Serena Williams had just defeated Lindsay Davenport in a grueling, three-set semifinal at the 1999 US Open. It was, at the time, the greatest win of the then-17-year-old’s career, sending her to the finals the following day against world No. 1, Martina Hingis.
The prospect of playing back-to-back matches that deep into a tournament usually sends players, even young ones, to physical therapy, a warm bath or a hotel room nap. Serena was too nervous for that, though.
Her first Grand Slam was there for the taking, so she brushed off the exhaustion, found a practice court and started hitting balls.