Serena’s peak is yet to come

American world number one defeated defending champion Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-4 to capture her second Roland Garros on Saturday, 11 years after her first.

But if her flagging rivals on the tour were desperately hoping that Williams was contemplating quitting, then she told them to think again.
Was she pondering following the example of Greta Garbo, another American diva of a different age and culture who quit Hollywood at the age of 35, at the peak of her powers?

“Wow, what an analogy, me and Greta Garbo. I definitely want to go out in my peak. That’s my goal. But have I peaked yet?,” Williams teased her audience.
The evidence suggests that as long as she remains fit and motivated into her third decade on the tour, the likes of Sharapova and world number three Victoria Azarenka, the only two who can match the American for power, will continue to have their work cut out.

“I’m really relaxed. I really enjoy every moment that I’m out there. I always said that I felt like I have never played my best tennis,” added Williams, the oldest winner in Paris in the Open era.

“I have said that for years, that I feel like I can always do better and play better and I have always wanted to reach that level. Maybe I’m just trying to get there.”
She is now just two majors behind the 18 won by Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and four back from the 22 racked up by Steffi Graf.

The record 24 won by Margaret Court may be out of the question.
“I really believe age is a number at this point, because I have never felt so fit. I feel great. I look great,” she said.

“If I see someone that’s 31, I’m like, You’re old. Then I’m like, I’m 31. But I don’t feel it at all.”
The statistics back up Williams’ confidence concerning her future prospects. Since her shock first round defeat to Virginie Razzano in Paris last year, she has won 74 of 77 matches on tour with further titles in 2012 at Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open. In 2013, she has won 43 out of 45 matches, sweeping to victory in Brisbane, Miami, Charleston, Madrid, Rome and now in Paris.

“I’m just trying to go up and up. Today when I won I was trying to win the French Open. I wasn’t trying to get to No. 16 (Grand Slam titles). I think it’s really special.
“I feel like I definitely want to continue my journey to get a few more.”

Meanwhile, with her French Open title ripped away from her, a fourth defeat in a Grand Slam final and a 13th straight loss to Serena Williams, but Sharapova says she will leave Paris with no regrets.

That was the Russian’s mindset in the wake of her 6-4, 6-4 loss to the American in the final at Roland Garros on a day where she could have led 3-0 in the first set and battled her way back to 4-4 in the second, but in the end failed to grab her chances.

Dwelling on what had happened was not something she would entertain, Sharapova said.
“I don’t have many regrets in life actually. I try not to have any at all,” she said.

“You have to move forward. And it doesn’t matter how many times I have lost to a player or what situation I was in, whether I was up or down, how it ended or how it finished. — AFP.