"That's why we have the babies... we're not being weenies" - When Serena Williams reacted to Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic's complaints on blue clay
Serena Williams had a very interesting response when asked about Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic complaining about the surface for the 2012 Madrid Open.
The tournament, which is normally played on red clay, was played on blue clay that year. Nadal and Djokovic both complained about the change, with the Spaniard even threatened to boycott it if the red clay wasn't reinstated.
Serena Williams was seeded ninth in the competition and went on to win it by defeating Victoria Azarenka 6-1, 6-3 in the final. She previously triumphed over Elena Vesnina, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Caroline Wozniacki, Maria Sharapova and Lucie Hradecka.
The American was asked to give her thoughts on Nadal and Djokovic's comments on the blue clay in her post-match press conference, and she responded by claiming that women were tougher than men, which was a reason behind them having babies.
“Women are way tougher than men. That’s why we have the babies, you guys could never handle kids. We ladies don’t complain we just do our best. On the WTA, we are real performers, we are not about going out there and being weenies," Serena Williams said.
The 2012 Madrid Open triumph was the American's second tournament win of 2012.
Serena Williams won 20 out of 23 matches at the Madrid Open
Serena Williams played five editions of the Madrid Open during her career and has an impressive record in the tournament with 20 wins out of 23 matches, clinching two titles.
The American competed in the inaugural edition of the competition in 2009 but retired in her opening match against Francesca Schiavone due to a knee injury. 2010 was another disappointment for Williams as she suffered a third-round exit at the hands of Nadia Petrova.
After missing the 2011 Madrid Open, she won the WTA 1000 title for the first time in 2012. The American successfully defended her title in 2013 by beating Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-4 in the final.
The following year, she reached the quarterfinals in Madrid and was scheduled to face Petra Kvitova but withdrew from the match owing to a thigh injury.
Williams' last appearance at the tournament came in 2015 and she reached the semifinals with wins over Madison Brengle, Sloane Stephens, Victoria Azarenka and Carloa Suarez Navarro. She was beaten 6-2, 6-3 by eventual champion Petra Kvitova.