A Calm Serena Is A Winning Serena

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 10th September 2013

A Calm Serena Is A Winning Serena

epa03855344 Serena Williams of the US reacts after defeating Na Li of China during their semifinals round match on the twelfth day of the 2013 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 06 September 2013. The US Open runs through Monday 09 September, a 15-day schedule for the first time. EPA/ANDREW GOMBERT |

Serena Williams has never been one to hide how she is feeling, but she has been very diligent as of late about keeping calmer on court, which is one of the reasons why she won her 17th Grand Slam event title at the US Open with a victory over Victoria Azarenka in the final.

She will scream out earthshaking ‘C’mons!’ on court, but also be as quiet as a mouse when thing get tight. That’s exactly what fans saw in her three set win over Azarenka. First there was the in-your-face Serena. Then there was the demure Serena.

“I just think sometimes when I say, C’mon too much, I get out of breath actually,” she said. “So I really try to pace myself in terms of that. I try to keep everything to a minimum, I do have to be me, too. I do say C’mon on a lot. I’m pumped up on the court a lot. And also, I realize that if I’m not doing that I don’t tend to do as well either. I just have to find a happy medium.”

Her coach of 14 months, Patrick Mouratoglou, appreciates every side of his extremely talented student. But he much prefers to see her steady herself when the going gets tough. In New York, Azarenka came back from a 1-4 deficit in the second set to take the tiebreak 7-6(6). So Serena went back to her chair, took few deep breathes, and then was cool and collected in snaring the third set and the match 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-1.

“You could see at start of third set she calmed down , play bit slower and come back with a fresh mind,” Mouratoglou said. “Every time she finds a way to calm down, she finds solutions.”

Mouratoglou has stepped in ably over the past year, as Richard Williams, who has coached his daughters since birth, almost never travels with them anymore. Serena and Venus’s mother, Oracene Price, does travel with her daughters, but does not do much on court coaching.

Serena needed to hear a different voice and the Frenchman has been that man, preaching consistency and a week in, week out commitment. As a result, Serena has won nine titles this season and has the top ranking all but locked up.

But it’s not just her fairly new coach as well as her devoted mother who helps her through tough spots. Venus stayed in New York even after she and Serena lost in doubles. Her two other sisters, Lyndrea and Isha were there, as was her longtime hitting partner Sasha Bijan, who was her quasi-coach before Mouratoglou came along. Her longtime agent Jill Smoller, is always around, and her trainer Esther Lee also plays a key role.

“They all really love me,” she said. “They all want to see me do great. That’s everybody: my mom, my sisters, coach, everyone. And they get just as nervous I think, as I do. They believe in me.”

Topics: 10sballs, Serena Williams, Sports, Tennis, US Open, Venus Williams, Victoria Azarenka