I was at the French Open with a group of college students who are interested in working in sports media. We went to Court Suzanne Lenglen to watch a women's doubles match while the men's semifinals were happening. It was a match between two teams from the US. Students above the red clay were looking at Serena Williams' legacy in real time. The story of how they got into tennis begins with a Williams sister, if you ask Gauff, Townsend, or Keys about how they got into tennis. The sport of tennis was mostly white when Venus and Serena Williams began playing it. In American women's tennis. It is a legacy.
I agree with Serena that many words used to tell a retirement story have no place in her story. The term "G.O.A.T. with 23 Grand Slam singles titles, that opened up a white shoe world, and put an exclamation point on a sentence" was redefined by a career that sparked thousands of Black girls to pick up a tennis racket.
It's not a question because you can't. She is just who she is This is far beyond picking up a racket and putting it down again.
Serena Williams is a woman who defies every expectation that came before her. She was the little sister that was better than her older sibling. Being better than the players who did is what it comes down to. The beads she wore that scandalized some segments of the tennis establishment kept her sense of style.
They were booed by the crowd at Indian Wells. Rumors that her father decided which sister would win when they faced each other were both racist and sexist. The first years were isolating because her family wasn't always welcomed. Serena was too good to be stopped.
A generation of young women grew up facing Serena Williams on the tennis court. It was an additional layer of psychological overgrowth for many of the young women. Is it possible to defeat my hero? Is it a good idea?
Serena was not a figment of her imagination. She lost her composure against Naomi Osaka at the US Open and yelled at a linesperson. Those moments were rare in over two decades of play.
She is leaving the main draw at 40 years old. While pregnant, she won the Australian Open. She went on to reach three more Grand Slam finals after developing a life threatening blood clot after giving birth. This can be overstated for fans under 30 years old.
The women on the tour were in their 20s. They blew through those expectations. Only a few players were able to have a baby and continue playing. Is it possible to remain a favorite in the draw if you have a baby? It's even less.
Serena was going to play tennis on the moon.
Serena Williams is ending her career on her own terms. When she won her first US Open title, the terms weren't possible.
She doesn't want a lot of attention, but the rest of us do, and she has given us enough time to prepare for her last US Open.
We haven't seen her last act, so before we get too emotional over a video of a smiling Serena with braces, or the catsuit at the baseline, let's remember that we haven't seen her last act. Serena is a pioneer when it comes to supporting minority-owned businesses and women's sports. She has a stake in two sports teams. She has a fund that invests in businesses owned by black and women.
It's a legacy.
She was considered the best tennis player of all time. She was also interested in other things. The world was bigger for Serena Williams. She made a difference with her power and competitiveness.
There are more games to play, more convention to challenge, and more ways to plan a birthday party.
She said the time was right to evolve.
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