"If Serena Williams wants to fancy herself as an underdog... God bless her" - Jon Wertheim × Follow Us Create Notifications New User posted their first comment this is comment text Link Approve Reject & ban Delete Log in Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout Tennis US Open 2022 News

If Serena Williams wants to fancy herself as an underdog if that s what gets her through matches God bless her - Jon Wertheim

By Kristina Villanueva Modified 02 Sep 2022 Follow Us Comment Share Serena Williams pumps her fist after beating World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit in the second round of the US Open. Serena Williams finally got the target off her back. That is what the soon-to-retire 23-time Grand Slam winner declared after beating World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit in the second round of what is expected to be the American legend's last US Open. In an episode of Tennis Channel Live, commentator Jon Wertheim said that athletes are good at telling stories to themselves as a form of motivation, and Serena's portrayal of herself as an "underdog" was clever. "Our athletes are really good at telling themselves stories to motivate themselves, to process defeat. I think this was really clever. 'No one expects anything from me. I won this thing in '99 and ever since that, I've been Serena Williams. I'm going to transport myself to the time that I was an underdog.' Hey, if Serena Williams wants to fancy herself as an underdog, if that's what gets her through matches, God bless her," said Wertheim. US Open Tennis@usopenSerena, surprised at her level? 135712265Serena, surprised at her level? https://t.co/QP41An73FE In the on-court interview following her win over Kontaveit, Williams was in a jovial mood in what could be a testament to how relaxed and pressure-free she is at the moment – something she last felt when she debuted at Flushing Meadows in 1998. She won the following year to lift her first ever Grand Slam trophy. "Honestly, I'm just looking at it as a bonus. I don't have anything to prove. I don't have anything to win. I have absolutely nothing to lose. Honestly, I never get to play like this since '98 really. Literally, I've had an 'X' on my back since '99. It's kind of fun. I really enjoy just coming out and enjoying it. It's been a long time since I've been able to do that," said Williams.

It reminds me of Emma Raducanu where she mentioned her target on the back and it just shows Serena Williams has had to deal with this for like 20 years now - Eugenie Bouchard

The show goes on for Serena Williams at the 2022 US Open. Eugenie Bouchard compared Serena Williams' post-second-round interview statement of her having a target on her back to that of 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu. Bouchard, who lost in the second round of the qualifying rounds and is a studio analyst at the Tennis Channel, said that the six-time US Open winner has been carrying huge pressure on her shoulders for 20 years and this shows her mental fortitude and her greatness. "I know it's hard to believe anyone truly believes she (Serena Williams) is an underdog even though she's saying that about herself. But I love what she said there because it reminds me of Emma Raducanu where she mentioned her target on the back, and it just shows Serena has had to deal with this for, like, 20 years now," said Bouchard in the same episode of Tennis Channel Live. "Can you imagine playing, going on the court and being expected to win every single time? That just shows her mental strength and her greatness," she added. US Open Tennis@usopenThe twirl continues. The career continues.

#Serena #USOpen84881885The twirl continues. The career continues.#Serena #USOpen https://t.co/O4f5h9zgpv Raducanu, last year's surprise US Open winner, alluded to the pressure she has had to deal with over the past year after she was sent packing by Alize Cornet in the first round. "I'm going to drop down the rankings. Climb my way back up. I mean, in a way, the target will be off my back slightly. I just have another chance to claw my way back up there," said Raducanu in her post-match press conference. Williams will try to keep her Last Dance going against Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round on Friday. Poll : 0 votes Quick Links More from Sportskeeda Edited by Nihal Taraporvala × Feedback Thank You! Be the first one to comment Follow Us Share Show More Comments GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ GIF Comment in moderation 0 0 Reply x Edit Delete Delete the comment? No thanks Delete GIF Cancel Update GIF Cancel Reply ❮ ❯ Be the first one to comment on this story More from Sportskeeda Fetching more content... 1 Manage your profile Editing Story Queue Video Queue Editing Stats Writer Home SEO Redirection Admin Wiki Edits Taxonomy Home Edit Site Menu Mapping Dashboard Tag Pages Community Social Feed Queue Feed Center Notification Center Affiliate Home Manage Pages Bottom Tagline Dash Timeless Stories Logout No Results Found Get the free App now Manage notifications Popular ‍ Sports (30+) CricketCricket HomeScheduleT20 World CupT20 warm upIND vs SAENG vs PAKAUS vs ENGLegends LeagueECS T10 CroatiaWBBL 2022ECC T10SMAT 2022Bukhatir LeagueNZ T20 Tri-SeriesWomen's Asia Cup 2022ECT10 FootballFootball HomeNewslettersSK Experts ScheduleEPLNations LeagueLa LigaLigue 1Champions LeagueFIFA WCMLS Bundesliga Serie A WWEWWE HomeNewslettersRumor RoundupRAWSmackDownResultsRosterChampionsWWE Crown Jewel 2022PPV ScheduleAEW EsportsEsports HomeMinecraftOverwatch 2RobloxGenshin ImpactFortniteGTAStreamersFree FirePUBGValorantBGMIPop CultureAnimeGaming TechWiki Guides TennisTennis HomeTennis calendarTennis Results TodayATP RankingsWTA RankingsRoger FedererRafael NadalNovak DjokovicSerena Williams MMAMMA HomeUFC NewsONE ChampionshipUFC Fight NightScheduleRankingsResultsUFC Fights TonightONE Championship ResultsONE Championship ScheduleONE Championship Rankings KabaddiKabaddi HomePKL 2022PKL SchedulePKL Points TableKabaddi Rules WikiWiki HomeMinecraft WikiNaruto WikiTikTok WikiYoutube WikiGTA WikiTerraria WikiOne Piece Wiki MoreSportsBasketballIndian FootballNFLMinecraftFormula 1NascarPop CultureCollege FootballHockeyGolfAthleticsBadmintonGymnasticsWrestlingSwimmingTennisShootingBoxingArcheryWinter SportsRobloxFree PicksSkateboardingKho KhoLifestyle LINKS About Us Write For Us Policies Editorial Standards Journalism Awards Fact Check Affiliate Program Careers CSR Privacy Policy Contact Us Edition: English हिन्दी