"A lot of people have won Grand Slams that haven't had a super strong second serve, because I played terrible that day" – Serena Williams

2022 US Open - Day 5
Serena Williams in action at the 2022 US Open - Day 5

Serena Williams recently shared her views on the importance of the serve, particularly the second serve in tennis.

At her peak, Williams earned a reputation for having the most effective and technically flawless serve in world tennis and was among the best of all time. While Williams agrees that the second serve is crucial, she feels that many players have won Grand Slams in the women's game even with bad second serves.

When asked what helped them win, Williams quipped that they won primarily because she played badly on the day.

The American tennis great joined fellow American legend Billie Jean King, Borna Coric, Reilly Opelka, Linda Fruhvirtova, Clervie Ngounoue, and Nicholas Godsick for a recent chat about all things tennis, organized by Wilson Tennis.

During the discussion, King brought up the famous saying in tennis that goes - "You are only as strong as your second serve." King opined that on a day when a player is struggling with their first serve, the second serve becomes the deciding factor.

However, Williams had a different viewpoint on the same.

"I think it's different in the women's game," Serena Williams expressed. "If your second serve is good, it's still wonderful, but a lot of people have won Grand Slams that haven't had a super strong second serve."

The 41-year-old then cheekily suggested that many players beat her even with very poor second serves.

"Because I played terrible that day, against a number of players. It's true," the 23-time Grand Slam singles champ added when asked to elaborate on her point of view.

Check out the whole sit-down below:

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Serena Williams reveals why she developed a love for tennis after starting at a young age

2022 US Open - Day 5
2022 US Open - Day 5

Serena Williams opened up about her reasons for starting to play tennis in the first place and then developing a massive interest in the sport.

While it is no secret that Williams' father, Richard, introduced her to the sport, the younger Williams sister said that she followed her sister Venus in everything she did, and that also played a role in her taking up the sport. The American great then realized how good she was at tennis and the feeling of victory motivated her to keep going.

"I played tennis because my dad put me into it. Venus played and I literally do everything that Venus does, or I used to," Serena Williams said on the same.
"That's literally why I played and then I got pretty good at it and I love to win. So yeah, I just kept going," she added.

Williams was recently nominated for the WTA Comeback Player of the Year award in what was her final season on the professional tour. She was nominated along with Donna Vekic, Daria Saville, and Tatjana Maria.

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