A legendary phone call from Serena Williams lit a fire for Alycia Parks! The 23-year-old American has made it known that she wants to play on the same court as Williams. Parks recently began her journey to kickstart the French Open in full swing and received recognition from Serena’s elder sister, Venus Williams.
Since the Madrid Open, while the young American struggled to keep up her form, she started off her French Open run with a victory. She defeated Manon Leonard in the qualifying round while trying to make her place in the main draw of the event.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion posted a video of her screen in which she was watching the young American play, encouraging the 23-year-old on her Instagram stories. Rather than playing herself, she supported her favorite players from her couch while sharing a video, staying connected to the event itself. Along with that, she wrote, “watching @alyciaparks SHINE,”
Apparently, the 43-year-old American tennis legend didn’t receive a wildcard for the clay-court Grand Slam event, because of which she is not able to attend as a participant. On the other hand, while it’s a good day for Parks, as she started off her run with a victory, receiving acknowledgment from her idol’s sister, was not on her list.
The 42-year-old legend contacted her and her sister Mikayla when they were much younger, and Parks remembered the call well, having received it earlier this year. In an interview with Tennis Channel, she said, “I remember getting a call from Serena… I don’t remember exactly what she said, but they were very positive words,”
Michael Parks, the father of the park, continued, “Serena’s call had a significant impact on their lives. They knew they could beat anyone or accomplish anything – she told her to play hard and stay with her goals.” But the 23-time Grand Slam winner’s impact can be seen off the court as well. Parks donned a “Queen” necklace from Williams’ jewelry line at the Lyon Open in the previous year. In the process of winning her first WTA title and defeating top seed and hometown audience favorite Caroline Garcia, Parks made this poignant gesture.
The American tennis player celebrated her win in Lyon by posting a number of photos to her Instagram account, one of which had her wearing a “Queen” necklace as a nod to Serena Williams, her tennis idol. She was sure to give Serena Williams the credit when she accepted her first championship.
The jewelry line’s official page posted a picture of Parks wearing the necklace and her WTA trophy on their Instagram story. “QUEEN things” and “shining in our ‘QUEEN’ ID necklace” were written in the caption. This demonstrated the close relationship between Parks and the 23-time Grand Slam winner and his first career victory in Lyon.
