"No matter how much Serena Williams wins, she could be considered an underachiever" - When Andre Agassi shed light on his high expectations for legend
Andre Agassi once shared his perspective on why Serena Williams could be considered an underachiever despite her extraordinary success. Agassi explained that he had always placed exceptionally high expectations on his fellow American.
Given Williams' exceptional accomplishments, it is difficult to imagine her being labeled an underachiever. The American burst out on the scene by winning her maiden Grand Slam title at the 1999 US Open, beating tennis greats like Monica Seles, Lindsay Davenport, and Martina Hingis en route to her victory.
Serena Williams went on to match Steffi Graf's Open Era record of 22 Grand Slam titles with her triumph at the 2016 Wimbledon Championships, beating Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-3 in the final. Later that year, the American was set to enter the US Open as the top seed on the hunt for a historic 23rd Major crown.
In an interview with CNN ahead of the New York Major, Andre Agassi disclosed that he kept up with tennis whenever possible and that he was particularly impressed by Novak Djokovic and Williams.
Agassi lavished praise on his fellow American for her "remarkable" accomplishments, asserting that Serena Williams was one of the rare players who could be considered an underachiever regardless of how many titles she won. He disclosed that he was always taken by surprise whenever Williams went without winning a Major title for a while, given her immense talent.
"It’s remarkable. I’ve kind of joked for a long time, quite frankly that she is probably one of the only persons I’ve ever seen that, no matter how much she wins, she could always be considered an underachiever."
He added,
"Because I remember years when all of a sudden she didn’t and you’re going: 'Why didn’t she?' She’s so good."
Agassi also expressed confidence in Djokovic's ability to bounce back strongly at the US Open after suffering a shock third-round exit at Wimbledon. The former World No. 1 emphasized that he expected the Serb to win every tournament he entered, highlighting how he had separated himself from his competitors.
"He will come back for the US Open. Anybody that knows me knows that I think he should win everything all the time. That is how he separated himself from everybody,"
How Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic fared at the US Open 2016 after Andre Agassi's endorsement
Andre Agassi's confidence in Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic's abilities wasn't misplaced, as both players made deep runs at the 2016 US Open. However, neither of the two managed to clinch the title at the New York Major.
Williams made a strong start to her campaign, securing a commanding 6-3, 6-3 win over Ekaterina Makarova. She then defeated Vania King, Johanna Larsson, and Yaroslava Shvedova to book her place in the quarterfinals. The top seed triumphed over Simona Halep 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 before falling short against Karolina Pliskova in the semifinals, suffering a 6-2, 7-6(5) loss.
Novak Djokovic, meanwhile, kicked off his title defense with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 victory over Jerzy Janowicz. The Serb produced a stellar campaign to reach the semifinals, where he defeated Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. However, Stan Wawrinka dashed Djokovic's hopes of clinching his 13th Major title, beating the top seed 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 in the final.