Serena Williams: 5 Reasons Tennis Superstar Will Fall Short of Wimbledon Victory

Serena Williams is a shell of her former self.

As a competitor, the 13-time singles grand slam champion pales in comparison to her former No. 1 player in the world self. If Williams pulls off an upset in the 2012 Wimbledon, it’d be an absolute shocker. Here are five reasons why she won’t pull it off.

5. Olympic Distraction

Forget grand slams. A gold medal in the Summer Olympics is the crown jewel for tennis players. Williams of all people—a two-time gold medalist—knows this.

By the time the next Olympics rolls around, she’ll be 34 years old. This summer will be her last chance to compete for Team USA. You better believe that’s in the back of her mind right now.

4. French Open Hangover

Williams didn’t enter Wimbledon with the ideal momentum. Before coming to London, she laid an egg in the French Open. Serena was eliminated by Virginie Razzano, the 111th-ranked played in the world, in the first round at Roland Garros.

No matter how tough of a competitor she is, her confidence can’t be too high after such a letdown.

3. Brutal Draw

In the next two rounds, Williams is scheduled to face off against Jie Zheng and the winner of Yaroslava Shvedova and Sara Errani.

Zheng is the 25th-ranked player in the world. Given that Serena has already shown that she’s susceptible to being upset by a player ranked outside the top 100, Zheng is a major threat.

If Williams survives, she’ll most likely face off against Errani. The 25-year old Italian is currently ranked No. 10 in the world after fighting her way to the French Open final. Serena couldn't have a much tougher route to the championship match.

2. Age

Serena is 30 years old. She’s in the second half of her career and on the decline. Many believe that retirement is on her radar.

Williams hasn’t won a single grand slam since 2010. And given that she turns 31 in September, there’s no reason to think that she’ll shake her age in this tournament after such a drought.

1. Sharapova Is Too Good

Williams can’t beat Maria Sharapova.

Right now, Sharapova is the most talented women’s player in the world and coming off of a French Open triumph, she’s confident. That isn’t a favorable combination for her opponents.

A 17-year old Sharapova defeated Serena in the title in 2004 and eight years later, a matchup between the two wouldn’t end any differently.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

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