Serena Williams rallied back from a first-set 6-0 loss to Flavia Pennetta at the Hopman Cup on Monday to win her match 0-6, 6-3, 6-0. The secret to the comeback? Espresso.
No, seriously. After losing the first set, Williams called the chair umpire over to ask him if she could get an espresso. You could see her saying “I’m dead” while explaining to the umpire that she was lacking energy. And, wouldn’t you know it, the ball girl scampered over with the magic beverage.
“I’m so jet lagged and Flavia played really, really well. And yeah, everyone needs coffee every now and then,” Williams explained after her win. “I needed coffee to get my feet moving.
“I just asked them to get me a shot of espresso. I asked them if it was legal, because I’ve never done it before. I am a coffee drinker. I didn’t have mine this morning and I was just feeling it, so I just had to get some coffee into me.”
It must have worked.
After drinking the espresso (while shielding herself with a towel), Williams dropped just three more games the rest of the way. She also went on to win her mixed doubles match alongside John Isner.
As strange as Monday’s events were, you could argue that we have seen stranger things from Serena in the middle of a match. Even so, that has to be the first time a player has down an espresso on the court.
Video via Twitter/Hopman Cup
