“Against Serena Williams, I lost before I stepped out” – CoCo Vandewhege advises Darwin Blanch to relish Rafael Nadal matchup at Madrid Open

American former tennis player CoCo Vandewhege recently recalled accepting defeat against Serena Williams at the 2012 US Open even before stepping on the court. She advised compatriot Darwin Blanch to not do the same when he takes on Rafael Nadal in the first round of the Madrid Masters 2024.

Blanch and Nadal are scheduled to lock horns for the first time on Thursday, April 25, for a spot in the second round of the ATP 1000 event in Madrid. Blanch is only 16 years old and faces a tennis giant, which might be a little intimidating.

Andy Roddick, however, had some words of motivation for the teenager when he previewed the matchup for Tennis Channel. Roddick reckoned the meeting with Nadal would be a great learning curve for Blanch. He said:

"If I’m Blanch’s coach, I’m going, ‘Okay, this isn’t the Rafa from five years ago, this is Rafa who’s struggling, who’s not going all out on serves right now. There are some physical concerns.’

"You’re trying to present it in a way where it is not as intimidating but at the end of the day, win, lose, draw or whatever, this is just a really cool experience for a young player."

CoCo Vandewhege, who was among the panelists for the preview, concurred with Roddick's viewpoint, saying:

"I honestly couldn’t agree more that he will definitely relish this experience and I think every young player has gone through their lumps of playing ultimate legends out there if they’re lucky enough. Just enjoy the experience, not let it overwhelm you and that’s something that could happen so quickly."

Vandewhege spoke about her experience of mentally giving up before playing Serena Williams in the first round of the 2012 US Open.

"Going out on Arthur Ashe Stadium against Serena Williams, I was like, ‘What am I gonna do?’ I already lost before I stepped out onto the court sometimes. You don’t want that feeling to happen to you," she added.

Vandewhege notably lost that duel to Williams 6-1, 6-1.

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CoCo Vandewhege could never win a set against Serena Williams

Serena Williams

CoCo Vandewhege locked horns with Serena Williams on the court on three occasions, including the 2012 US Open, and lost every time. Moreover, she wasn't able to clinch a set from the 23-time Grand Slam champion.

She first played against Williams in the final of the 2012 Golden Gate Open at Stanford where she suffered a 5-7, 6-3 loss. Vandewhege met her for their third and last clash in the 2014 Miami Open fourth round and ended up on the wrong side of a 6-3, 6-1 scoreline.

Vandewhege notably walked away from competitive tennis in 2023. In her career that began in 2008, she achieved a career-high ranking of World No. 9 in women's singles and won the 2018 US Open in doubles alongside Australia's Ashleigh Barty.