By Martyn Herman
LONDON, June 29 (Reuters) – Whatever the outcome of Serena Williams’ first singles match in four years at Wimbledon on Tuesday, the American great guarantees one thing — unmissable sporting theatre.
That is the view of former British number one Johanna Konta who will be in the commentators’ box for the 44-year-old seven-times singles champion’s return to the All England Club.
Mother-of-two Williams, one of the true icons of the sport during a remarkable career that has brought 23 Grand Slam singles titles, faces Australian Maya Joint on Centre Court having been handed a wildcard by organisers.
It will mark an unexpected return to a stage she once strutted in such dominant fashion and while no one knows exactly what level the former world number one will bring, Konta said it will definitely not be dull.
‘SHE LIVES FOR THE BIG STAGE’
“The thing is, she always brought so much theatre to playing. I mean, when you watch Serena, you weren’t just watching someone hit tennis balls, you were watching a performance,” Konta, a three-time Grand Slam semi-finalist now part of Eurosport’s coverage team, told Reuters.
“She’s a performer through and through, and she lives for the big stage. She embodies the big moments.”
Williams made her Wimbledon debut in 1998 and won the last of her Wimbledon singles crowns 10 years ago.
She requires two more victories to reach 100 singles match wins on the Wimbledon turf and despite “evolving away” from tennis after the 2022 U.S. Open, it would not be a surprise if she were to reach another milestone in a trailblazing career.
MOVEMENT WILL BE KEY
Konta, who had a 1-1 career record against Williams and lost to her sister Venus in the 2017 semi-final, expects the weapons to be as potent as ever but says the key will be her movement and court coverage against a new generation of big hitters.
“I’m so interested to see what level she will come back playing at,” Konta said. “I think there are certain God-given talents that will take a long, long time for them to fade.
“Her ball striking, her timing of the ball is, it’s something else. The things that she’s able to control, the serve and things like that. I think she will look a lot sharper than maybe you’d expect. What we want to see on the singles court is just how her movement is. How is she able to cover the court?”
Such is the aura of Williams that Konta says there would have been some relief amongst the top seeds not to have been drawn against Williams in round one.
“I don’t think anyone really wants to be her first match back just because I do think it also puts a little pressure on current players,” she said.
“It’s a chance to see her play before they play her themselves.”
Williams lost in the first round to Harmony Tan in 2022, also as a wildcard, and last won a singles match at Wimbledon in 2019 when she was runner-up to Simona Halep.
(Editing by Alison Williams)
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