Serena Williams ‘could lose in the first round or win the tournament’ says Grand Slam great
Four-time Wimbledon champion John McEnroe has admitted that he is not sure what to expect from Serena Williams this year at Wimbledon, as he claimed that the fellow American “could lose in the first round or win the tournament”.
23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams will make her singles return next week and there is no doubt she will be a heading into the tournament with very little match practices as she has only played two matches – in the doubles at Eastbourne – in more than a year.
The tennis great picked up a serious leg injury in the first round of Wimbledon last year and has not played since, with many fearing she may well have played her last professional tennis match.
However, she surprised the sporting world last week when she announced that she had accepted a wildcard entry for this year’s grass-court Grand Slam.
McEnroe’s ESPN colleague Chris Evert agreed, saying she was unsure what to expect when she takes centre stage at SW19.
“I would only say that I think she could lose in the first round or win the tournament.” he told reporters.
“I think you can’t expect a whole lot because she’s not match-tough. I think that when you don’t play for a long time, your instincts, it takes a while for your tennis instincts and your tennis IQ to come back.
“It’s hard to really assess how she’s going to play in singles just because you see her playing doubles. I can’t tell how the movement is from side to side, from up to back. The serve looks good. The power is there.
“I’m excited for the tournament that she’s playing. But, you know, it’s a question mark. All the other players have gotten better over the last year.
“When you look at [Iga] Swiatek, Jabeur, some of the players that can challenge the top or can win Grand Slams. I’m always thinking you have to have low expectations. If anything great happens, that makes it all the better.”
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