- 20 Maj 2013, 14:11
#2543163
Having regained her crown as world number 1, Serena Williams is determined to forget her 1st Round defeat by Virginie Razzano in the first round at Roland Garros last year. She now has her eyes firmly on the title in Paris.
Appearances can be deceiving: Serena Williams is not indestructible, but she does always seem to rise from the ashes. Escaping the ghetto of Compton on the outskirts of Los Angeles, enduring the death of one of her sisters, sustaining injuries to her knee and foot, and suffering from a pulmonary embolism that almost claimed her life: time and time again, Serena Williams drags herself back up from the depths, refusing to let these strokes of bad luck get the better of her.
So, even though clay is not her best surface, even though she has only been crowned champion at Roland Garros once, way back in 2002, and even though she was knocked out of the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne by up-and-coming countrywoman Sloane Stephens, there is no doubt that Serena Williams will be amongst the favourites to lift the trophy this year in Paris. Even at the ripe old age of 31.
It is not just her steely determination that makes her a front runner at the Porte d’Auteuil. Having amassed an astounding 15 Grand Slam titles during her career, Serena has managed to claw her way back up to the number one spot and is now the undisputed queen of the WTA. This season she has already defeated both Maria Sharapova and Victoria Azarenka, her direct rivals in the world rankings and the main obstacles in her pursuit of major titles. After her hard-court victory in Miami, Williams proved that she could also cause damage on clay by storming though to clinch the title in Charleston just a couple of weeks later.
She has still not got over her elimination in the first round at Roland Garros last year, at the hands of an elated Virginie Razzano (4-6, 7-6, 6-3), but instead of dwelling on this defeat, the youngest Williams sister went on to finish her season in style by winning Wimbledon, the Olympic Games, the US Open and the Masters. It was a case of putting things right.
"My aim is to win a match at Roland Garros this year,” Serena recently joked. “All in good time.” She then added, “I love the French Open. I love clay. I love sliding.” And I love speaking French, she might have included. The owner of an apartment just off the Champ de Mars, in Paris, Serena Williams has been learning the language of Yannick Noah, one of her favourite players, for several years now. Her dream is to speak French in the prize giving ceremony if she ever lifts the trophy again. “Oh yes, I’d really like that,” she admits. “Winning Roland Garros again and talking to the spectators on Centre Court in French...” But is it a dream or a premonition?