Jack Romeo
Professional
Just read in Jon Wertheim's SI.com mailbag column that he heard from a supposed source that Serena had actually not been training hard recently and had gained "significant weight" since Charleston.
I'm not so sure I believe all of this because Serena doesn't wear loose/baggy clothing so if she did gain "significant weight" it would show. She has the body type that quickly manifests any such changes in her weight. For the record, I also think that Petra Kvitova may have gained weight recently and doesn't seem to be in peak physical condition as well (although her case may be related to not being able to train due to illness and injuries).
The part about Serena not being in condition is more believable. If she didn't train the way people thought she was, then it's not surprising that her form would fluctuate. The fact that she was on a clay court winning streak and beat the top 2 players along the way handily speaks to (1) her talent, (2) momentum, and (3) the fact that her game matched up well against both maria and vika on a court that favored her game. The factor about being injured in Rome could be ignored. Serena did say after the Razzano match that she didn't feel anything physically and was 100% healthy. But being healthy and injury-free is different from being in top condition. So if she really wasn't in peak condition, it shouldn't be surprising that she was on a winning streak and it was finally snapped, because, then, it would just be a matter of time.
I'm not so sure I believe all of this because Serena doesn't wear loose/baggy clothing so if she did gain "significant weight" it would show. She has the body type that quickly manifests any such changes in her weight. For the record, I also think that Petra Kvitova may have gained weight recently and doesn't seem to be in peak physical condition as well (although her case may be related to not being able to train due to illness and injuries).
The part about Serena not being in condition is more believable. If she didn't train the way people thought she was, then it's not surprising that her form would fluctuate. The fact that she was on a clay court winning streak and beat the top 2 players along the way handily speaks to (1) her talent, (2) momentum, and (3) the fact that her game matched up well against both maria and vika on a court that favored her game. The factor about being injured in Rome could be ignored. Serena did say after the Razzano match that she didn't feel anything physically and was 100% healthy. But being healthy and injury-free is different from being in top condition. So if she really wasn't in peak condition, it shouldn't be surprising that she was on a winning streak and it was finally snapped, because, then, it would just be a matter of time.