Serena Williams joked that she had better watch out for Angelique Kerber gunning for her No.1 ranking after the German made a meteoric rise to No.2 thanks to her Australian Open victory.
Williams was gracious in defeat as she hailed Kerber’s fighting spirit that prevented the American from tying the Open Era record of 22 Grand Slams and denied her a seventh trophy in Melbourne.
“She’s had a great month. She got to the finals in Brisbane. She won here. So, yeah. I was surprised and really happy for her. I’m like ‘whoa, No.2’. What’s after two is one, so I guess I better be careful,” laughed Williams after the match.
With a 21-4 win-loss record in major finals heading into the clash Down Under, Williams was a heavy favourite against Kerber, a major final debutante seeded No.7 in Melbourne.
The world No.1 lost in the semi-finals of her previous Grand Slam, to Roberta Vinci at the US Open, where Williams was gunning for the calendar Grand Slam.
Losing in back-to-back slams is not characteristic of the ever dominant Williams but she reminds everyone that she is only human.
“It’s interesting. I mean, every time I walk in this room, everyone expects me to win every single match, every single day of my life. As much as I would like to be a robot, I’m not. I try to,” Williams told reporters at Melbourne Park.
“But, you know, I do the best that I can. I try to win every single time I step out there, every single point, but realistically I can’t do it. Maybe someone else can, but I wasn’t able to do it.”
In a match that had a clear favourite and underdog, it was the underdog that played with less nerves and made the least mistakes.
The 34-year-old Williams, who was 5-1 against Kerber going into the match, paid tribute to her opponent’s attitude.
“She played so well today. She had an attitude that I think a lot of people can learn from – just to always stay positive and to never give up,” said Williams.
“I was really inspired by that. So, honestly, she’s a really good girl. If I couldn’t win, I’m happy she did.”
Williams added that she’s excited about the rise in the level of challenge she is continuing to face on tour.
“I think it’s good to know that if I want to win some tournaments, I have to play better,” she said.