Even as the body’s groans grow louder and the trophy cabinet continues to creak, Serena Williams’s desire remains undiminished.
The highest-ranked player in the women’s game may be a 17-time grand slam champion, and the candles long ago burned out on her 32nd birthday, but the baubles and bragging rights that decorate a career matched by few have done little to quell the fire.
“Come on,” said Williams when quizzed on Monday if anything hereafter represents the cherry on a delectable cake. “Nothing is extra gravy. I don’t want to stop like that. I’ll always have things to accomplish until the day I’ll stop.”
For now, the immediate focus is rehabilitation and reward at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. In accepting a wild-card invitation last week, Williams became the latest addition to the US$2 million (Dh7.35m) event; she is also unquestionably its starriest.
Admittedly, she arrives at the Aviation Club without the game’s most-recent grand slam title – she had hoarded the final three in a stunning 2013 – but her early exit at last month’s Australian Open could find root not only in the gradual renaissance of Ana Ivanovic, but in a troublesome back injury, too.
The strain – "rib issues, too tedious and too technical to explain" – has recovered sufficiently to allow her to join the field at the 11th hour here, and it will be tested throughout this week in both the singles and doubles tournaments.
Anyway, Williams is intent on making up for lost time, especially since she was not healed enough last week to enter the Qatar Open. Her restrictive training sessions have grown pretty tiresome.
“It gets boring to have to practise every day,” she said. “I’d rather play a match. I’m just happy that I was able to enter in time to play this event.”
Sister and doubles partner, Venus Williams, aside, not many of the field would share the sentiment. Williams represents a sizeable obstacle for all, particularly when she is so determined to finally lift it herself.
Her third, and most recent, effort to win in Dubai came in 2009, but Venus ousted her younger sibling at the semi-final stage. Serena’s surprise withdrawal, through injury, before the second round 12 months ago also provides added incentive.
“I really wanted to play here, so I can kinda make up for the one last year,” she said. “But I don’t want to put pressure on myself; just trying to get back out and go from there.
“Obviously, I would love to do well. And, for me, doing well is holding up the trophy.”
That tenacity has been evident on the practice court this past week – just ask Patrick Mouratoglou. Williams’s coach assumed the unfortunate role of hitting partner during a tune-up in France, during which his protege, growing increasingly frustrated with her uncharacteristically wayward ball-striking, got what she describes as “crazy intense”.
“He doesn’t want to hit with me ever again,” Williams said. “Sometimes, I’m not the best on the practice court.”
She will have to save her finest for the real thing, then. Williams believes that the 11-win season of 2013, which included a 34-match unbeaten streak, can be bettered. Rivals beware.
“I’m the kind of person that always wants to reach a higher goal, no matter how high my previous one was,” she said. “I’d always like to beat that.”
Ominous words, indeed. Williams is confident she can continue to stave off the effects of age and almost 20 years on the pro circuit, although she rules out emulating Martina Navratilova’s remarkable run, which lasted well into her late 40s.
“I absolutely do,” Williams said. “But I also ruled out being able to play this long. I still rule it out, but [anything’s possible], apparently. I wanted to play longer. I didn’t initially want to, but then I just don’t want to stop. Now I feel like I want to keep going.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
