Serena Williams paid tribute to mothers playing tennis on Wednesday evening. The American, who had a child herself in 2017, was deeply impressed by the way Tsvetana Pironkova played against her in the quarter-finals of the US Open.
32-year-old Pironkova became a mother in 2018 and played her first tournament in more than three years in New York. The Bulgarian pushed through to the quarter-finals against all odds and was very close to a new stunt against Williams, but the six-year-older American took the longest in three sets.
“Her performance shows just how strong tennis mothers are,” Williams said after her hard-won victory. “If you can give birth to a child, you can handle anything. You saw that this time with Tsvetana. She played really unbelievably. I could hardly win a game when I made my return.”
Williams gave birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia in early September 2017, but managed to ‘just’ return to the tennis top. After her return, she reached four Grand Slam finals (twice Wimbledon and twice US Open) and is now number eight in the world.
The highlight in Pironkova’s career dates back to 2010, when she reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon. The US Open surprise took her first and only title on the WTA Tour in Sydney in 2014.
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Serena Williams reached the semi-finals of the US Open at the expense of Tsvetana Pironkova. (Photo: Pro Shots)
‘You play a match and then you change diapers’
For Williams, another duel with a mother is scheduled in the semi-finals, as she will compete against Victoria Azarenka. The world’s number 27 from Belarus gave birth to a son in 2016 and won her first WTA tournament as a mother in August at the Cincinnati tournament.
“I’m very much inspired by mothers right now,” said six-time US Open champion Williams. “Because how do you do it? You play a match and then go home to change diapers. It’s a surreal double life.”
“As a mother you have already overcome so much. And age is just a number. It’s about your mental state and whether you are physically able to keep up. If you only see your age as a number, then it is. . “
Williams herself is now only two victories away from a historic 24th Grand Slam title, which would rival record holder Margaret Court. Her semi-final rain Azarenka is scheduled for Thursday evening.
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