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September 11 1999: The day Serena William will never forget
September 11 1999: The day Serena William will never forget.
The 1999 US Open final between world No 1 Martina Hingis and American rising star Serena Williams had started way before the last Saturday of the tournament. It all began when Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena, saw that his daughters were in opposite parts of the draw and predicted that they would face each other in the tournament’s final. Irritated by what she took for arrogance, the Swiss harshly said in a press conference: “They (the Williams family)have a big mouth. They always talk a lot. It’s more pressure on them. Whether they can handle it or not, now that’s the question.”
It wasn’t long before the Williams family replied. The first to respond in his own fashion was Richard, quoted by The New York Times.
”I don’t think there’s more pressure on them. I think pressure is doing what I did, working 9 to 5. I still believe there will be two Williamses in the finals. What Martina said is not a shock. I think she has the right to say what she wants to say. I’m going to ask her for her autograph. I love her. If you see her, tell her I love her.”
His daughter Serena didn’t seem to share her father’s love for Hingis, though.
“She’s always been the type of person that…says things, just speaks her mind,” she said. “I guess it has a little bit to do with not having a formal education. But you just have to somehow think more; you have to use your brain a little more in the tennis world.’”
The days went by, and the Williams sisters both advanced to the semi-finals, Hingis facing Venus, whom she had beaten in the final in 1997. When Serena defeated Lindsay Davenport and qualified for the final, pressure increased on Hingis’ shoulders, but although she was down 3-2 in the last set, she eventually prevailed (6-1, 4-6, 6-3) and commented: “They’re three against me. With talking, I can’t beat them. I know that. So I have to try to beat them on the court. That’s all I can do. I don’t want to fight with words. As I said before, I can’t beat them with words. Because the results and the rankings show it all.”
In the early games of her first Grand Slam final, Williams did not show any signs of nervousness. Helped by her big serve, she kept Hingis in the defensive and hit 19 winners to take the first set, 6-3.
The Swiss got better at handling Serena’s power in the second set. Hitting more balls on the rise, she started moving Williams around the court and prevented her from dictating the game so outrageously as in the first set. Serena kept attacking as much as possible, and it resulted in very high-level tennis. The American still proved herself stronger until she led 5-3 and obtained two match points on her serve. At this moment, she was suddenly struck by pressure and couldn’t seal her victory, engaging into longer rallies and losing control of the match.
Soon, Hingis was back and Williams was pushed into a tie-break. In front of an overexcited crowd, the two young women played an outstanding tie-break, which Serena won 7-4, converting her third match point. The youngest of the Williams sisters was the first to claim a Grand Slam title.
In the end, despite the war of words that had been raging all week, Williams and Hingis shook hands and hugged. During the trophy ceremony, Serena felt very emotional. “I didn’t know what to do – laugh or cry or just scream – so I think I did it all,” she said.
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A former Ferrari engineer has criticised the decision to bring in Lewis Hamilton and thinks the Brit’s presence will mean “a lot of potential for drama”.
At the age of 40, seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton will form a formidable driver partnership with Charles Leclerc. His big switch comes at the expense of Carlos Sainz, who has performed well for the Italian squad but who was axed so they had room for their blockbuster new signing.
But not everyone of a Ferrari persuasion is convinced that it will go well. Ernest Knoors, who spent many years as an engineer at Maranello, specialising in power units, worries that Hamilton’s presence could do more harm than good for a team that is finding its groove under Frederic Vasseur.
“A big name like Hamilton also brings a lot of politics and if politics within Ferrari are not managed well, then there is a lot of potential for drama,” he told Formule1.nl. “Hamilton has the tendency that if things do not work out, he turns his whole car upside down and starts experimenting.
“Ferrari believes very much in the big personalities and will follow him. But Hamilton is just someone you have to guide a little bit and not give the freedom to rebuild the whole car, because then it will go completely wrong. So I do not know if it is such a smart move, but of course it is nice for the sport.”
