The Olympic tennis tournament is coming ever closer, and Serena Williams, the 2012 Olympic women’s singles gold medalist in London, is out to defend her championship. Will she do so, however? There are four particularly noticeable reasons why she’ll fail.
Angelique Kerber
There was a time when Kerber was one of the last people you’d trust to play well in a very important high-visibility match. Kerber actually had trouble making finals or semifinals of major tournaments to begin with, but the larger point was that she didn’t beat elite players at the bigger tournaments – at least not often enough to matter. She drifted along in her career, and entering her late 20s, she really had nothing to show for all her talent and skill. Kerber played defense as well as anyone on the tour, but she would tighten up in close matches and key situations. She could not find the secret to competing better. Then came the 2016 Australian Open. She survived match point against Misaki Doi in the first few days of the tournament. She grew from that experience and then knocked off Victoria Azarenka in the quarterfinals. She got a good draw in the semis and then played Serena Williams in the final. She stood up to Serena’s power game, and she was able to force Serena into hitting the corners and lines of the court. Serena pressed a little too much, and Kerber won her first Grand Slam title.
Serena did get revenge at Wimbledon, but Kerber still played really well in what was a great match. Serena simply played her very best, especially on serve. Kerber had a chance to take control of the second set, given a break point, but Serena hit two straight aces and then won a brilliant rally to hold serve. Kerber made very few mistakes in that match, only nine unforced errors against an extremely sharp opponent, but she still lost. Nevertheless, Kerber now plays well in big matches. She’s a completely different player from what she once was – not in terms of style, but substance and toughness. She could take this gold medal away from Serena.
Concerns About Her Shoulder, Even If She’s Being Cautious
The stated reason for Serena’s absence from the Premier 5 tournament in Montreal was a shoulder issue, but many people think Serena simply wanted to rest before the Olympics. Nevertheless, if there is any problem with the shoulder, Serena won’t be able to serve as well. That’s central to her game. It could easily matter… a lot.
The Emotional Weight Of Wimbledon
The pressure on Serena to win a 22nd Grand Slam title and tie Steffi Graf on the all-time championship list was intense. Serena carried that pressure for a long time. She had it at the 2015 U.S. Open 11 months ago. She had it in Australia. She had it in Paris at the French Open. She still didn’t win. She brought a lot of anxiety to Wimbledon and nearly lost in the second round, but got past Christina McHale. After that, she relaxed and finally won number 22. After all that worry, Serena might be too relaxed in Brazil. Her competitive mentality is always there, but it might not be as focused as it needs to be for her to win gold again.
The Strange Environment
Serena is not used to Rio and the Olympics are a unique situation unto themselves. In normal tournaments, players show up and they now their routine. In Rio, things are going to be very different. It’s unlikely that she’ll be staying at the Olympic village but there are sure to be plenty of other distractions.
Moreover, security and health fears in Brazil create an extra distraction for athletes. It’s not a normal competitive situation, and Serena might not ever feel comfortable on the court, performing in unusual conditions. Lastly, think about the prizing. She already has a gold medal and the financial reward is a pittance compared to almost any tennis tournament of the year. That may factor in how much effort she puts forward – even if it is for her country. That has to be considered in Rio.
