"Not ready to retire" - Serena Williams' coach on her future
WTA
Serena Williams lost in the first round of the 2022 Wimbledon Championships to Harmony Tan, but it was definitely not a goodbye from the 23-time Grand Slam champion, according to her coach.
Initially, it seemed that Serena Williams wouldn't compete at Wimbledon this year. Later, one of the most successful players in the history of the sport accepted a wild card for the tournament and offered a spectacular performance in the first round.
Although Serena lost to Harmony Tan, she had many inspired moments during the match, which confirmed that she could still be competitive. Her sister, Venus Williams, will also play at the tournament, but in mixed doubles.
Eric Hechtman, who currently coaches both sisters, spoke to The New York Times and revealed that it's too early to speak about retirement for either of the players.
"You can just see it in their eyes, the passion for it. I’ve been on the court with any type of person you can imagine from kids that don’t want to be out there to kids that are motivated to adult recreational tennis players."
"This is the best experience so far, and you can take what they’ve accomplished out of the equation. It’s about their attitude and how a practice goes. If you’re a tennis nerd, it’s as good as it gets."
Even if the Williams sisters had some plans in place, Hechtman didn't want to be the one sharing them. At the end of the day, if Serena or Venus choose to retire, they will certainly make it known.
"I don’t want to necessarily speak for their plans, but they are definitely not ready to retire. Look, they both love the game. They are both champions."
"They both love working hard and putting in the work. So, as long as you’ve got that, who’s to say you can set parameters on things, right?"
