Black Tennis Pros

In her first interview since suffering a pulmonary embolism, Serena Williams spoke with Matt Lauer on Today

"Every day is better and better. I'm not doing much. I really haven't left the house recently."

She recalled that on Feb. 18, she "had a lot of swelling in my leg, which really is a tell-tale sign of an embolism, and I could not breathe." She just thought she "wasn't fit," but went to the emergency room.

Doctors at first,couldn't find anything, she said. But then one ordered a CAT scan of her lungs. "That's when they found several blood clots. They told me they had to check me in immediately or it wasn't going to be a good result."

A week later, she walked the red carpets at Oscar parties. "I had been through so much. I really was kind of low on energy," she said, but wanted to "do something to get my spirits up. I wasn't doing so well mentally. ... I was feeling terrible." So she went out. And wound up in the hospital the next day, Feb. 28, because of a large hematoma in her stomach. A hematoma is a gathering of blood underneath the skin, Lauer explained.

"I'm on blood thinner injections. I inject myself twice a day," she said. "I apparently must have hit something, ... so what started out as a golf ball ended up being the size of a grapefruit." At the hospital she was told it couldn't be drained; it had to be surgically removed.

Did this all stem from her initial foot problem after stepping on glass last year? She said, "Yes, and not moving and doing as much as I normally do and flying back and forth a lot."

What are doctors telling her now? "I'm just taking it one day at a time. My lungs are fairly healthy and I'm on the road to recovering." She said she's still hoping to return to tennis this summer. "I want to come back and be able to do well."

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STANFORD, Calif. — "Shhhh," hushed Serena Williams when asked about the rankings system in women's tennis that seems askew with public perception. "They already think I'm No. 1."

The computer, however, says otherwise.

Despite winning three of the last four majors, No. 2 Williams sits behind Dinara Safina of Russia by a substantial 1,742 points. Safina supplanted Williams atop the rankings in April but has never won a Grand Slam title.

That rankings dissonance continued to spark debate at the Bank of the West Classic here as Williams geared up for her first event since winning a third Wimbledon title.

"The only thing that gets under my skin is that everyone keeps talking about it and so now people know that I'm not No. 1," laughed Williams, who opened her summer hardcourt campaign Tuesday night with a 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) victory against Li Na of China.

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By Kelly Carter, special for USA TODAY

Venus Williams, the two-time defending Wimbledon singles champion and reigning doubles champ, begins her quest for her sixth Wimbledon singles trophy and eighth Grand Slam singles title when the tournament gets underway June 22 at the All England Club. The world's third-ranked player circles the globe on an annual basis and shares her travel highlights and tips with USA TODAY.

Q: Where have you been recently that you liked or were surprised by?

A: I went to the (Florida) Keys to Little Palm Island. It's really quiet and there are no TVs so you really have to have your books ready. And you have to be ready to get into the water. It was cool. I did two dives there. I'm now a scuba diver. I had been taking classes but I never got a chance to dive. I've never gone on vacation before. Since I travel so much, I really just want to be at home.

Q: What's the best place you've ever visited?

A: The best place is when I go to the Olympics. I went to Sydney, Athens and Beijing. Those are the best times. The whole city is magical. Everybody is happy and really enjoying the city. Olympics transform a city. I don't have a chance to see much. In Athens I had just one or two days. I went to the Plaka and to see the Acropolis, which for me was probably one of the most impressive things I've seen. In Beijing the Bird's Nest was just awesome. Those two were my most impressive sights — and St. Basil's church in Moscow.

When I lost early in Moscow I went to Crete (in Greece). It was really cool. There are so many things you can see there like the ruins. I stayed at the Blue Palace and it was fantastic — plus they have tennis courts. Little did they know my dog was staying there too. He's a Havanese and his name is Harold. He's so quiet and I took him everywhere I went. I was fighting for him too. They were telling me I couldn't take him on the airplane. I paid them some money.

Q: What's the most surprising/unexpected place you're ever visited?

