Serena ready to claim first Slam as a mum: coach

Monday, 14 January 2019 01:05 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

MELBOURNE (Reuters): Serena Williams is ready to win her first Grand Slam title as a mother, having arrived at the Australian Open in her best condition since coming back from maternity leave, according to her coach Patrick Mouratoglou.

Serena Williams of the U.S. and her coach Patrick Mouratoglou at a practice - Reuters

The Frenchman Mouratoglou, who has guided Williams to the last 10 of her 23 Grand Slam titles, felt the American great was in “decent shape” when she reached last year’s finals at Wimbledon and the US Open.

However, her fitness had since gone up a notch and Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles may well be in peril at Melbourne Park, he said.

“First of all, last year she made an incredible effort to come back in shape after having a baby and actually she came back in a decent shape quite fast,” Mouratoglou told Reuters in an interview.

“It was a big deal. She had a lot of medical issues after the delivery but she definitely was not 100%. “She reached two Grand Slam finals. She was fit.

“I’ve known her now for a few years, so I knew she could be much fitter but it’s just a question of time.

“And I think she’s fitter now. You can see it, it’s quite obvious when you see her on the court, how she moves.

“I think she came back to a very, very high level of fitness.

“So she’s ready. She’s ready to compete and when Serena’s ready to compete, she’s ready to win.”