Serena Williams Made Dinara Safina Feel Hopeless Before Matches

   

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.

Kiều Linh -
The Latest

Serena Williams Made Dinara Safina Feel Hopeless Before Matches

Uncategory -7 giờ

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 ...

Texas QB Arch Manning Predicted to Join Shedeur Sanders on Browns Next Season

Uncategory -7 giờ

The dust has barely settled after a frenetic and unexpected NFL draft weekend for Shedeur Sanders, and already one outlet predicts he will have even more quarterback drama next year. The Colorado quarterback was once projected as a Top 5 pick ...

Rashee Rice Sends Strong Signal to Chiefs With Latest Development

Uncategory -7 giờ

The Kansas City Chiefs' offense took a major hit last season when Rashee Rice went down with a knee injury. After colliding with quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Rice suffered a torn lateral collateral ligament in his right knee. After the injury, the ...

NFL Insider Drops Surprising Packers-Jaire Alexander News

Uncategory -7 giờ

The Jaire Alexander saga has been the defining storyline of the Green Bay Packers’ offseason. Alexander is one of the league’s top cornerbacks but has missed 34 of the Packers’ last 68 games. He carries a $24.6 million cap charge ...

‘Great Style Fit’: PFF Draft Analyst Highlights Kaleb Johnson As His Favorite Steelers Selection

Uncategory -7 giờ

The love for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ selection of Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson at No. 83 overall in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft continues to roll in. This time, Pro Football Focus draft analyst Trevor Sikkema is joining ...