Serena Williams is one of the most successful tennis players in the history of tennis, having won 23 Grand Slam titles. But even at the US Open 2019, she failed to win the 24th after losing to Bianca Andreescu 6-3, 7-5. After the match she spoke about her feelings:
“I feel like in 20 years, I definitely will be like, ‘Wow, that wasn't so bad,’” Serena said in her post-match press conference. “It's very hard right now in the moment to, like, take this and say, ‘It didn't work out for you today,’
“It's really hard right now to take that moment in and to say you did okay because I don't believe I did. I believe I could have played better, I believe I could have done more.
“I believe I could have just been more Serena today, I honestly don't think Serena showed up.”
After the match, a 37-year-old American commented on her only 19-year-old rival. When Serena won her first Grand Slam at the US Open, Andreescu wasn't even born.
“I felt like Bianca plays well under pressure,” Williams assessed. “She played really well at Indian Wells. [Bianca] was definitely not a favorite there, but she goes out and she plays hard. She does what she does best, and that's move up to the ball, that's hit winners, that's play with a ton of intensity.
“I just feel like she did that really, really well today… She played really well, and she deserves this championship.”
“That was obviously on my mind, like how do I play at a level like this in a final?” Serena said. “I think Bianca obviously played well. I think her returns make me play better and puts pressure on my serve. At the same time it's inexcusable for me to play at that level.”
After losing to Angelique Kerber at Wimbledon 2018, Williams also lost to Naomi Osaka at the US Open 2018. This year she also lost to Simona Halep, again at Wimbledon. And she was unable to win the 24th title at the US Open 2019. In either of these matches, she did not even win a set, and she would have the next chance to win the 24th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open 2020.
“I honestly didn't play my best today,” she admitted. “I could have played better. That's the only solace that I can take right now.”
“All of it honestly, truly is super frustrating,” Serena told press. “I'm, like, so close, so close, so close, yet so far away. I don't know what to say.
“I guess I got to keep going if I want to be a professional tennis player. And I just got to just keep fighting through it.”