Three months before Serena Williams captured her third Wimbledon singles championship, I had the chance to interview her and afterwards, I truly felt sorry for anyone who would face her at Wimbledon, including her big sister, Venus.
On the flight to New York, I thought back to the first time I caught a glimpse of the sensational Williams sisters. I was only 14-years-old when an ESPN special showcased the two sisters from Compton, Cailf., being coached by their eccentric father. I figured that it would be quite an accomplishment for two young black American sisters just to compete in professional tennis. The sisters did more than compete over the next 10 years — they dominated!
Once I landed in New York, I caught a taxi to Fred Major’s Manhattan studios. Within 20 minutes, Serena arrived at the studio wearing blue jeans, black high heels and a short leather jacket. The first thing that stands out about Serena is her amazing physic. At 5 feet feet 10 inches, she’s nearly 6-foot-1 with heels and her sculpted shoulders and arms are examples of her dedication to remaining fit. She looked in peak condition.
After the photographer completed the first look, Serena and I sat down and talked about her past, present and future. She graciously answered questions on tennis, but she really came alive when discussing her many ventures outside of tennis.
It was clear that Serena could walk away from tennis today and feel just as confident moving on to the next phase of her life. But while she’s on the court, she wants to be the best. Serena shared her perfectionist tendencies. She revealed that she often gets frustrated when things go wrong, so she works tirelessly to remain consistent. I knew beyond any doubt that Serena was capable of winning the 2009 Wimbledon Championship and any other Grand Slam tournament she entered in the near future.
Yet, despite all of her accolades, Serena deserves more. She continues to be overlooked when sports journalists discuss the best athletes in the world. Thus far, Serena has won 11 grand slam titles in her career. Imagine Kobe Bryant winning 11 NBA titles, Peyton Manning winning 11 Super Bowls, or Alex Rodriguez being the winner of 11 World Series. Michael Jordan is the most celebrated athlete in the last two decades and he only won six NBA titles.
So why hasn’t Serena been mentioned in the same sentence with Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods? Hopefully, she will someday be remembered as one of the greatest athletes (male or female) ever. But knowing Serena, she won’t be satisfied with just being the best at sports. –amir shaw
