"Serena could return to #1" says former coach Rick Macci

Former coach and longtime mentor of Serena Williams Rick Macci believes Williams can be world number one again.

Serena Williams recently returned to tennis and there is nobody happier than Rick Macci. The American worked with Williams for years being on of the earliest mentors of the future superstar. In an exclusive interview with Tennis Infinity Macci suggested that Williams could very well be world number one again if she set her mind to it.

Despite being 41 years old, Macci firmly believes she is able to do it:

“If she wants to do it, she has to fully commit and get in amazing shape. You don’t lose the talent, you just lose the fitness. Then you get the confidence back once you start playing matches. She just has to dive in get used to winning and losing."

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Macci knows Williams well as he saw her grew up right before his eyes. He added:

“She’s probably the best competitor maybe in any women’s sport we’ve ever seen. Serena is like a pit bull. When she gets a hold of you she doesn’t let go. She’s a brutal competitor and she has that serve.

Macci did acknowledge that her priorities are most likely not on getting back to number one but rather winning grand slams but he underlined that you never should underestimate the heart f a true champion:

"I know Serena has other priorities in her life, she’s a mother now. But if she wants to do this, 100%, she can come back. And I think she could not only win a Grand Slam, she could be number one if she wanted to but that’s a question only she can answer.”