News of Hamilton’s planned move broke on February 1, coinciding with football’s Transfer Deadline Day. That the back pages of many newspapers were dominated by the decision of Hamilton to swap Mercedes for Ferrari was testament to the magnitude of the announcement.
Sainz was not surprised as he had been informed by his team of the plan ahead of it being made public. But the Spaniard responded well with two victories to date this season and five further appearances on the podium, on the way to what looks likely to be a fifth-placed finish in the championship – two spots and 54 points ahead of Hamilton.
Sainz has signed for Williams next year and, after several years of running at the front of the grid, will focus on his new challenge of helping restore one of the grid’s most historic teams to its former glory. But Knoors believes he should have been kept on by Ferrari instead.
The Dutchman added: “I see Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari more as a PR move. With all due respect, Hamilton is not going to take that Ferrari from P6 to P1. He will get the most out of it, but what Ferrari has to do is make that car faster. And if you make that car faster, you can easily drive at the front with the current line-up.
“Besides, as a team you have to look further on the horizon. If Hamilton becomes champion in the coming years, he and Ferrari will become immortal. But if you want to build a team with talent for the next five years, are you going to build on Hamilton? No, because he will really be finished after two or three years. That is why I would have kept the very strong line-up that Ferrari has now.”
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Chase Elliott had a front-row seat for one of NASCAR’s most bizarre moments of the 2024 Cup Series season. At the start of Stage 2, the pace car dove onto pit road in front of Elliott; however, it was a tad too late. The pace car made contact with the sand barrels at the entry of pit road and caused a red flag for cleanup.
Initially, there was some speculation on the NBC Sports broadcast, even from the No. 9 team, that Elliott made contact with the pace car. Fortunately, the pace car didn’t slide across the No. 9 car’s nose, but it undoubtedly provided one of NASCAR’s craziest red flag moments in recent memory.
Below, you can listen to Elliott and the No. 9 team react to the pace car crashing into the sand barrels on pit road at Phoenix during Championship Weekend!
Reflecting on the recent retirement of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Earnhardt didn’t mince words about the toll NASCAR takes on its drivers. Speaking candidly, the two-time Daytona 500 winner admitted that the pressure to perform every week left him feeling miserable for most of his racing career—a sentiment he believes is shared by many of his peers.
“Right or wrong, racing made me a miserable person 90% of the time,” Earnhardt confessed. “And him too. I mean, ask Kyle Busch, ask anybody—unless you’re winning, you’re not happy.”
For these elite drivers, the sport is a relentless grind. A podium finish might bring temporary relief, but anything short of victory is often a source of frustration. The immense effort poured into preparation and execution rarely feels like it pays off unless the checkered flag is theirs.
Earnhardt highlighted the mental toll of falling short, explaining how the relentless focus on winning can overshadow the joy of simply competing. Even a solid performance feels hollow compared to the euphoria of a win.
“Unless you’re winning, you’re not happy at all,” he said. “You’re okay with a good run, but for the most part, all the effort it takes just to run good—it doesn’t weigh out.”
For drivers, the stakes are sky-high every week. Sponsors, fans, and teams demand nothing less than excellence, leaving little room for error or personal satisfaction in anything less than a dominant performance.
Earnhardt also shared insights into his friendship with Martin Truex Jr., who recently announced his retirement. While the two often spend time hunting together during NASCAR’s off-season, Earnhardt noted that the stress of racing even creeps into their leisure activities.
“When I’m with him during hunting season, it’s always in the back of his mind,” Earnhardt said. “It’s that stressful part of the year when he’s as miserable as he’s going to be.”
Now, with Truex stepping away from the track, Earnhardt looks forward to seeing a lighter, happier version of his long-time friend. Without the weight of weekly competition hanging over him, Truex might finally be able to relax and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle he cherishes.
“It’ll be fun to see him loosen up,” Earnhardt added.
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