for the love of…serena
Most evenings these days, I turn on the TV or boot up the iPad to check out how teams are doing in the NBA playoffs. As has been the case all of my life – or at least since I started paying attention as an adolescent – teams that are expected to “sweep” their opponents find themselves struggling to do so. In the midst of all the madness, the commentators inevitably ask the question…”Who’s Your GOAT?” As you probably expect, MJ, Kobe and LeBron are most mentioned. Occasionally, someone asks about selection criteria and includes a lesser-known name based on who they admired as a kid or who never won a “chip” but had tremendous impact on the game or the culture.
Whenever I hear the question, “Who’s Your GOAT?”, I IMMEDIATELY go to one person…SERENA WILLIAMS. As a tennis enthusiast, player, coach and spectator, who is also an African-American female, I believe Serena has without doubt lived experiences that very few people could begin to imagine that make her my only choice.
I was fortunate to witness the majority of her professional career. I volunteered at tournaments where she played. Watched her develop as an entrepreneur. Watched her deal with the eventual expectation that she would NEVER lose a match… and the disappointment when she did. Watched her deal with the tragic loss of her sister, and life-threatening health challenges. And over the last few years, learn how to be a wife and mother. All while being Black and woman, which in itself requires a lot. There had to be something about walking on the court…alone…knowing people were judging you because of your skin tone, your hair texture, your strong body, the beads, all before you hit one ball. What confidence it had to take to never waiver. To KNOW you are the target every day. And to still have belief so strong in yourself and your ability that day to day, grand slam to grand slam, you just DOMINATED!
As a person who studied race and human behavior, it was interesting to watch the evolution of her game, her impact, and the world’s eventual “acceptance” of Serena. Hatred toward Black women is not just an American thing…it is worldwide. I can only imagine the variations of the N-word Serena heard over her lifetime. What strength and grace and forgiveness it took for her to return to Indian Wells after they TRASHED her entire family several years prior. I think she earned several sets of wings that day.
On the other side of the coin, tennis is a most beautiful sport. I LIVE for it…and so do many of my friends. I suspect that succeeding at tennis, an individual sport where you are the one responsible for the wins and the losses, also contributed significantly to her grit and confidence.
As I sit here today watching Coco play, she for sure has Serena to thank for the somewhat easier path she has been afforded. I think Billy Jean King said to Serena - “Pressure is a privilege.” And she dealt with that pressure with more grace than most will ever understand.
For the record, Tiger Woods is my #2, but as a Black woman, Serena gets the edge.