"She is such a competitor. She wants to get that number 24"- Paul Annacone on Serena Williams

In a recent interview with the Tennis Channel, renowned coach Paul Annacone bestowed high praise on Serena Williams. Annacone said she "has done so much" for the sport that it doesn't matter if she "plays another match". He also highlighted that Williams is a "competitor" who has not given up hope of lifting her 24th Major.

"Let’s think about it. 23, she’s been on that number of Majors. She doesn’t play another match, it doesn’t matter. She has done so much. Internally, I think with great players, they got to figure out why they want to keep playing. She is such a competitor. She wants to get that No. 24," said Annacone.

Serena Williams last featured at the Wimbledon Championships 2021 where she injured her hamstring and was forced to retire midway through her first-round match. Since then, the American legend has been in recovery.

Serena Williams at the Wimbledon Championships 2021

In the interview, Paul Annacone, who has previously coached the likes of Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, stated that "staying away" from the sport for a long period might create problems for the American.

However, he believes that despite not winning a Grand Slam title since 2017, the former World No. 1 can "play great" on the court once again in 2022.

Serena Williams at the Wimbledon Championships

"All those things outside the court for her are great way for her to kind of decompress and hit the reset button for a bit. But, at the end of your career as an athlete, you have to be very careful not to stay too far that way. Because the longer you go, the longer it is to get back there. I think she and Patrick know exactly what they want to do. There is no reason she can’t continue to play great," said the coach.

Serena Williams not to feature at the 2022 Australian Open

After performing well at the Australian Open last year, Serena Williams will unfortunately miss the Happy Slam in 2022. She was a semifinalist in 2021, defeating the likes of Simona Halep and Aryna Sabalenka on the way.

In a statement to Australian Open management, Williams remarked that she is currently not where "she needs to be physically to compete" and thus has to withdraw from the tournament.

Serena Williams at the Italian Open 2021

"While this is never an easy decision to make, I am not where I need to be physically to compete. Melbourne is one of my favorite cities to visit and I look forward to playing at the AO every year. I will miss seeing the fans, but am excited to return and compete at my highest level," said Williams.

This will be the first time since 1997 that both Venus and Serena Williams will not be participating at the Australian Open.