Skip to Content

Serena Williams is in the midst of a funk about tennis and the whole athletic experience and reports that she plans to scale back in 2012.

She provided some interesting soundbites after beating her opponent in the first round of the Brisbane International this week. An odd media exchange seems to suggest she isn’t happy about her career choice.

After winning against Chanelle Scheepers, 6-2, 6-3, Serena said, “I don’t love tennis today but I’m here.”

She went on to explain, “It’s not that I’ve fallen out of love; I’ve actually never liked sports, and I never understood how I became an athlete. I don’t like working out; I don’t like anything that has to do with working physically.”

We’re guessing the 30-year-old still loves to win but it sounds very much like the grind that began when her father enrolled her in a high-profile tennis academy at age nine is causing her to realize it never was her dream that led her down this particular path.

She turned pro in 1995 at age 13 and by 1999 won the US Open singles title. With 13 grand slam titles under her belt and prize money exceeding $35 million, she has a great deal to show for her efforts. Add to that the lucrative endorsements and we’re talking a serious nest egg.

Are we to take her candid admission as a signal that retirement is on her mind? Apparently not. She acknowledged, “I’m always preparing myself for life after tennis but I don’t want to go anywhere anytime soon.”

Maybe she’s just having a bad day…

Photo: WENN