Throwback: When Serena Williams lost to Sakkari and compared it to ‘dating a guy you know sucks'
Outraged with herself, Serena turned her post-match press conference into a confessional. She admitted her errors and likened them to constantly choosing a bad partner. The analogy struck a chord, painting her on-court battle in relatable, human terms.
'I keep doing this out here'
Serena didn't mince words. 'I literally put myself in this situation,' she said to the reporters, according to Sportskeeda. Then she landed the punch: 'You know, it's like dating a guy that you know sucks.'
She continued, 'That's literally what I keep doing out here. I have got to get rid of this guy… I had so many opportunities to win and I have to figure that one out.' The 23-time major champion blamed no one but herself for squandering match points at 5-3 and seeing a 4-1 tiebreak lead evaporate. She even flung her racket at how deeply the loss affected her.
Just days later, Serena found her comeback. Facing Sakkari again in New York, she won 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-3. At her next press gathering, she laughed about the boyfriend analogy and declared, 'Thank God I got rid of that guy. Never want to see him again. He was the worst,' per the publication.
She later moved to the quarterfinals and defeated Tsvetana Pironkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, only to lose in the semifinals to Victoria Azarenka.
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