In a recent appearance at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit, Serena Williams shared insights about her competitive nature, stating that she was born with an innate desire to win—something she believes her sister, Venus Williams, did not possess. The sisters, who were coached by Rick Macci during their formative years, demonstrated exceptional talent from a young age, with Macci often praising Serena’s fierce competitiveness even at just 10 years old.
Serena’s illustrious career began when she won the 1999 US Open at the age of 17, marking the start of a remarkable journey that would see her claim 23 Grand Slam titles. While she fell short of Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24, many consider Serena one of the greatest players in tennis history.
“I think it’s definitely a little nurture but also something that’s innate. I was born to win,” Serena explained. “If I didn’t win talent shows, I would cry and throw a fit. It was innate for me to always have this drive to be the best.” She noted that while she had this intrinsic motivation, Venus learned to cultivate her competitive spirit over time.
Reflecting on their rivalry, Serena acknowledged that if not for their matchups, both sisters might have achieved even greater success. “We had this rule that if we played against each other before the final, we had to win the title. I think Venus would have had a minimum of 15 Grand Slams if we didn’t play. I would have had 30,” she said. Their head-to-head record stands at 19-12 in favor of Serena, with eight of their 31 encounters occurring in Grand Slam finals, where Serena triumphed six times.
Venus, who has seven Major titles, was a dominant force in the 2000s, and Macci believes she could have reached 15 Grand Slams without Serena as her rival. Serena concurred with this assessment, adding that their close relationship, which included living together until her marriage, helped them navigate their intense competition.
Following her 2017 Australian Open victory, which brought her total to 23 Grand Slams, Serena took a break from tennis due to pregnancy. Upon her return, she reached four more Grand Slam finals but did not secure any additional titles.
Macci, who described Serena as “the best athlete ever to hold a racket,” expressed his belief that she could have achieved 30 Grand Slams if not for injuries and time away from the sport. “She checked every box and added a few more,” he stated on the Match Point Canada podcast in late 2023. “She’s one of the best female athletes of all time.”
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