Former world No. 1 Dinara Safina recently opened up about the towering challenge of facing Serena Williams during her career, offering a candid glimpse into the mental hurdles she faced against the tennis icon. Despite her own success and reputation as one of the grittiest competitors on the tour, Safina admitted that when it came to Serena, she often felt overpowered before even stepping onto the court. Safina dove into how, mentally strengthening oneself can help players beat the toughest opponents- well almost.
"Except Serena. It’s true," Safina said honestly, during a chat at the Madrid Open. "Serena and Venus — for me, at least on clay courts, I could make them play because it was slower and easier for me. But on hard courts, honestly, I knew I had no chance," she added. "Specially against Serena, I knew whatever I do she does it better."
The speed and explosiveness of hard courts seemed to magnify Serena's already overwhelming game, leaving Safina struggling to find solutions. "It was impossible to change that mentally," she admitted, highlighting how deeply Serena's dominance was ingrained in her mind.
Safina, known for her sharp ability to read serves, also noted how even her strengths were neutralized by Williams. "Specially, I like reading serves, but with her, I had no chance," she said. Serena’s incredible serve — considered one of the greatest weapons in tennis history — left little room for Safina to execute her usual strategies.
Still, Safina didn't allow the daunting task to paralyze her completely. She revealed that her response was to channel her energy into hard work. "I knew that I worked harder, so I would use this to overcome my fears," she explained, showing the resilience and determination that made her a champion in her own right.
Safina says she is proud of the way she has handled opportunities in her career. "Honestly, I think I took my chances, I had the opportunity to be world no.1 and I took it, I was lucky that Serena didn't play at that moment and I took my chance," said Safina.
Safina's honesty provides a rare, vulnerable look at what many players felt facing Serena — a mix of awe, respect, helplessness and fear. It also underscores the mental battles elite athletes fight behind the scenes, even at the very top of the game.
