
Although many may have written Serena Williams off as a Grand Slam contender, former coach Rick Macci believes the American can still win Major titles due to her "championship DNA."
Williams currently leads all active players with 23 singles Grand Slam titles, and is looking to capture her 24th Major sometime in 2022. However, the 40-year old announced her withdrawal from next year's Australian Open, citing medical advise from her team.
When asked about Serena’s present form and her chances of a record-breaking 24th Grand Slam title, legendary coach Rick Macci said “obviously it gets tougher as you get older.
The fear factor from other players isn’t going to be there and maybe even the confidence level from Serena, I call her meek, okay it might not be what it is, but once she starts winning a few matches, I’m just telling you, you never count out the heart of a champion."
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Furthermore, Macci believes the former World No.1 would need to increase her fitness and confidence on the court, adding that more Grand Slam titles are still feasible due to Williams' championship pedigree.
“She’s a very special lady, you know, and I would not bet against her about anything, but I think it’s all her just playing more and getting a little more confidence and obviously being super fit because with that serve, as long as she’s hitting corners and if that confidence is there she’ll take it earlier, she’ll take more chances, she’ll be inside the baseline," said Macci.
“Because she can just play through you but there’s a lot of things that have to go right for that but I would never ever, ever bet against Serena because of that championship DNA if she gets on a roll, other than herself, no one would like to see her do that more often than me.”
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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