"Serena Williams would wipe me off the court, she's not human" - When Chris Evert conceded she would have no chance against American in the modern era
Chris Evert is one of the biggest serial winners tennis has ever known, winning 18 Grand Slam titles in singles. Yet, the American once stated her firm belief that there was at least one player who was much, much better than her -- Serena Williams.
In an interview with USA Today at 2015 Wimbledon, Evert was asked if she would have a chance in the modern era if she came back as a tennis player. The former World No. 1, who won all 18 Slams between 1974 and 1986, responded after a long pause that she might have to alter her strategy to compete alongside the new generation of stars and their improved athleticism.
While Chris Evert believed that she might be able to do it, especially with the mental side of tennis, she didn't think she would be able to beat Williams at all. In fact, Evert was of the opinion that the 'inhuman' Serena Williams would wipe the court with any former tennis great, including the likes of Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King.
"If I were to come up with a graphite racket, a different grip, different training regimen — I mean, everything has improved. The physicality, the athleticism, it’s all gotten better. I think I would be more of a thoughtful player and would invest more of my talent in strategy and being mentally solid out on court. I don’t know. It’s hard. I think I could do okay on the mental side, but somebody like Serena would just wipe me off the court for sure," Chris Evert said.
"You know what though? She’s the only one who’s not human. Everyone else is human. I think if you put Steffi or Martina or Billie Jean or myself or anyone with a champion’s mind in the game today, I think with everything the way it is, we could still do well. But I still see Serena overpowering everybody. She’s that good," she added.
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Serena Williams went on to complete her second 'Serena Slam' just days after Chris Evert's comments
Chris Evert's interview with USA Today came during the middle of the 2015 Wimbledon Championships, just before her semifinal against Maria Sharapova. Williams proceeded to trounce Sharapova, registering her 17th straight win over the Russian.
In the final, she took down Garbine Muguruza to win her 21st Grand Slam title, which also saw her complete the second 'Serena Slam' -- winning all four Majors on the trot but not in the same calendar year.
At the following US Open, with the Calendar Slam on the line, Williams reached the semifinals but was upset by Roberta Vinci.
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