(this post has been updated)
Serena Williams vs Bethanie Mattek-Sands at U.S. Open – Elsa/Getty Images
Source: US Open 2015: Serena Williams v Bethanie Mattek-Sands – live! | Sport | The Guardian
Can Serena Williams book a place in the last 16 as she continues her road to a calendar-year grand slam? Follow all the action from Arthur Ashe Stadium with Bryan Armen Graham
The question has been answered. Yes.
My comments:
As I squirmed in my Lazy-Boy recliner, the query became a fait accompli. Mattek-Sands, an accomplished doubles player, appeared to have all the answers to a major upset. She and Serena are friends off court and know one another’s game well. It was a new take on the old cat-and-mouse ruse. I know you. You know me. Let’s see who can come up with the greatest and most effective deceit.
With no disrespect, Serena is like a momma bear protecting her cubs. There is no question that she is the greatest tennis player of all time. Of course, that must be put into perspective. It is one thing to succeed with positive vibes pushing you on at every marker for reasons deemed worthy without examination or blind belief embedded in a sociological perspective unable to perceive itself, or, succeed at all odds against the discomfort and fear of those who find you a threat to their sense of self, i.e., the ugly monster known as racism.
And let’s not forget—tennis has been a sport of the privileged (white) class of the world, born of leisure on the lawns of the elite.
Yes, Serena and her sister, Venus, have endured a lot in terms of racist backlash. They have borne the brunt of bad calls, racists slurs shouted from tennis “fans” in the stands, and so-called journalists completely unaware of their bias. And, the sisters have been all but demeaned and called “ugly’ in the commercial world. Venus Williams is every bit as beautiful as the equally statuesque Maria Sharapova, and has outperformed her on their mutual battle ground when considering statistics. However, Venus is not white-skinned or blond. If Sharapova cannot hold a candle to Venus, she certainly cannot hold a match to Serena who holds a record against her of 18-2.
For a truly in-depth look at what it means to be Serena Williams, an article written for the Times by Claudia Rankine is a must. Read it here.
Neither of the sisters is married nor appear to be in the throes of masculine charm (although they lead discreet lives). Who wouldn’t want to tie either of them down with their enormous beauty and appeal, and giant purses. So, who are Serena’s cubs? They are her accomplishments, pure and simple. Her trophies. Her legacies. Her future as the greatest (female) tennis player for a long time to come.
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