Big wins in men’s tennis have been around Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, while in women’s tennis Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have all been Serena. Serena’s big rival in her tennis career was her sister Venus. The two met 31 times in singles matches. Serena won 19 matches and Venus won 12 matches.
Serena always walks with her shoulders back and her head held high. The look of the winner. I won the match in 3 sets. I knelt on the Wimbledon pool court and raised my hands. It was thought that Serena would extend her hand for a handshake. But they hugged me. It was not quite expected. The moment I forgot myself…’
These are the words of Maria Sharapova, Serena’s greatest rival of all time. In her autobiography, referring to the 2004 Wimbledon final, Sharapova wrote about how Serena was a winner even when she lost.
Serena was 17 years old when she won the US Open in 1999. Serena Williams has grown from being a tennis star to an icon as she leaves the same court after 23 years. The tennis gallery of the world stands up and applauds.
Tennis has always been gifted with historical arch-rivals. Martina Navratilova – Chris Evert, Martina – Steffigraf, Steffi – Monica Seles to name a few. But it was a horse medley, except for Sharapova’s weak challenge during Serena Williams’ days of dominance. Big wins in men’s tennis have been around Federer, Nadal and Djokovic, while in women’s tennis Federer, Nadal and Djokovic have all been Serena.
‘You don’t have to be beautiful to get people to watch the game. At the same time, if you are a great athlete, it does not mean that you are not a woman “- Martina’s sharp words sometimes seem to be more closely related to Serena’s life. Serena Williams is the first African-American woman to win a Grand Slam title in the Open era. But those journeys in tennis have not been smooth sailing. Serena, who faced her opponents ruthlessly on the court, has faced racial abuse many times off the court.
In 2001, Serena protested against the crowd who constantly booed her in the 2001 Indian Wells tennis finals, and later withdrew from the tournament 13 years later. Despite confirming her pregnancy, Serena, who went to the Australian Open and won the title, said out loud that women are not naturally weak. Oprah Winfrey, who hailed Serena as ‘shero’ as she put down her racket, and Michelle Obama, who wished her to continue the journey, are getting the pulse of those historic moments.
English Summary: Serena Williams Swan Song: Athletes, celebrities react to tennis legend’s retirement