"I wasn't really walking the walk"- When Serena Williams opened up on mentality change ahead of Wimbledon 2002
Serena Williams said ahead of the 2002 Wimbledon Championships that her mental game was a lot different from before.
The American reached the semifinals and quarterfinals of the grass-court Major in 2000 and 2001, respectively. However, in 2002, she was entering the tournament after winning the French Open.
Serena Williams had an interview with sportscaster and former player Mary Carillo and was asked whether she was prepared to not let her fates at Wimbledon 2000 and 2001 repeat.
The then-20-year-old stated that she was mentally stronger than before and had an increased desire to win.
"Times are different for me. I'm more mentally stronger than I have been in the past, I'm more mentally focused. I just want it more. In the past, I thought I wanted and I'm pretty sure I did but it's just a total different feeling now," Serena Williams said.
Williams added that in the past she wasn't "walking the walk" when the occasion demanded it but things were different for her as she was a little older.
"I wasn't really walking the walk. I thought I was, but when it all boiled down to it, I wasn't. But now it's different, I'm a little bit older. It's just I want to do more in my career, I want to leave a legacy, I don't just want to play to play. I've realised that I want to leave something behind," Williams said.
The American also spoke about her desire to win Wimbledon and become a member of the All-England Club.
"I really want to win Wimbledon one day. This year, it can happen I hope. If not, one day, I definitely want to take home the Wimbledon title. It's Wimbledon, I mean, I've never won Wimbledon, I would love to belong to the All England Club," Williams said.
: mountgirl1Mary Carillo interviews Serena Williams at Wimbledon 2002 as she discusses her hopes of winning Wimbledon some day
The interview was shot before the tournament and aired during her QF vs Hantuchova
🎥: mountgirl1 https://t.co/mIxMOaJYeX
The American eventually went on to win Wimbledon 2002 without dropping a single set.
Serena Williams won Wimbledon twice while not losing a single set
The 2002 Wimbledon Championships was Williams' first title at the grass-court Major, and she won it without dropping a single set. She beat her sister Venus Williams 7-6(4), 6-3 in the final.
Serena Williams won her next two titles at the grass-court Major in 2003 and 2009. The American legend then successfully defended her Wimbledon crown in 2010 without dropping a single set throughout the tournament.
She beat Michelle Larcher de Brito, Anna Chakvetadze, Dominika Cibulkova, Maria Sharapova, Li Na, and Petra Kvitova before defeating Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 6-2 in the title clash.
All in all, Williams won 98 out of 112 singles matches at the grass-court Major with seven titles to her name.