeks. It was the first relationship I ever had. I was in my twenties. I go home. He ghosts me. I got ghosted,” Williams recounted.
The snub fueled her determination to channel her emotions into her game, aiming to make her former partner “regret” his actions by conquering the top honors in tennis.
“It wasn’t even that serious, but it was like I used that and I made it way more serious than what it was. So when he ghosted me I used that as an opportunity to say, he’s going to regret this for the rest of his life. That was just the motivation I needed to go the extra mile. I’m gonna make sure this person sees me EVERYWHERE for the rest of their life,” Williams emphasized.
The pinnacle of Williams’ revenge came at the 2003 Australian Open final, where she completed her first ‘Serena Slam’ by defeating her elder sister Venus 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-4. Recalling the match on ‘Hot Ones’, Williams described it as the most mentally intense of her career.
“Oh man! The most intense match, I don’t know for me the most mentally like mine was Australia 2023, I mean goodness 2003 (laughs). That final was so huge because it was the first time I could win four Grand Slams in a row which would be dubbed as a ‘Serena Slam’,” Williams reminisced.
The final also marked Venus’ fourth consecutive defeat to her sister in Grand Slam finals, having lost in the finals of the 2002 French Open, Wimbledon Championships, and US Open.
Williams’ journey from heartbreak to triumph remains a testament to her resilience and unwavering pursuit of greatness in tennis.
