Wimbledon champion Serena Williams is banking on home advantage to give her the edge when she bids to complete the elusive calendar Grand Slam at the U.S. Open in September.
The world No.1 claimed her sixth Wimbledon title and the so-called Serena Slam in London last Saturday as she wrapped up a straight-sets victory over Spain's Garbine Muguruza on Centre Court.
Victory at the All England Club means Williams holds all four major titles at once, but the American has the chance to seal four Grand Slam wins in a single year at Flushing Meadows, where she hopes to be spurred on by a partisan crowd.
"It would be amazing to have this opportunity to go into New York, being an American, with that amazing New York crowd," Williams told British newspapers. "Hopefully people will be cheering me on to push me over the edge, give me that extra strength I need to go for this historic moment.
"That would be great. And I think in a way, it also makes thing easier for me because I feel like I have nothing to lose.
Williams swatted aside the 21-year-old Muguruza with a 6-4 6-4 victory despite not finding her best serving form and the American can equal Steffi Graf's mark of 22 major wins in New York later this summer, also drawing level with Chris Evert's four consecutive US Open victories.
While the Serena Slam is nothing new for Williams - the 33-year-old completed her first clean sweep in 2003 - she admitted a Calendar Slam poses a slightly more daunting challenge.
"I guess there is a difference," said Williams, when asked if it the Calendar Slam would be tougher to complete than the Serena version. "You can't be disappointed with winning all four in a row - all four trophies are at my house right now so that's kind of cool. And that's definitely different.
"But [as for the Calendar Slam] because of what everyone says and what everyone writes and seeing it as the ultimate so obviously you can't help but see it that way too. There's a reason it's been 27 years since it's been done. I mean, it's not the easiest thing to do."
Currently basking in the glory of her Wimbledon success, Williams insisted it would soon be back to business ahead of her U.S. Open tilt. She famously placed a ban on questions regarding the Serena Slam at SW19 and hinted she could be forced to do the same for the calendar bid going into New York.
"I'm really nice right now but sooner or later it's going on a ban because I can't think about that," she said. "I have to go into New York thinking, 'Listen, I want to win the US Open, I want to defend my title.' And that's the only reason I want to be there. "I want to go in that locker room and take my famous picture on my knees and hold up that No.4 [her fourth successive U.S. Open title]. That's what I want to do. And that's how I got through this.
"It wasn't about winning the Serena slam, it was about winning Wimbledon. I hadn't won here in a while, I really wanted to win this title and that's the same mind frame I want to go into the next grand slam."