Serena Williams receives the Athletes of the Year award - Tennis News
American veteran, Serena Williams, along with Usain Bolt, received the award of being United States Sports Academy’s 2012 Athletes of the Year. The tennis professional secured the gold medal in the singles category of the Olympic
Games for the first time and secured two Grand Slam titles this year.
The 31-year-old American faced a tough competition with the reigning world number one, Victoria Azarenka. Williams started her current year at a very sloppy note as she was recovering from a multiple injury lay-off. She was not
even amongst the top-10 players but gradually constructed her momentum to rocket away to the third spot in the WTA Premier Rankings by the end of the season.
At the Australian Open, she faced an unexpected shocker in the fourth round at the hands of the lower ranked Russian professional Ekaterina Makarova. The American professional gradually constructed her impetus and at the Sony Ericsson
Open, she defeated the higher ranked Aussie, Samantha Stosur, but suffered a 6-4, 6-4 loss at the hands of the Caroline Wozniacki. Williams struck the game in full bloom in the Family Circle Cup held at the clay courts of Charleston, United States.
The 31-year-old professional gained her true momentum in the Mutua Madrilena Madrid Open and launched the most successful campaign against the higher ranked professionals. Despite of her lower seed, she managed to upset all the
contenders in straight sets, manifesting her greater experience and class. However, the American senior suffered from the most unexpected loss at the hands of the local challenger, Virginie Razzano, at the clay courts of Paris in a three-set match.
The right-hander achieved her second boost at the green grass courts of Wimbledon Championships in London. This point served as her remarkable break as there was no turning back for the American after that Grand Slam event. She
skilfully glided past her challengers, such as Petra Kvitova and Azarenka, to stamp her authority. In the final round, she had to face the might of the Pole number one, Agnieszka Radwanska, but took her down comprehensively to add another Major trophy to her
tally.
The American veteran snatched her first ever London Olympics gold medal against the Russian beauty Maria Sharapova. Williams proved desperate for victory, as even after clinching the US Open 2012, she was not ready to retire from
the fields of competitive tennis. However, she journey to world number one is tough, but she continues with extreme determination and can certainly live up to her dream at the 2013 WTA season.
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