Serena Williams Is Back With A Vengeance
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By DERON SNYDER
She was away from the game for nearly a year, sidelined by a foot injury and then scaring us to death when a blood clot was discovered in one of her lungs. But slowly and steadily, Serena Williams has climbed back up. As the French Open begins Sunday, she’s ranked No. 5 in the world and a favorite to win the tournament.
Williams has won 13 Grand Slam singles titles in her storied career but has raised the French Open trophy on the red clay at Roland Garros Stadium just once, in 2002. Clay clearly has been Williams’ least-preferred surface, with only four of her 41 career titles won on such courts. But it’s a different story this year, since no one has a better record on clay — 17-0 — and no one has a better record overall (27-2).
“I absolutely love clay,” Williams said earlier this month after winning in Madrid. “I played on hard court until I was 11, then, until I turned 16, I only played on clay courts. It’s really a myth about me not liking clay.”
