‘Now it is different’ – Coach reveals why Serena Williams is ready to win again

US Open
Serena Williams

Serena Williams is “100 per-cent ready” to equal Margaret Court’s 24-strong Grand Slam record when she takes on teenager Bianca Andreescu in the final of the US Open on Saturday.

That’s the verdict of her coach Patrick Mouratoglou, with the Eurosport analyst talking in bullish terms ahead of a clash that will see Williams aim to win her first Grand Slam title since the 2017 Australian Open.
Serena Williams fist pump at US Open

“We are exactly where we wanted to be, in the final. Now we have the last step to make,” declared Mouratoglou.

“Is she ready? Well, I don’t think she’s ever been so ready. She is playing great tennis, she is playing the way we want her to move. It is very important as it makes her more ready than before. She is much stronger mentally because she feels better than before. She can do a lot of things now that she couldn’t do in the last two years. Serena is 100 per-cent ready. As usual, this is about Serena.

“You have to come to the match thinking that your opponent is going to bring her ‘A’ game and be dangerous. If it doesn’t happen, then it’s good news, but you have to be prepared.

“Anyway, I don’t expect Andreescu to be scared. She is not that type of person. She is the kind of player who will come to that match thinking 100 per-cent that she can win it. It’s great, and it will be a good match to watch and we can all enjoy it.

“We don’t think about the past, whether it is a success or a failure. It’s the past and there is nothing we can do about it. What we focus on is to get ready, that’s the only thing that counts. We’ve been focusing a lot this last month on movement on court.

“In this sport, of course, it is extremely important and Serena has been injured a lot. She has reached three Grand Slam finals because she is Serena, not necessarily because she was ready. In the finals there was pressure against world-class opponents but she was unable to express her qualities.

“Now it is different because she is ready, she feels great and now she has more confidence because she knows she has many options in her game and it will be a completely different situation.”

Mouratoglou went on to praise rising star Andreescu, as he suggested the young Canadian could be a successor to Williams as the future queen of tennis.

“I have the utmost respect for Andreescu,” he added. “I have said it already that I think she will be number one in the world in the future, I think she is amazing, but she hasn’t played someone like Serena so I expect a big fight. I don’t expect anyone to play bad or be nervous.

“To prepare for Bianca Andreescu, we do what we always do. I work on Andreescu’s game, I watch a lot of videos, I look at data and I have a clear vision of what she can and can’t do, which situations she is dangerous and in which situations she is not dangerous.

“I know Serena’s qualities and we put this in a big bowl, shake it and come up with a good strategy. The second thing is to be 100 per-cent mentally ready. That’s exactly what we are working on.”

Mouratoglou will be offering up his comments on the women’s final at the US Open to Eurosport after the trophy has been handed out to the new champion.

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