A: Slovenia. It's really beautiful. I went to Portoroz. It's right by the Italian border and really pretty. Every day I took walks. It's so strange when you go to these places. I'm walking down the street and people are honking their horns. I'm like, "I didn't think anybody cared about me in this part of the world" but they do. It was pretty funny. I was actually there playing but I only played on the weekends. During the week I went shopping and took walks. There's not a ton to see there but it's a nice seaside town that is really pretty and relaxed.

Q: What's your favorite vacation spot?

A: I like Kauai. I went there after the Keys on a fitness vacation. It was me, my two sisters, Lyndrea and Isha, and my mom. We did yoga in the morning and mat pilates then we went on hikes and went to the beach. We had the chef cook us meals. It was great that my family was there.

Q: Can you offer an insider tip or recommendation for your favorite vacation place?

A: Stay at the Acapulco Princess in Acapulco. I went this year but I was playing. It was really nice and really pretty. You're so happy every morning when you wake up. I was actually lying in bed and I thought, I need a vacation. And then I realized I'm in Acapulco. Everybody else is vacationing except for me.

In Hawaii I would recommend, if you can, to rent a house. And I would recommend going see the Waimea Canyon.

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Since turning pro within a year of each other nearly a decade ago, Andy Roddick and James Blake have become friends and travel partners, shared Davis Cup duties and carried American hopes on their backs.

But the best male players of the current generation have taken a radically different approach when it comes to the voice in their ears.

Since joining the circuit in 2000, the cannon-serving, forthright Roddick has engaged no less than seven coaches on a part- or full-time basis. Blake, who spent two years at Harvard before jumping to the pros in 1999, has had one.

"I've always said about tennis, it's a very individual sport," 13th-ranked Blake said in a conference call last month. "What works for one will never work for another."

Roddick and Blake will be vying for the BNP Paribas Open title at Indian Wells, Calif., during the next 10 days

"I don't think it was a conscious decision or anything I set out at 18 years old" to have so many different voices over the course of the career, Roddick says. "I don't think it's something that you can generalize."

Roddick began his 2009 campaign with new coach Larry Stefanki, a former pro and veteran coach who has worked with a number of top players. Stefanki replaced Jimmy Connors, who Roddick parted ways with last spring.

Blake is in Indian Wells with Brian Barker, the only coach he has had since age 11.

Blake is much more the exception than the rule. Most players switch coaches throughout their playing days as priorities change and relationships become stale. Compensation, travel and logistics also play a role.

Finding the right mix can be tricky, as Roger Federer learned last week. The Swiss No. 2 could not come to terms with former pro and ESPN commentator Darren Cahill after inviting him for a trial run to his second home in Dubai last week. Cahill, with two young children, didn't want to travel as much as Federer required.

Both Americans say there are pros and cons to their different approaches.

"For me, I would not be nearly as successful with someone that didn't know me as a person, and know my strengths and weaknesses on the court," says Blake, who at 29 has finished in the top 10 two of the last three years.

Roddick joked that mimicking Blake would "require me finding a coach that could put up with me for nine years."

Blake praised Barker for knowing the nuances of his game and for being as much friend as mentor, as when he supported Blake through his comeback in 2004 following a broken neck, the death of his father and a vision-blurring disease.

"I credit him with making me the best player I can possibly be, and absolutely maximizing my potential," says Blake, adding that "we are going to be friends for life, that's not even a question."

"One of the things that makes our bond strong is that there have been so many ups and downs," Barker says.

Former No. 1 Roddick, 26, likes to pick the brain of some of game's best minds, and it has often paid quick dividends.

He rode his early association with Brad Gilbert in 2003 by storming through the summer hardcourt swing and winning the U.S. Open. He has also started strong with Stefanki, reaching the Australian Open semifinals and winning last month's indoor tournament at Memphis.

"There's been a couple of times in my career where it's really jump-started my playing just by having a fresh voice," Roddick says.

The downside is the getting-to-know-you process, along with periods of transition.

"Obviously, continuity is a good thing, and there have certainly been times where I've been without someone or in transition and you're just kind of trying to make due," Roddick said.

