Serena William, 34, could be close to the end of the line as a dominant force in tennis. The 2016 Australian Open will go a long way toward determining that.
Williams, who has been dealing with a knee injury that forced her to retire from the Hopman Cup, has drawn a tough slate at the Aussie Open, the first leg of the Grand Slam. A calendar-year Grand Slam is the only thing in the sport left for Williams to accomplish, and she came one win shy of it in 2015.
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This year, she’ll open with Camila Giorgi, who generates enormous power on her shots. Should she keep going, she’ll potentially have to get by Caroline Wozniacki in just the fourth round, and possibly defeat Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinal. That is one brutal road for Williams, who is the top-ranked player in the world.
Getting through such tough opposition will prove whether or not her body is able to withstand the rigors of a full season, and possibly making history. These highly-ranked opponents will test her in different ways, and Sharapova, whom Williams has dominated throughout her career, could come with a superhuman effort if she senses any weakness from her nemesis.
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Williams isn’t showing any vulnerability prior to the tournament, telling reporters “I’m feeling really good. I’m excited about it. I’ve been training every day … [The knee] feels good.”
Only her performance on the court will give the true answer.
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