From Serena's body double to her heir: Rising star Parks on her hero

Although Serena Williams (41) announced her retirement a few weeks ago, a young player greatly influenced by her is starting to shine on the tennis courts more and more. "I always looked up to her, she inspired me with her game. But I also like her because of her behaviour off the court," Parks told Flashscore News in an interview.

If Alycia Parks wanted to make an impression, she succeeded. She made it through qualifying, then gave former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova a beating, and for the first time in her life she defeated a top-10 player, Maria Sakkari. She fell just short against future winner Barbora Krejcikova. And that wasn't all. Together with Catherine McNally, she won the doubles tournament. 

Bottom line, including doubles - nine matches, eight wins, 67 aces, moving up 23 places in the singles rankings. But most importantly, she won the crowd with her demeanour and friendliness. She prayed after every match and never forgot the little tennis fans waiting for autographs.

You played some beautiful matches, beating top players. How will you remember the tournament in Ostrava?

"I am pleasantly surprised. The environment is great, the food especially. You know, I like to eat, so this is a big plus. The crowd at the tournament is nice, I would say that sometimes even too nice. But of course that means I had a good time playing here because I felt comfortable. That's how tournaments should be. And I know I'll definitely be back because the fans are amazing."

But let's go back to your beginnings. Did you want to be a tennis player from a young age?

"No, it definitely wasn't the plan, tennis wasn't really important to me for a long time. Nobody forced me into anything. It wasn't until I was in elementary school that my mom would pick me and my sister up and sometimes take us to the toy store. And I played with a tennis racket for so long that one day my mom brought home two rackets and three balls."

So you came to take tennis seriously on your own?

"Back then, my mom didn't want us to play outside and would take us to the neighbours' yard. But when she saw my sister and I hitting the balls back and forth really nicely, she asked us, 'Do you want to take tennis seriously or just play it for fun so you don't get bored over the summer?' And I already knew I wanted to play it professionally."

Then you met Serena Williams for the first time...

"Yeah, I was about eight-years-old, I don't really remember much. But I do remember her saying these positive things. Work on yourself, if you have a goal, take it seriously, keep going... So if I've made it this far, I guess it was good advice and she can be proud."

She has become more than just a tennis idol. What does she mean to you?

"I've always looked up to Serena. As a tennis player, she actually inspired me with her game. She has a great serve, which I also work on, we have similar playing styles overall. I try to be aggressive, that's a quality that plays a big part in my game. But I also like her because of her behaviour off the court. She's so amazing. So I just try to do that as well."

She announced her retirement a few weeks ago, how did you react?

"I was sad. That day was really special for me, emotional. I wanted to play against before she quit. That would probably be the fulfillment of a big dream of mine. Then I went to qualify for the US Open, but I couldn't make it to the main tournament. I'm sorry about that... But really, the day she announced the end, it was very sad for me."

As soon as Serena left, you started to shine. Don't you think that's a nice coincidence?

"I saw her play at the US Open and of course it sticks in one's mind. So then when I played my next match in Parma, I was rewatching it and thinking a little bit about how Serena might have played it. Here in Ostrava I think I learned from that and maybe that's why I'm really playing well all of a sudden."

Do you think Serena is watching you now? 

"I've actually done a couple of roles in commercials that were about her. So Serena probably knows I'm her double (laughs)."

How did that come about?

"To be honest, I don't know. I suspect that her agent called my dad at some point and said they needed a body double for shots of her silhouette, her body. And I guess I proved myself."

You see, you're successful off the tennis court. Do you think this success in Ostrava can also help the fashion brand you're building with your sister?

"I'm sure I've gained a lot of new fans now. So I believe they will also discover our website and maybe order those nice things to show their support. The AlyciaMikay clothing line is run by my sister. It's called after our names - you know my name and she's Mikaya, just Mikay."

What's next? What could your 2023 be like for you?

"My next tournament will be Guadalajara. I want to play three, four or five more tournaments before the end of this year. And it will be up to me if I can break the top 100 in the rankings to go to the main event at the Australian Open. That would be ideal for the beginning of next year."