Serena Williams' childhood coach Rick Macci believes it is "certain" that Cori Gauff and Alycia Parks will one day become Grand Slam champions. Gauff, 18, is already a Grand Slam finalist, having lost to Iga Swiatek in the 2022 French Open final.
On the flip side, Parks, 22, has been on the rise in recent months. Last week, Parks captured her first WTA title after defeating Caroline Garcia in the final in Lyon. "Everyone around the world asks me about Alycia Parks Coco and Serena and to compare.
Alycia and Coco will win Grand Slams for sure. The only COMPTON COMET for sure is already 23," Macci tweeted. Gauff is already one of the best players in the game, while Parks looks like someone who definitely has the potential to do big things.
In five matches played in Lyon last week, Parks served a total of 52 aces. Rennae Stubbs, who worked with Williams as her coach/advisor during the US Open, sees some similarities between Parks' and Williams' serves. "Her serve is, I'm telling you, when they come at me.
My God, it's like Serena's spike, that's how good her serve is when she comes in. I'm telling you, she's a potential top-10 player in the next 12 months. She obviously has to keep her body healthy. She is a strong girl, she has a lot of drive and a great head on her shoulders.
She believes that she has great talent and great potential. She has all the tools in the world, and without a doubt she can be a Grand Slam champion one day if she keeps working hard. It's good, very good," Stubbs said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.
It remains to be seen if Parks can also make his first major Grand Slam run this year.
Serena is desirous of expanding her family
Serena Williams has opened up about why she chose to retire despite being healthy and good enough to have continued for a while.
"I don't want it to be over, but at the same time I'm ready for what's next. I for sure feel more at peace now. It's interesting. I think I feel torn because I'm still able to play at a very, very, very high level." She said: "With that being said, I always wanted to leave the game playing at a very high level.
But it's hard because it's like, 'Oh my gosh, I could still play, and I could still do all that stuff.' ....But I'm inch by inch leaning away, inch by inch embracing it."