"Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal would probably take me out in 5 minutes" - When Serena Williams joked about possible match-up against legendary duo
Serena Williams once said she wouldn't want to play a match lasting over five hours unless it was absolutely necessary. She also joked that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal would both defeat her in just five minutes.
Williams made these remarks during the 2009 Australian Open, a tournament she won by defeating Dinara Safina in straight sets. Along the way to the final, the American defeated players such as Yuan Meng, Gisela Dulko, Peng Shuai, Victoria Azarenka, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena Dementieva.
When asked during her post title win press conference if she would ever want to play a match lasting more than five hours, Serena Williams replied:
"Oh, uhm, if it came down to it and I had to, I could. I mean, would I want to? If it meant the win, I would have to, yeah."
Williams later commented on the men's final of the Melbourne Slam, which took place a day after the women's final, saying that she had a tough time choosing between the finalists: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to support.
"I don't know. I mean, I'm really big fans of both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal," Williams said. "So I don't know. I don't know. I don't know who to say and who to pick. I would love to see Rafa do well because I just -- I don't think he's won this tournament. But, uhm, you know, I just -- you know, I'm just a big fan of both of them. I think I want their autographs."
The former World No. 1 added:
"I was trying to think of who would beat me worse, either Roger or Rafa, and how long, like a five-minute set. They'd probably take me out in five minutes, so."
Federer and Nadal played an incredible five-set thriller in the final, with Nadal ultimately winning. Nadal's victory made him the first Spaniard, male or female, to lift the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup.
A look into Serena Williams, Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal's Grand Slam wins
Serena Williams has a whopping 23 Grand Slam titles under her belt while Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have 20 and 22, respectively.
Williams achieved her greatest success at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, winning each title seven times. She also won the US Open six times and the French Open thrice.
Similar to Williams, Federer's most successful Majors were the grasscourt Major and the Melbourne Slam, which he won eight and six times, respectively. The Swiss also won the New York Major five times and Roland-Garros once.
Meanwhile, Nadal excelled on clay, winning the French Open an astounding 14 times, a record unmatched by any other player in Grand Slam history. Besides that, the Spaniard has four US Open titles and two titles each at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.