Serena Williams is 'player to beat' at Wimbledon
LONDON – There are few things Serena Williams has not done in the sport of tennis. Winning a calendar Grand Slam is one of them.
"I don't feel any pressure to win all four," Williams, 33, told reporters Saturday ahead of Wimbledon. "Ultimately, I'm taking it one day at a time and I'm not thinking that far."
The American ranked No. 1 in the world has the Australian and French Open titles tucked into her back pocket already this year, the first time she's completed that double in her career. Now she looks to add two more – first here at Wimbledon, then at the U.S. Open – to complete the calendar Grand Slam in 2015, something no player has done in tennis since Steffi Graf in 1988.
"She's certainly the player to beat," Maria Sharapova, the No. 4 seed, said of Williams, who is also going for a fourth consecutive major title this fortnight having won the U.S. Open last summer.
"If she really does it, it will be amazing," added Rafael Nadal, the Spaniard.
Williams became the first man or woman in tennis to win in both Australia and France since former rival Jennifer Capriati did so back in 2001. Capriati fell in the semifinals at Wimbledon that year to an up-and-coming Justine Henin.
Jim Courier, another American, was the last man to make it halfway to the Grand Slam, in 1992. Though he was seeded No. 1 at the time, the grinding baseliner wasn't considered a great threat to win Wimbledon. He lost in the third round to world No. 193 Andrei Olhovskiy.
"I think Serena's got a great shot" to win Wimbledon, Chris Evert told reporters recently. "She's got to be sharp. I mean it's all up to her. When she is at her best, she is better than anybody else."
But Williams hasn't been at her best at the All England Club the last two years, losing in the fourth round to Sabine Lisicki in 2013 and Alize Cornet in round three a year ago. She last won here in 2012.
"In terms of what she's trying to achieve this year, I think the easiest thing to do is to kind of get ahead of yourself," said Andy Murray, the two-time Grand Slam winner. "You know, I'm getting asked questions about her winning four slams in one year, (but) she still hasn't played her first round here. She's only halfway there."
Two more major titles would also mean 22 total for Williams, which would put her on equal footing with Graf's Open Era record in singles.
Roger Federer, the 17-time major champion, believes a straight-on approach will work best for Williams.
"You take it one match at a time," he said. "When she plays on her terms, especially now, you would think Wimbledon and the US Open would be the easier ones to win, especially with her serve. But that's exactly when you have a hiccup, you don't do very well."
Another American, Bethanie Mattek-Sands, is also chasing the Grand Slam this year: She and doubles partner Lucie Safarova have captured the titles in both Melbourne and Paris.
She can relate to what Williams is going after.
"It's a huge endeavor," Mattek-Sands said. "There are a lot of good players, and obviously she's the favorite, but a lot of players are playing tough. Does the pressure get to her? I don't know. I think it will be at least fun to watch her go for it."