Alycia Parks: The tennis prodigy being tipped to follow in Serena Williams' footsteps
The USA tennis prodigy has rocketed up the WTA world rankings as she reached the top-50 at the end of February. Pundits are drawing comparisons between her serve and Serena Williams', but their similarities don't end there. Find out more below.
Tennis
USA tennis may have a new star on its hands, and her name is Alycia Parks.
Having sat outside of the top-200 of the WTA rankings last season, the 22-year-old has soared up in recent weeks making the top-50 at the end of February.
That is mainly due to some impressive WTA 125 wins in Andorra and France, followed by a maiden tour-level victory in Lyon, where she shocked top seed Caroline Garcia in the final.
It was a performance that had four-time Grand Slam doubles winner and four-time Olympian Rennae Stubbs comparing Parks’ serve to ‘peak Serena Williams’ - a platitude that no one would take lightly.
“Her serve is, I’m telling you, when they’re coming at me… Oh my God, it’s like peak Serena, that’s how good her serve is when it goes in,” she said on The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast.
“I’m telling you, she’s a potential top-10 player within the next 12 months. She’s got to keep her body healthy. She’s a strong girl, really wants it, she has a great head on her shoulders.
“She has every power tool in the world, and without question can be a Grand Slam champion one day if she keeps putting the work in. She is good, really good.”
The comparison to London 2012 singles Olympic champion Serena Williams goes, in fact, much further than simply having a similar serve.
In her teenage years, Parks acted as the 23-time Grand Slam winner’s body double in a Gatorade commercial.
Then there is Rick Macci, the legendary tennis coach who worked with both the Williams’ and Parks, while Serena’s former hitting-partner Jarmere Jenkins now works in the Parks camp.
Alycia Parks: Modelled on Serena and Venus Williams
Parks has also been linked to Venus Williams.
At the 2021 US Open, Parks tied the record for the fastest serve at the tournament by a woman ever, matching the elder Williams sister’s 129 mph bomb. It was also the fifth fastest serve ever on the WTA Tour.
Parks got to hit with both of the Williams sisters at the US Open, both of whom she modelled her game on growing up.
“It felt good at the US Open that I got to hit with both of them,” she told the Palm Beach Post..
“Serena especially, because I look up to Serena. She's the GOAT of tennis. What can you do besides look up to her? She's literally tennis.”
“I pattern myself after Serena because of her serve, but I also like Venus’ movement.”
"I do see myself in the top 10 next year, which is pretty high, but it's definitely doable. So I think top 10 next year is a goal for me.
Atlanta-born Parks has also shown glimpses of Williams' mental strength.
Despite slamming down 15 aces and winning 85% of her first-serve points against Garcia, perhaps the most impressive part of the performance was when she saved a set point at 7-6 down in the first-set tie-break against a vastly more experienced opponent with 11 WTA titles.
But for all the power strokes and fanfare surrounding her rise, the real secret to Parks is her determination on the court and strict discipline off it.
"So just staying within myself, and fighting for every point, and that got me through the match,” Parks said after.
“The key to a successful week for me was keeping the same routine. I wake up around the same time every morning, and eat the same breakfast, same dinner. Basically just doing the same routine, try to make it a habit if it’s working."
Alycia Parks: Can she make the next leap?
Progress is rarely a linear thing, and Parks found that out first-hand in her next WTA event, and the first outdoor tournament of the year, the Austin Open.
With expectation building upon her young shoulders, the seventh seed fell 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to un-seeded Swede Mirjam Bjorklund in the opening round.
Despite the result, Parks’ trademark serves were on display, recording a whopping 14 aces to Bjorklund's none. But that good work was then undermined by 11 double-faults to her opponent’s one.
Unperturbed, Parks teamed up with 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens in the doubles. After a successful first match, the USA were beaten in the quarter-finals.
Another legendary tennis coach in Brad Gilbert - who mentored Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick and Andy Murray - highlighted the point that Parks must find a way to keep improving after her win in Lyon.
“Now she's (No.) 50 in the world, now she's on people's radar, now can she make that next leap? That's the beauty of tennis, the beauty of sports. She wasn't on the radar, now people know what she's doing. Can she get better from here?” he said.
Stephens and Serena Williams - who both secured Grand Slam victories in 2017 - are marked out by their ability to adapt and conquer.
If Parks can follow their lead and replicate her indoor form outdoors, there is no reason for the comparisons to stop.