Honoring The Legend: Cementing Serena - Issue #1
Honoring the greatest female athlete of all-time Serena Williams.
Written by Dove Sallow
I struggled to sleep last night as my body tried to catch up to what my mind already knew - that Serena Williams could be playing her last professional tennis match within hours time. Ever since she announced her retirement, I’ve had a difficult time coming to peace with it. Not just as a Serena fan, but as a fan of tennis, as a fan of sport, as a fan of female empowerment - her victories have been mine. I have lived through every grand slam victory as well as the bitter losses. As I’m sure so many others feel, she has been my champion for so many reasons.
Serena has had a 27 year-long career that spanned almost 3 decades of dominance - 23 grand slam singles titles (the most in the open era), 10+ grand slams in 2 separate decades, the most grand slam matches won (365), the oldest grand slam champion at age 35 years and 4 months, 73 career titles, and so much more. But beyond records and numbers, what does it mean to truly be “Serena”? There are great tennis players (Maria Sharapova, Justin Henin, Kim Clijsters), and then there is the greatest champion to ever play the sport. Serena did not just win grand slams and win big titles in abundance like her peers… she had a career that was utterly dominant. When looking at the men’s tour, there is a very close race between Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Roger Federer for the most grand slams. Fans of these men debate and argue about who is the greatest male player among the three, but the reality is that not one of those men has dominated their era.
When looking at the players Serena competed against over the last 27 years, Serena dominated in the grand slam category by more than double what any of her peers could produce. Monica Seles notched 9 grand slam titles. Venus and Justin Henin each won 7. Maria Sharapova won 5 and Kim Clijsters won 4 respectively. (Steffi Graf did win 22 grand slams, but she did not really compete during Serena’s era, so I would not consider her one of Serena’s peers). The players in closest contention to Serena are Margaret Court (who played from 1960-1978), and Steffi Graf (1982-1999). While Court’s 24 grand slams are impressive, I don’t believe anyone would argue that she would’ve beaten Serena. Many of her slams came before the Open Era and her competition was just nowhere near Serena’s level in any way, shape, or form.
Serena has come extremely close to reaching the elusive 24 that has haunted her for all these years. Watching her put in the work as a mother and a woman over the age of 35 has been a tremendous honor. She had many opportunities and kept falling short at the finish line. But to watch this lion of a woman compete at the highest level in grand slam finals and semi finals against players who are half her age has been nothing short of miraculous in itself.
If she hadn’t gotten injured at Wimbledon last year, I don’t know if she would be retiring in a few weeks time. I believe that the time off, along with the response to the Oscar-winning film “King Richard” allowed Serena the opportunity to truly see how the world sees her. I believe she’s finally realized the impact she’s had that goes beyond just tennis. I believe she now realizes the walls she’s broken down for people of color, for women, and for anyone who was told they can’t do something because of where they come from or the color of their skin.
She kept playing all these years chasing number 24, but at the end of the day it’s just a number. What Serena Williams has accomplished is much greater than winning one more grand slam. Along with her sister Venus, she transcended the sport. She’s become bigger than tennis, bigger than gender, and bigger than race. Her talent and unwavering spirit were so undeniable that not one factor could hold her back from becoming the greatest athlete of all time. She has been the most dominant force in any sport male or female, and she has done so with so many obstacles in front of her that her peers did not have to face.
Serena Williams has been my champion, your champion, and a champion for everyone who’s been told “no”. To the woman who’s defied every boundary and roadblock that the world gave her, you have my greatest gratitude. As I’m sure so many resonate with my sentiment, watching you believe has made me believe. Watching you do the impossible has made our daughters and sons want to do the impossible. You deserve every happiness in retirement and I wish you luck with whatever the future has in store for you. Good luck tonight as you embark on one final US Open pursuit. You’ve proven so many times throughout your career that impossible is nothing. We are with you for one last great ride. Let’s make it count.