Serena Williams in the first round of Wimbledon 2022, London, UK
Serena Williams in the first round of Wimbledon 2022, London, UK | (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Tennis | Wimbledon 2022 | Five things learned from Serena Williams’ opening round defeat at Wimbledon

By Tony Fairbairn at Wimbledon

  • Harmony Tan def Serena Williams [WC] 7-5 1-6 7-6(7)
  • Serena Williams was in thoughtful mood after an opening round defeat to Harmony Tan
LONDON, ENGLAND – Here are five things learned from Serena Williams’ opening round defeat to Harmony Tan at Wimbledon.

 

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It was a tense Tuesday evening on Centre Court as Serena Williams returned to singles action for the first time in a year as she took on Harmony Tan in her opening round Wimbledon match. Tan’s unique game style of slice mixed with power caused Williams problems all evening as the Frenchwoman held her nerve to win the last set tiebreak and claim the biggest victory of her career.

As for Williams there were moments of her vintage best as she played three hours of gruelling tennis but ultimately came up short of victory. It was her first singles match for a year with rustiness clearly showing from the outset. With that in mind here are five things learned from her defeat on Tuesday.

 

Williams passes physical test

The first thing learned from Williams’ defeat was that she more than stood up to the task physically to compete with her opponent. Having not played a singles match for a year, it would be understandable if Williams ran out of steam especially at 40 years old. However Williams showed no signs of slowing down as she forced Tan all the way to a last set tiebreak and refused to give in after three hours of play. In her post match press conference she was satisfied with her physicality throughout the match:

“Yeah, I think physically I did pretty good. You know, I think the last couple points, I was really suffering there,” Williams admitted.

“I feel like in just those key points, winning some of those points, is always something mentally that you have to have, that you kind of need. I did pretty good on maybe one or two of ’em, but obviously not enough. I think like I said, physically I was fine. Last couple points I really started to feel it. But I’m moving well, I’m getting a lot of balls back. I’m moving well in practice, as well.”

Despite the result, Williams can take into her next tournament whenever it may be that she will always have the physical grit to compete at the biggest stages.

 

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Williams lacked match toughness

An easy point to observe but an important one as Williams lacked that match toughness and the match practice you need to get over the line in the important points of matches. Especially when the match is that tight, one or two points can be the difference between victory and defeat which is something she pointed out in her press conference:

“I think if you’re playing week in, week out, or even every three weeks, every four weeks, there’s a little bit more match toughness,” Williams said.

“But with that being said, I felt like I played pretty okay on some of ’em, not all of ’em. Maybe some key ones I definitely could have played better. But, you know… You got to think if I were playing matches I wouldn’t miss some of those points or this match.”

This is something she will need to bear in mind when deciding when her next tournament will be as that match practice is so essential especially at the grand slams. Williams’ experience is so vast that even one or two matches before Wimbledon would have meant a different outcome on Tuesday evening.

 

Perspective important for Williams

The third thing learned was that perspective and the overall picture for Williams is more important than anything else. The American didn’t go for broke last night and in general kept a consistent, solid base. As her injuries may continue to mount it’s important that she keeps the long term picture in mind and remembers the purpose of playing which is for the love of the game as well as winning grand slams. Williams told the press conference about her legacy and how keeping calm was important last night:

“But if I were to say, I think I’ve been pretty solid on the grass,” she said.

“I really was out there and I was fighting and doing what I could do. I was calm, you know, ‘ish’ for me. I wasn’t angry. That was a huge win for me, biggest win ever. And I didn’t smash any racquets.”

Williams’ perspective will always be the same as she looks to keep playing tennis for as long as possible.

 

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Centre Court crowd loves her

This shouldn’t come as any surprise but the Centre Court crowd was very supportive of Williams and given it may be her last time here, it was a moment to cherish for the American. Speaking after the match she admitted it was a special feeling to witness the full crowd again after COVID and injuries:

“I mean, going through COVID and then injury, it was really good to see that crowd.

“I got a snippet of it last year, but I didn’t get to quite fully experience it. But, yeah, it was an incredible, incredible crowd. I was just so happy to be out there playing in front of them. I was just so grateful for the claps and the cheers, yeah, for everything.”

This will motivate Williams to comeback one more time if she is healthy enough to do so.

 

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Still uncertain over future

Williams is still uncertain over her future as she refused to commit to any schedule. It could be the last time tennis sees her on a court but then again if there’s a chance she can play, she will. Speaking on the matter she would love to be back next year but there’s no guarantees:

“That’s a question I can’t answer. Like, I don’t know. I feel like, you know, I don’t know. Who knows? Who knows where I’ll pop up,” she said.

“I mean, when you’re at home, especially in New York, and the US Open, that being the first place I’ve won a Grand Slam, is something that’s always super special. Your first time is always special. There’s definitely, you know, lots of motivation to get better and to play at home.”

As Williams’ future is uncertain, the one thing that is certain is that her motivation still remains strong and the desire to compete is still there.

 

 

 

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