Serena Williams may pack a knockout punch and be the greatest player ever to grace women’s tennis, according to Victoria Azarenka, but the world number two insists she is steadily closing the gap.
Azarenka suffered another bruising loss to the mighty American in the US Open final earlier this month in a repeat of the 2012 championship match in New York.
But the Belarusian quickly climbed off the canvas, saying she was over it in 24 hours.
“Serena is the best ever to me,” Azarenka said.
“I cannot judge somebody who I never played before but for me overall the game of tennis has elevated and the evolution of the game raised up so much that it’s hard to compare.
“It’s like comparing Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather,” the 24-year-old added.
“How can you compare two eras? They’re both the greatest in the world but who was the better boxer?”
Despite defeat at Flushing Meadows and the enduring brilliance of Williams, Azarenka was in a buoyant mood.
“Serena is playing the best tennis of her life and so am I,” she said.
“It’s been really noticeable the gap from last year we have in the matches has minimised. I’ve beaten her twice this year. No one else has done that.
“It’s just exciting to be in the era of somebody and competing with somebody who is considered the best ever and being their toughest opponent.”
Azarenka, who has held the world’s top ranking, called her 7-5 6-7 6-1 defeat at the US Open a “learning experience” but pointed to two victories over Williams in 2013 as evidence she had the game to threaten the dominance of the 17-time grand slam singles champion.
“Serena is always improving,” twice Australian Open champion Azarenka said of her nemesis, who turns 32 this week.
“This is the beauty of the competition. It’s a healthy competition and you have to rise to the occasion and really step it up (to) the next level if you want to be up there. Serena’s still not done.”
Azarenka, whose head-to-head record against Williams is still a lopsided 3-13, said of her latest schooling: “I was over it the next day.
“I have a 24-hour rule, win or lose. You have to get up and keep going.”
