Tennis
SERENA WILLIAMS’ MOTHER STONED-FACED DESPITE TENNIS STAR’S AUSTRALIAN OPEN WIN
Serena Williams pulled off an astounding victory at the Australian Open on Monday against Romania’s Simona Halep, who is ranked as the number one in the world.
The 37-year-old tennis player came from behind to win the match in a victory that sent most people in the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia, to their feet.
But fans couldn’t get enough of footage showing Serena’s mom, Oracene Price, notably staying seated and stony-faced while everyone was erupting into cheers for the 23-time grand slam champ.
In the video, everyone in Oracene’s section is on their feet, including Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. But Oracene appeared unfazed by her daughter’s victory over the number one seed as she remained seated.
The footage online quickly took off as fans described Oracene’s reaction to her daughter winning a ‘mood’.
‘Guys Serena’s mom when she won is the moodest of all moods,’ one viewer wrote on Twitter after seeing the match.
People online guessed what Serena’s mom could’ve possibly been thinking during the exciting moment of the tennis player defeating Simona to move onto the quarter finals.
‘Serena’s Mum: care factor zero,’ a viewer wrote while another said she was ‘tired of celebrating’ at this point.
Many fans of Serena reminded people online how Oracene has seen countless victories from her daughter over the course of her decades-long career. This was just another one of them.
‘Mom knows best: she be like “y’all aint seen nothing nothing yet”,’ one fan wrote online.
Another person wrote: ‘Her mom’s reaction tho. “Seen this hundreds of times.”‘
The footage of everyone in the arena celebrating Serena’s winning, including Oracene’s reaction, was shown to the athlete as she gave a post-game interview. But if Serena noticed her mom’s lackluster reaction, she didn’t show it.
‘Serena, just look at the reaction on this arena. Everyone is on their feet,’ the interviewer said as the shot of her mom sitting stony-faced was played on the big screen.
‘It was really intense match and it was some incredible points,’ Serena admitted during the post-game interview.
‘I love playing tennis and I love being out here, and I love this court. It is really cool to be out and playing again on this court.
She continued: ‘I really needed to elevate my game. [Simona] is the number one player in the world and there is a reason why.
‘She elevates her game and she plays well and she is just a great player. In order for to stay out there I had to play a little bit like I knew I could and I do. Hopefully that was the difference.’
Serena will next battle Czech’s Karolína Plíšková during the quarter finals this week.
Argentina’s 36-year-old Marco Trungelliti proved tennis dreams do not come with an expiration date when he became the oldest first-time tour-level finalist in the Open Era after beating the top seed at the Grand Prix Hassan II semi-finals in Marrakech on Saturday.
Trungelliti, who came through the tournament’s qualifiers, upset Italy’s defending champion Luciano Darderi 6-4 7-6(2) to break the previous record held by Victor Estrella Burgos of the Dominican Republic, who reached his first final aged 34 years in 2015.
Darderi, ranked 19 in the world, was only six-years-old when Trungelliti turned pro in 2008. With the victory, Trungelliti secured just his second career top-20 win.
“Of course, I believed it, that’s one of the reasons that I’m here. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be possible,” Trungelliti said in the on-court interview.
“I’ve worked a lot, me and my team and also my wife, my kid. We all believed in breaking the record basically and that’s exactly what we have done now.”
The milestone caps a remarkable journey for Trungelliti, who made his first ATP Tour semi-final in 2018 in Umag, Croatia – 402 weeks ago.
Having entered the tournament ranked 117 in the world, Trungelliti’s breakthrough week has already guaranteed he will crack the top 100 for the first time. He is currently ranked number 75 in the live rankings.
“It’s been happening the whole week, leaving the court with a victory,” added Trungelliti, who has dropped only one set at the tournament. “So hopefully (there) is one more to go.”
He will face Rafael Jodar on Sunday after the Spaniard prevented an all-Argentine final with a 6-2 6-1 victory over Camilo Ugo Carabelli.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Serena Williams has been listed as eligible to return to tennis by the sport’s drug-testing body (ITIA) as of February 22, though it remains unclear whether the 23-time Grand Slam champion will make a stunning comeback to the women’s tour.
The 44-year-old raised eyebrows late last year after rejoining the tennis anti-doping testing pool, though she denied at the time the move signalled she was preparing to return to the sport she dominated for nearly two decades.
She reignited speculation last month when she deflected questions about a possible return during an appearance on NBC’s “Today” show.
The Women’s Tennis Association did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.
Williams, who won her last Grand Slam singles title in 2017, has not competed since the 2022 U.S. Open.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Serena Williams has re-entered the tennis anti-doping testing pool but the 23-times Grand Slam champion denied on Tuesday that the move had anything to do with her making a return to the sport she dominated for nearly two decades.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed to Reuters that Williams, who has not competed since the 2022 U.S. Open, was among the list of players in its testing pool, which requires individuals to provide their whereabouts at any given time, every day, and participate in random testing
But as the story of 44-year-old Williams’ inclusion on the list, first reported earlier on Tuesday by The Athletic, gained traction and sparked talk about her potential return, the tennis great took to social media to deny a comeback was in her plans.
“Omg yall I’m NOT coming back. This wildfire is crazy,” Williams wrote on X.
Her agent did not immediately respond to an email from Reuters asking why the player had re-entered the testing pool.
Williams’ name appears on the ITIA website’s list of retired players and would be able to return to a sanctioned event after making herself available for out-of-competition testing for at least six months.
Last week former world number one Williams posted a series of photos on Instagram showing herself on a tennis court with her youngest daughter, Adira River, whom she gave birth to in August 2023.
In August 2022, ahead of her final U.S. Open, Williams announced in a Vogue article that she was “evolving away from tennis.”
Williams, who won her last Grand Slam singles title in 2017, had been chasing an elusive 24th crown that would have drawn her level with Australian Margaret Court, who holds the record.
The American came tantalisingly close to achieving that feat, featuring in four major finals since giving birth to her first daughter, Olympia, in 2017.
-Reuters
Join the Sports Village Square channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vaz7mEIGk1FxU8YIXb0H
Host CAF General Assembly For Third Time, CAF Awards For Seventh
Atlas Lions Embrace AI As Google Gemini Becomes Official Partner
NPFL at 36: Why Nigeria’s League Top Scorers Rarely Become Super Eagles Legends
Breaking! Uzoho suspended from Super Eagles’ next match with Sierra Leone
No longer Super League as CAF changes name of its new clubs competition
NIGERIAN FOOTBALL CHIEF EXECUTIVE, SANUSI CHARGES NIGERIAN COACHES TO BE UPRIGHT, DILIGENT
- World Cup4 days ago
FIFA Plans Three Opening Ceremonies in All Host Nations for 2026 World Cup
- World Cup4 days ago
United States Unveils Hollywood-Style FIFA World Cup 2026 Opening Ceremony
- World Cup4 days ago
Mexico president wavers on plan to cut school year by 40 days for the World Cup
- World Cup5 days ago
Burna Boy Joins Shakira for Official 2026 World Cup Song ‘Dai Dai’
- World Cup1 week ago
Despite 2026 Absence, Nigeria Still Leads Africa’s World Cup Winners’ Chart
- Premier League4 days ago
Man United’s Fernandes and City’s Shaw win FWA Footballer of the Year awards
- Nigerian Football4 days ago
Sporting Lagos Crowned 2026 NNL Champions After Dramatic Super Four Finale
- Premier League2 days ago
Arsenal survive huge scare to edge towards title