"They are their own legacy, they've transcended the sport, what they've meant to everyone around the world is tough to put into words" - Prakash Amritraj on Venus and Serena Williams
Prakash Amritraj lavished praise on Venus Williams and Serena Williams, saying an entire year would not be sufficient to celebrate what they have achieved over the course of their remarkable careers.
Amritraj's commendation came in light of the Williams sisters being featured in the March 2022 Legacy issue of Harper's Bazaar. Speaking to the Tennis Channel, he said he hoped that the Americans would retire at a tournament they have been very successful at in the past, such as Wimbledon or the US Open.
For the record, Serena Williams has won the Wimbledon Championships seven times and the US Open six times. The older Williams, on the other hand, has five Wimbledon titles and two US Open titles to her name. In doubles, the pair have triumphed together at SW19 on six occasions and twice at Flushing Meadows.
"Venus Williams and Serena Williams are at a stage where if they retire right now, we would just need twelve months to just be able to celebrate even a fraction of what they've given all of us all around the world," Amritraj said. "What I would love to see is that it happens at an event that is historic for them, whether it is at Wimbledon or US Open."
Expanding on their "legacy," Amritraj said Venus and Serena Williams had "transcended the sport". He also referred to an Instagram post the 23-time Grand Slam champion shared relating to their Harper's Bazaar shoot, where she said she and her sister had one soul that inhabited two bodies.
Prakash Amritraj asserted that the entire Williams family shared that particular belief. He also claimed that was the reason Serena Williams and Venus Williams became as successful as they are, since it helped them push each other beyond their individual limits.
"They are certainly their own legacy, and they have transcended the sport. What they've meant to everyone all around the world is tough to put into words. I think what Serena posted in her last Instagram post, over a ton of them going around about this shoot [for Harper's Bazaar], she said, "One soul, two bodies.""
"I think that's a perfect description of not only how just these two sisters feel but how the entire family feels together. It's always about something more, and they're able to pull a little extra out of them. The code she described there is why I think they have been so successful," Amritraj said.
"My legacy is something I don't think about; I don't want to think about what I'm leaving" - Serena Williams
Prakash Amritraj, like most tennis pundits and historians, feels the Williams sisters' legacy should never be forgotten, but Serena Williams herself has not given any thought about what she is "leaving behind".
Venus & Serena Williams for Harper’s Bazaar US March 2022, The Legacy Issue. 👑👑 https://t.co/o0q55i7Fwk
Instead, the former World No. 1 revealed that she wanted to focus only on who she was as a person at the end of the day.
"[My legacy is] something I don’t think about nor do I want. I don’t want to think about what I’m leaving," Williams told Harper's Bazaar. "I just think about who I am every single day behind closed doors and behind cameras. And that’s what I focus on.”
Also Check Out: Rio Open Results 2022