With 37 titles and a Davis Cup championship between them, the two Americans must be doing something right, even if they have chosen opposing coaching paths.

"If he had the same coach the whole time he wouldn't be as good as he is, said Blake of Roddick. "If I had changed coaches, the way he has, I wouldn't be as good."

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American super twins Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan got the job done in Birmingham, Alabama today by chalking up a 6-3 6-4 3-6 7-6(2) win over the Swiss doubles team of Yves Allegro and Stanislas Wawrinka. The USA takes a 2-1 lead over Switzerland.

This win gives the Bryans their 15th out of 17 Davis Cup match wins. They now become the most winning doubles team in US Davis Cup history.

Mike Bryan said, “obviously it feels very good to be considered one of the best US doubles teams. We have a lot of respect for teams like McEnroe-Fleming and Flach-Seguso, guys like that, but we just do what we do and treat every match like a grand slam final and put everything into it and here we are six years later, we have 15 wins and being considered one of the best teams.”

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The United States and Switzerland draw even at 1-1 in the first round of 2009 Davis Cup play.

In the first rubber, after an impressive first set, James Blake was defeated by Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-7(3).

The second rubber paired Andy Roddick against Marco Chiudinelli whom Roddick defeated 6-1, 6-3, 7-6(5). This win brought Roddick his 30th Davis Cup victory, tying him in total wins with Andre Agassi in sixth place in American Davis Cup history.

Tomorrow’s doubles line-up will feature Bob and Mike Bryan against Yves Allegro and Wawrinka. The USA is favored against the team even with Wawrinka having won the Olympic gold medal in doubles with Roger Federer, beating the Bryan brothers in route to the final.

On Sunday in reverse rubbers, Roddick will face Wawrinka in the opening singles followed by Blake against Chiudinelli.

Photos by AP/Getty Images

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I woke up Wednesday morning at 3 a.m. to watch history. I was thinking: How am I going to see the inauguration, I am all the way in Australia? But I knew that I wanted to see history. And I did. Wow! All the people there standing there to watch President-elect Barack Obama become president was simply breathtaking. All these people bringing their little kids to see something they won't remember, but yet having the ability to say they were there. I was not there, but I felt and saw every moment.

Being here in Australia for the Aussie Open is the only reason why I was not there. Tennis makes the athletes travel so much. We travel 11 months out of the year on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, but I get such a rush and such a joy out of traveling to six continents while doing something I love — playing tennis.

My first-round match here was one I will remember. I was told it was over 115 degrees on the court. It was so hot that I forced my breathing to become shallow, to not over-extend too much energy gasping for air. My throat was clogged with dryness. I was desperate for water before the allotted two-game break and remember telling myself, "Serena, after this point you get some water." Indeed I did get water only to restart in the dry, excruciating heat.

I looked over at my opponent (Yuan Meng of China) while on the changeover to see how she was handling it, and she seemed to have succumbed to the heat. She was bent over with her head between her knees trying to keep cool. Finally after an hour and 20 minutes it was over. I won, but you did not see the usual Serena Williams after-match celebration. Just the Serena "happy to have won" and even happier to run out of the heat. What was even more interesting is that not 20 minutes after my match was finished the temperature dropped 20 degrees. Can you believe it? I always say if it weren't for bad luck I would not have any luck at all! LOL. I like to believe that someone or something wants me to be ready for the long haul. Hmmm.

Off the court has been a challenge. You see I am doing so many things it's simply crazy. I don't know how I manage it. I love to write, and I am in the middle of writing a book about my life. Now wait — this is not a memoir with a "capital M," it is actually a mix with a motivational piece. I have gone through so many things in my yet-young life, but I love helping people and I would love to have the opportunity to motivate others. So just this week I got a package of 500 pages of the book redone that I have to reread, re-mark up and rewrite. I love to be 100% hands on, but it's so much that I think that it's intimidating me! I want people to read my book and be motivated and laugh their hearts out when they read. So every night I write a bit more and correct more of the work. It's hard work, but in the end I hope it will be worth it.

