Not even GOATs know it all.
23-time Grand Slam winner and seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams is one of the greatest players in the history of the game.
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Williams sisters won 12 Wimbledon singles titles between themCredit: AFP
When it come to tennis, she’s been there, done it, got the t-shirt and won the titles.
But even she was not aware of one particular rule and found out the hard way during a match at The All England Club in 2019.
The incident occurred during the American’s 6-2 6-2 win over Carla Saurez Navarro on Court 1.
It was a routine victory that served up a unique moment when Serena broke an unusual rule and forfeited a point.
In the seventh game of the first set, Williams leaned over the net to hit a volley and was immediately penalised by the umpire who awarded the point to Navarro.
“[My racquet] was definitely over but I thought that was OK?” Serena asked.
However, according to the ITF’s rule 24, a player loses a point if “the player hits the ball before it has passed the net” – which is why the umpire correctly gave the point to Navarro.
“I definitely didn’t realise it was a rule,” Williams admitted afterwards.
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Serena later admitted she had no idea about the net ruleCredit: Paul Edwards – The Sun
“But I absolutely did have my hand over, so she definitely made the right call. I feel like I may have done that before like in doubles.
“I’m glad [that it got called] because I don’t want to make that mistake in our ‘Murena’ [the nickname for her doubles partnership with Andy Murray] doubles match. I’m glad that happened here.”
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“I don’t think about it. I guess it should be on your side of the court,” she went on when asked about her thoughts on the rule.
“I guess if it bounced on your side and flipped back over, then you can reach over. That’s what I was thinking of.
“But it didn’t bounce on my side and go back over, so yeah, I think it’s a good rule. It’s tennis. I should know the rules.”
If it makes Serena feel any better, she’s not the only Williams sister to fall foul of Wimbledon’s rigid rules.
Big sister Venus violated Wimbledon’s strict ‘all-white’ rule when she sported a hot pink bra during a win over Elise Mertens in the first round of the 2017 championships.
The vibrant bra straps, which were clearly on show, broke The All England Lawn Tennis Club’s (AELTC) rules that players must wear an entirely white outfit, including undergarments.
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Venus’ pink bra broke Wimbledon’s ‘all-white’ ruleCredit: Getty Images – Getty
“Any undergarments that either are or can be visible during play (including due to perspiration) must also be completely white except for a single trim of colour no wider than one centimetre (10mm)”.
After a short rain delay, Venus reappeared from the locker room in a different bra and top.
She was later asked about the incident, commenting: “Yeah, so I don’t want to talk about undergarments. It’s kind of awkward for me. I’ll leave that to you. You can talk about it with your friends. I’m going to pass.”
The Williams sisters are undeniable trailblazers and fashion icons, with Serena in particular pushing the boundaries over the years.
She forced a French Open rule change with her all-black ‘superhero’outfit in 2018 and on several occasions skirted with breaking the outfit rules at Wimbledon.
Williams caused a stir in 2012 when she sported a purple headband during her first two rounds at Wimbledon.
All outfits are inspected prior to the tournament, and the referee has the final say on the fashion choice the day of the match. They obviously felt Serena’s bold headband didn’t break any rules.
She also wore a pair of hot pink tie-dye leggings during 2011 while taking a few serves on the practice court.
Fortunately for Williams, Wimbledon’s all-white dress code doesn’t apply to warm-ups, and she got away with it.
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