"I've criticized Pete Sampras for saying he wanted to win lots of Grand Slams": When Serena Williams spoke on setting goals to be World No. 1 again
Serena Williams once claimed that she was drawing inspiration from Pete Sampras to reclaim the World No. 1 rank.
In 2002, Williams sat atop the WTA Rankings for the first time after winning Wimbledon, defeating her sister Venus in straight sets. However, the subsequent year saw her fall down the ladder due to surgery on the quadriceps tendon in her knee, during the US Swing in August.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion returned to the sport in 2004 after a short hiatus and concluded the year ranked No. 7. This was followed by a No. 11 finish in 2005, marking her first time finishing a season outside the Top 10 since 1998.
When starting her campaign at the 2006 Australian Open, Serena Williams was asked by reporters if she had set herself any new goals of reclaiming the World No. 1 rank.
Williams replied in affirmative, citing Pete Sampras' example. She mentioned that although she used to criticize her compatriot for his constant ambition, she gradually came to understand his perspective.
"I definitely set myself goals. I've always criticized Pete Sampras for saying, you know, he wanted to win lots and lots of Grand Slams. It was like, 'Don't you want to be the best?'" Williams told the reporters.
"I definitely want to be No. 1 in the world. I can kind of understand what he's saying because there's nothing like winning a Grand Slam. Both the goals are definitely what I want to do, but it all starts with winning the Slams first," she added.
Williams was eliminated from the Melbourne Slam that year in the third round by Daniela Hantuchova in straight sets.
Subsequently, the American took a six-month break from professional tennis due to suffering from depression. By the end of the year, she was ranked World No. 95, marking her lowest year-ending rank since 1997.
Serena Williams held the World No. 1 rank for 319 weeks
Serena Williams has spent a total of 319 weeks as the World No. 1 in the WTA Ranking ladder, placing her behind only Martina Navratilova (332) and Steffi Graf (377).
Williams drew the curtains on her remarkable career that spanned over two decades at the 2022 US Open. Throughout her tenure, she secured a total of 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 Majors in the doubles category and two mixed doubles, among other achievements.
The American faced Australia's Ajla Tomljanovic in her final professional match at Flushing Meadows, having defeated Danka Kovinic and Anett Kontaveit in the first two rounds.
Despite a valiant effort, Williams was eventually eliminated by the Aussie. However, she didn't surrender without a fight, pushing the match to three thrilling sets.