That is just one of the things that I am doing. Also this week I got a massive package from my new clothing line which I will be debuting in April on HSN called the Serena Williams Signature collection. I just did a photo shoot, and I have to go through all of the photos which is over 2,000 of the ones I like, dislike, what to use, where and more! What a task!

I am debuting a jewelry collection, a handbag collection and some apparel. I am so excited to be doing this because I love fashion and I love clothes. I went to fashion school to learn to be a better designer for more than two years! Finally it seems like my diligence is paying off. What I love most about this collection are the price points. I want them to be competitive so everyone can look good, and not pay thousands of dollars to do so!!

I feel so blessed and so honored to have the opportunity to do different things.

Venus and I are also playing doubles, too!

I am sitting in the locker room right now just before we go onto the court for our game (a first-round victory against Svetlana Kuznetsova and Nadia Petrova), but I'm thinking now I should get ready to play — besides Venus is giving me the eye, and all little sisters knows when big sisters give you the eye, you better do what they want you to do.

With that being said I must go until next time!

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Earlier today one of my regular readers, Hasheem, brought it to my attention that Rodney Harmon, former Men's High Performance Director at the USTA, had been let go. Of course my curiosity was peaked, as Rodney Harmon just recently served as the USA Olympic Men's Team Head Coach.

My research turned up this USA Today article that is very involved, and among a lot of other things, reports the following:

"The USTA has been in supplemental-type coaching, but now we are putting ourselves on the line for players who want to be part of the program," says Patrick McEnroe, who was hired in April to oversee the elite development program along with his duties as U.S. Davis Cup captain. "We want to have more people out there working together on a common cause to find talent that will be playing at the U.S. Open one day."

McEnroe, an easy-going consensus builder but hard-nosed decision maker, has not wasted time in shaking up the staff and hiring new blood.

Last month he removed men's high performance director Rodney Harmon and women's director Jean Nachand; they will be replaced by Jay Berger and Ola Malmqvist, who were both promoted from within the USTA coaching ranks. McEnroe has let go of several other coaches, mostly at the USTA's West Coast training site in Carson, Calif. In September he brought in former top-10 player Jose Higueras as director of coaching for the program.

USTA chief executive of professional tennis Arlen Kantarian, who hired McEnroe and oversaw development, is leaving, too.

Once content to let private academies such as Bollettieri/IMG churn out another Andre Agassi or hope superstars like the Williams sisters would emerge from the inner city or suburbs, the USTA now runs a full-time boarding program in Boca Raton, Fla., in conjunction with the Evert Tennis Academy, where the country's best juniors can live, train and go to school — all for free.

Another part of the article states:

For the first time since 2002, both Venus and Serena Williams are competing this week in the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships as two of the eight qualifiers in the season finale. Next week Andy Roddick will tee up American hopes in Shanghai, having reached the season-ending Masters Cup for a sixth consecutive year.

Those strengths of U.S. tennis, however, can't hide the glaring weakness in the next generation.

"I don't think we're on the right track," eighth-ranked Venus Williams said Monday of the flagging U.S. fortunes. "I'm not sure what track we should be on, but it does seem like we should be able to produce some players, especially with our history throughout the game. … So hopefully we can figure it out soon, because we can also see the sport waning some in the U.S., which wouldn't be good."

Beyond Venus, 28, and Serena, 27, the drop-off for U.S. women is precipitous. No other Americans are in the top 35, and just five occupy slots in the top 100. None is younger than 23. That's a far cry from the 1980s, when U.S. women represented half or more of the year-end top 10 seven times between 1980-88.

Sixth-ranked Roddick, 26, remains an elite mainstay along with late bloomer James Blake, who is ranked No. 10 and turns 29 next month. Of the remaining seven men in the top 100, only 21-year-olds Sam Querrey (No. 40) and Jesse Levine (No. 94) are under the age of 26.

This is an extensive article and offers a lot more, to read it in its entirety click here.

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