Paris: Fresh from attending the Royal wedding, Serena Williams will take aim at the upstarts who have been honeymooning at the Majors in her absence when she makes her long-awaited Grand Slam return at Roland Garros.
The 36-year-old American, who first played the French Open in 1998, has been the champion in Paris three times. Should she win a fourth Roland Garros, it will take her level with Margaret Court’s all-time Grand Slam record of 24 Majors.
But there are question marks over her fitness and readiness for the 2018 tournament which starts Sunday.
She has played just four matches on the WTA Tour all year, the last of which was a first round loss in Miami at the end of March. However, she has time and again said that she is not making a comeback just for the heck of it.
“I’m not just coming back to come back. I’m coming back to win,” she said defiantly in a HBO documentary ‘Being Serena’ which was aired last week.
Her longtime coach Patrick Mouratoglou, who oversaw her first training session on Court Philippe Chatrier at Roland Garros, here Sunday, has no doubts that Serena’s competitive streak has not been blunted by the priorities of motherhood.
“Serena will play the French Open to win it,” Mouratoglou was quoted as saying by the WTA website.
“Can she do it? Serena can achieve anything – after being her coach for six years, I’m even more sure of that statement. In her absence – as well as the 15-month doping ban served by longtime rival and five-time Major winner Maria Sharapova – there’s been a stampede to get on the Grand Slam honours. I think that will stop now,” added Mouratoglou.