Alycia Parks(left) and Serena Williams(right)
Alycia Parks and her family recalled when a simple phone call by Serena Williams left them awestruck and deeply inspired.
The World No. 82 has been open about drawing inspiration from Williams both on and off-court. Some tennis fans have even begun drawing parellels to the duo’s on-court antics.
In a short clip posted by the Tennis Channel on social media, Parks recalled a “very positive” phone call she received from the 23-time Grand Slam champion.
“I remember getting a call from Serena, just talking to her on the phone. I don’t remember exactly what she said but they were very positive words,” Parks said as per the video posted by the Tennis Channel on X (formerly Twitter).
Alycia Parks and her family discuss Serena's big impact on their lives ❤️#TenniStory pic.twitter.com/YpPenFs8Ct
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) January 17, 2024
Alycia Parks’ sister Mikayla also shared in the video that the phone call came when they were in a car, so the family could hear Williams on speaker phone.
The 23-year-old’s father and coach Michael Parks closed the video by highlighting how much Serena Williams’ words meant to them.
“Honestly Serena made a big difference in their lives by calling. They knew they could beat anyone or they can accomplish anything. And she told her to play hard and stay with her goals. So that meant a lot to us.”
Alycia Parks will next lock horns with compatriot Coco Gauff in the third round of the Australian Open 2024.
Alycia Parks overcomes Leylah Fernandez to reach R3 of Australian Open
Alycia Parks upset 32nd seed Leylah Fernandez to book her spot in the third round of the Australian Open for the first time.
The American is gunning for a deep run in her debut at the Happy Slam. She overcame Ukraine’s Daria Snigur 2-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the opening round, setting up the second-round encounter with Fernandez.
In an on-court interview after her second round win, Parks spoke about her experience of reaching the third round of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career.
“Yes, this is my first time making the third round of a Slam. It’s pretty exciting because I worked so hard in the pre-season and to actually come out and get the results that I am looking for, it means a lot to me,” she said. [at 00:11]
Parks has a tough challenge ahead in the form of reigning US Open champion Coco Gauff as her next opponent. The duo will face each other in the third round of the Australian Open on Friday, January 19.
