"Wimbledon and the US Open are her best chance to win another major" - Martina Navratilova on Serena Williams
Martina Navratilova believes Serena Williams is still capable of winning another Grand Slam title at Wimbledon or the US Open. The tennis legend stressed the key for the American is to remain healthy in order to play more matches than she has in recent years.
Serena Williams has won 23 Majors, one less than all-time record holder Margaret Court. The 40-year-old has been a runner-up in four finals at the Majors since claiming her most recent Grand Slam crown at the 2017 Australian Open.
The American has won Wimbledon and the Australian Open seven times each, the US Open six times, and the French Open three times.
In an interview with the WTA, Navratilova declared she does not feel Serena Williams needs to make any adjustments to her game moving forward. The 18-time Grand Slam singles champion instead highlighted the importance of the American staying fit and competing more regularly.
"She doesn’t need to make any tweaks, she just needs to be healthy," Navratilova said. "She needs confidence in her serve, to know that it’s going to be there. But for that you need to play matches. She’s got to start playing in the spring, maybe on the hard courts at Indian Wells and Miami."
Navratilova then explained why it is particularly crucial to have played matches prior to the grass court season. The Czechoslovak-American also pinpointed the Majors she feels present the biggest opportunities for Williams to equal Court's record.
"You have to play matches before going on the grass, which requires different muscles," Navratilova continued. "No matter what training I did, I was always more sore after playing a couple days on grass than any other surface. Wimbledon and the US Open are her best chance to win another major. She’s got a shot at those two. Condition the body and minimize the possibility of injury. Bottom line - Get more matches."
Serena Williams to miss 2022 Australian Open due to injury
Seven-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams will not feature in the 2022 edition of the first Grand Slam of the year as she continues her recovery from injury. She has not played since suffering a hamstring injury in the first set of her opening-round Wimbledon match against Aliaksandra Sasnovich in June 2021.
Williams currently sits in the 41st spot in the WTA rankings after participating in just six events in 2021. The American lost to eventual champion Naomi Osaka in the semifinals of last year's Australian Open.