Returning from almost a year out because of injuries to her feet and blood clots in her lungs, Serena Williams found her appearance on Centre Court at Wimbledon, where she had her last success, too much, she said. Williams beat Aravane Rezai of France 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to maintain her record of never losing in the first round of a major, capping it with her 13th ace.
That's when she broke down.
"It just hit me at the end of the match," Williams said in a news conference. "I'm not a crier."
The four-time champion sat down in her chair and sobbed in her towel. She had missed 49 weeks after she claimed her 13th Grand Slam single title a year ago at the All England Club with a win over the now second-seeded Vera Zvonareva of Russia.
Williams hurt her foot by walking through glass shortly after that win, and needed two operations last year. Then came treatment for blood clots on her lungs in February.
"I didn't expect to have the emotions," Williams said. She recalled coming close to crying after a match once before, when she won her first Grand Slam title at the 1999 U.S. Open.
The former top-ranked player, now 29 years old and seeded No. 7, described her treatment for the blood clots as a "near-death experience."
It is clear that Serena Williams is back. We are glad to be able to watch the legendary player take down opponents once again at Wimbledon. We're not sure what to make of the interest in her tears of joy. As her opponent Rezai said, she is human. Williams is not a "crier," but she is a champion, and that's all that matters.
Read more at Bloomberg.
In other news: Man Stages Bank Robbery to Get Medical Help.
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