Fit Serena Would Give Opponents Fits

Just mean it, Serena. Then, you'll do it.

A few minutes after Serena Williams won the Australian Open, she said she had to figure out how to win more French Opens. It seems pretty obvious, really, why she has won just one:

The French is on the slow, red clay and takes twice the conditioning and patience of other majors. Williams has made a career choice of not being fully in tennis shape, shortchanging her own legacy. So I asked her:

What do you think it will take?

"Honestly, I'm going to have to be more fit," she said. "I need to be more fit than I was in this tournament.''

Music. Ears. How refreshing to hear her bring it up.

"My whole goal,'' she said, "is just to get fit."

Please just mean it, Serena, because it could lift you to the amazing heights that are within you and no one else. Williams can still win a Grand Slam if she follows through, and not in the way people use the term today, as if it means winning one major.

A Grand Slam means winning all four majors in one calendar year. Chris Evert never did it. Martina Navratilova never did it in singles.

Williams can do it this year. She still has time, too, to go down as the greatest women's player -- ever.

There was plenty of talk about history at the Aussie Open. Roger Federer won his 16th major, increasing his record for men, and said he's playing maybe the best tennis of his life. He could have five good years left.

Williams and Federer are the same age.

"Once I hang up my racket,'' Federer said, "that's when people should judge me.''

Why shouldn't Williams be talked about the same way as Federer? It's because he's always there, always in shape, winning majors, winning non-majors. He makes the absolute most of himself.

Williams should be in the best-ever discussion among women. So far, she's not even close. Is it Steffi Graf? Martina Navratilova?

Williams shouldn't have allowed herself to fall behind them, and Chris Evert, in line. If she commits this year and wins the Grand Slam, then she moves right into their league, maybe past.

She has achieved an amazing amount, going from Compton to No. 1. She changed the face, power and athleticism of the game and might be the best thing that ever happened to women's tennis.

Even more true is this: She's also a major underachiever. She won her first major 10 1/2 years ago, and now has a total of 12 major titles? You look at her skill and know she should be winning way more than one a year on average, especially considering that she won four over a 12-month span. They weren't all in the same calendar year.

Williams played beautifully, behaved beautifully in Melbourne. She tied Billie Jean King for sixth on the all-time major titles list and then said her objective will be to reach the off-court accomplishments of King, who might be unmatched in creating opportunity for girls in sports. Williams also praised every opponent, in contrast to her usual. And she talked about getting fit.

We all mean our New Year's resolutions when we say them, so take her at her word. But this was a long list.
Here are the numbers: Williams is 28 years old. She is six majors behind Evert and Navratilova, who have 18.

They don't hold the record -- Margaret Court won 24 -- but they are the standard.

There is your mark, Serena. Tiger Woods has been chasing Jack Nicklaus' majors record his whole life.

Eighteen can be yours. Graf won 22, including a Grand Slam. But 18 gets Williams into the conversation, especially if she pulls in a Grand Slam.

"Oh gosh, I never thought I would catch Martina Navratilova,'' she said. "Six (more)? Oh my God.

"I mean, six? That's crazy.''

Why? She reached the semis of the French and U.S. last year, and won Wimbledon. Williams worked harder this offseason than usual. She was rebounding from the U.S. Open embarrassment, and it wasn't just from her tantrum and meltdown in the semis against Kim Clijsters.


How could Clijsters, after having a baby and spending 2 1/2 years away, return in better shape than Williams?

On top of that, Justine Henin, the former No. 1, was coming back at the Australian.

So Williams had her motivation. While she was in better shape than in past Aussie Opens, when she has admitted to arriving on a doughnut diet, she was not fully in tennis shape yet. And she won, anyway.

Realize that tennis shape for Williams will still be bigger and stronger than it is for most women on tour. She's not going to be a size 2. In fact, she's important in the message she sends to young girls about strong women and body image.

She would be a stronger role model if she modeled reaching her potential.

Never did her spot in history look shakier than it did going into the third set against Henin in Saturday's final. Henin had bypassed her in 2007, and if she had won again this quickly in the comeback, then Williams' legacy would have taken another hit. Instead, Williams reclaimed and reinforced her spot in this era.

From here, though, Henin is only going to get better, and Williams has only one way to keep up.

It is a special thing seeing her at her best. The Grand Slam is still there for her.

If she means it.

E-mail me at gregcouch09@aol.com