Evolving Away From Tennis
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In 2006
By Kiwi Kali
“Evolving away from tennis” is how Serena Williams described it in the iconic September issue of US Vogue (https://www.vogue.com/article/serena-williams-retirement-in-her-own-words). Not a retirement in as many words, but signalling the end with the 2022 US Open. A phrase that will join “conscious uncoupling” in the lexicon. There’s a crack of light through the door that hasn’t been entirely closed on a glittering career, but it almost certainly came to an end, as dressed in a trademark Nike outfit, sparkling with diamantes and diamonds meant to reflect the night sky in New York, Serena Williams fought valiantly to the last point, saving five match points before succumbing to Australia’s Ajla Tomjlanovic in the third round of the US Open, in the night session on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
GOAT is a deserved title. She has the Open era record number of Grand Slams (23), and is only one behind Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24. Reaching that milestone was a clear ambition that was simply not to be. It has been a career not without controversy. The pursuit of that elusive 24th Grand Slam resulted in the ugly scenes in the 2018 US Open final, which Williams lost to Naomi Osaka in straight sets. There was a long boycott of the WTA tournament in Indian Wells following allegations of racist taunts from the crowd. New Zealand tennis fans do not remember with much fondness her much-touted appearance at the 2017 ASB Classic, where she exited in the second round, it later being revealed that she was in the early stages of pregnancy. She returned in 2020, to claim her first title since becoming mother to daughter Olympia
Modern day tennis players and professional sportspeople in general can be criticised for not having enough personality, for being driven by the pushiness of ambitious parents. There are notable exceptions, such as Nick Kyrgios, but they are criticised for their individuality and breaking of the mould as much as they are celebrated. Serena and older sister Venus were clearly the product of their father Richard’s ambition, however his influence waned over the years, and Serena’s success is as much a product of her own ambition, dedication and talent as anyone else’s. And as she has often said, including in her final on-court interview, “There is no Serena without Venus”. No one could accuse Serena of being devoid of personality.
I first saw Serena play live in the early rounds of the 2015 Australian Open, a tournament that she went on to win. What struck me most of all was her graceful movement on-court, a characteristic more commonly attributed to Venus. It doesn’t translate well on to the TV screen, but to watch Serena in full flight was to marvel not just at the power of her serve, or the consistency of her ball toss, but the speed at which she covered the court, and the deft return of serve, with passing shots that were the equal of Federer’s best. And of course, the celebratory twirl when she won. The fashion, which raised eyebrows at times, was in her own words, an expression of her identity as a woman of colour.
“As a Black tennis player, I looked different. I sounded different. I dressed differently. I served differently. But when I stepped onto the court, I could compete with anyone.”
In 2017, following the birth of daughter Olympia, Serena Williams became, inadvertently and almost tragically, an advertisement for the shocking statistic that Black women in America are three times more likely to die of childbirth-related complications than white women, regardless of income or educational level. With a history of blood clots dating back to 2011, Williams was at high risk of this recurring in relationship to pregnancy, and as documented in her self-titled documentary, Being Serena, (https://www.hbo.com/being-serena), her life was in grave danger when she developed another pulmonary embolus. https://www.today.com/health/womens-health/serena-williamss-essay-black-pregnancy-rcna23328
For her to recover from that and return to elite level competitive tennis is nothing short of miraculous. She has been open about experiencing postpartum depression, another life-threatening condition for women.
She designs and markets jewellery and her own fashion line, and has started her own venture capital fund, raising over $US 100 million. She has graced the cover of fashion magazines, and the Met Gala red carpet (https://www.vogue.com/article/serena-williams-met-gala-2019-aetelier-versace-nike-sneakers).
She and Venus were executive producers of the biopic about their father, King Richard. Clearly, there is life for Serena beyond tennis.
But for this fan, and I suspect many others, there is a moment of sadness, as the career of the greatest of all time evolves away from tennis. Thank you, Serena, for everything.
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