Part of what makes professional athletes the special talents that they are is their relentless competitiveness. Former American tennis star Serena Williams built her entire career by being one of the greatest competitors in the sport of tennis on her way to 23 Grand Slam women’s singles titles. Despite being retired, the competitor still lies within her.
Simona Halep was recently given a four-year ban from tennis for doping. Halep notably defeated Williams in 2019 at the Wimbledon final, which was the last time Williams would reach the Wimbledon final in her career. Feeling slighted that she lost her chance at a Wimbledon title to someone who was doping, Williams took to social media to address the news.
“8 is a better number,” Williams posted on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Williams seems to be alluding to the point that Halep deprived her of what would’ve been her eighth Wimbledon title, implying that an eight-year ban would fit the crime.
That is where fellow tennis star Sorana Cirstea comes into play. Cirstea feels as though Williams is being too hard on Halep and only feels that way because she beat her in the 2019 Wimbledon Final. “Serena as a player was extraordinarily good. As a person, she always had this arrogance,” Cirstea stated.
Halep seemed to have heard and acknowledged the noise surrounding Williams’ comments. “Someone told me today that those players who are hating on me because I beat them,” Halep told Front Office Sports in response to the criticism she is receiving.
Williams will always be known for her competitive spirit and this most recent instance is no different. It’s clear some bad blood still exists between her and Halep, which is part of what always made it so special when these two would face off head-to-head.
