Serena Williams has candidly reflected on her devastating loss to Roberta Vinci in the 2015 US Open, revealing that the defeat has continued to haunt her. Despite being on the verge of achieving a calendar-year Grand Slam, Williams was stunned by Vinci in the semifinals, a loss she admits she has never fully recovered from.
In an introspective moment, Williams shared her thoughts on the pressure and expectations that come with success. “It doesn’t end the way it does in the movies. No matter how much I feel like it could and it should… no matter what I could’ve done differently, it wasn’t my story,” she expressed.
Williams acknowledged the allure of victory, but also highlighted the increasing difficulty of handling defeat as her career progressed. “Winning is so glamorous. Everyone thinks it’s so amazing when you win. And it is. It really is. But the more you win, the harder it is to lose,” she said.
The loss to Vinci, in particular, left a lasting impact on Williams, who struggled to move past it. “I don’t think I was able to move on from that US Open loss. I was just so angry and just so sad and disappointed in myself… said no one with 21 Grand Slams (at the time). But it wasn’t enough for me,” she admitted.
Serena Williams’ shock loss to Roberta Vinci in the 2015 US Open semifinals (two wins away from the Calendar Grand Slam) was so traumatizing that her therapist told her never to discuss it again.
For her documentary ‘In the Arena’, she exceptionally broke that rule:
(@espn) pic.twitter.com/hbBclo8g5B
— Bastien Fachan (@BastienFachan) August 9, 2024
Williams’ reflections offer a glimpse into the emotional toll that comes with being at the top of the sport and the challenges even the greatest athletes face in coping with defeat.
