Hail, Serena! Greatest (Athlete) Of All Time! -The iPINIONS Journal

Serena Williams had Tennis fans in suspended animation until Saturday Down Under. That’s when we could finally hail her as the winner of the most Grand Slam singles titles in the Open era and, arguably, as the “greatest athlete ever” – as Nike proclaims.

That she blew so many opportunities to reach this milestone over the past two years only heightened the suspense, albeit tinged with increasing frustration. Most notable was her shocking loss to a relatively unknown player in the semifinals of last year’s US Open.

Therefore, I hope I can be forgiven for exclaiming: It’s about time, Serena!

Serena Williams won her seventh Australian Open singles title and reclaimed the No. 1 world ranking with a 6-4, 6-4 victory on Saturday over her older sister Venus Williams.

Serena’s latest triumph in tennis’s great sibling rivalry also gave her a 23rd Grand Slam singles title, breaking her tie with Steffi Graf for the most in the Open era. …

Saturday’s victory was Williams’s 10th major singles title since turning 30, and she has broken her own record, set at Wimbledon last year, by becoming the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam singles title in the Open era.

(New York Times, January 28, 2017)

Unsurprisingly, many notables rushed to serve congratulations; not least among them Michael Jordan. It’s too bad Jordan seemed more interested in promoting his brand than in congratulating Serena.

Evidently, he thought the occasion called for presenting her a boxed set of his Basketball shoes and jersey, both emblazoned with his famous No. 23 – ostensibly representing her record-setting 23 Grand Slams.

But he would have done far better to follow the example no less a person than Steffi herself set when she hailed and graciously welcomed Serena after she reached #22:

What an incredible performance by Serena at Wimbledon! Such a gift to all sport fans who get to continue to watch her add to an already amazing career #22!!!

(Sports Illustrated, July 9, 2016)

It’s been quite a wait for #23, but better late than never. Which, incidentally, is far more than I can say for Tiger Woods – whose march towards rewriting the record books in Golf I once despaired the Williams sisters would never mirror in Tennis.

I fully expected Venus and Serena to do to the records in Tennis what Tiger Woods has done (and is doing) to the records in Golf.

Alas, they have not. In fact, of the 43 Grand Slam titles that have been up for grabs since they turned pro in 1998, Venus has won only 7 and Serena 11. By comparison, in less than half that time – from 2004 to 2008 – Justine Henin won 7 titles. And at 29 and 27, respectively, it seems a pipe dream that either Venus or Serena will ever surpass Steffi Graf’s feat of winning 22 titles.

(“Serena … Triumphs at Wimbledon,” The iPINIONS Journal, July 6, 2009)

I have never been happier to eat my words.

More to the point, the irony is not lost on me that Tiger suffered yet another professional humiliation just hours before Serena reached this professional milestone. No doubt you’re aware of his beleaguered quest to regain the form that saw him win 14 major championships. I chronicled it in such commentaries as “Tiger, Tiger … Losing Fight,” August 15, 2011, “For Tiger Bad Play Causes ‘Pain,’ Not Vice Versa,” August 7, 2014, and “Tiger’s Back, but His Back Won’t Let Him Play?! Puhleeze,” February 6, 2015.

Sure enough, Tiger (41) failed to make the cut on Friday in his first PGA tournament back – after taking off 17 months to recover from (yet another) back surgery. This, after missing the cut in three of the four majors before his surgery; hence

It’s plainly disingenuous for Tiger to suggest that chronic injuries have prevented him from winning. For this is belied by the fact that he not only seemed just fine throughout his winless 2010, but actually won his ‘last’ Major, the 2008 US Open, while in obvious pain caused by a knee injury. …

Frankly, one does not have to be a trained psychologist to diagnose that Tiger’s problems are more mental than physical. Because it is self-evident that the public humiliation he endured following that domestic incident [in November 2009], which exposed his Charlie-Sheen like penchant for prostitutes, sapped him of the self-esteem and confidence that not only fueled his game, but instilled self-defeating fear in other players.

(“Tiger, Tiger … Losing Fight,” The iPINIONS Journal, August 11, 2011)

But this is about Venus and Serena, not Tiger.

As fate would have it, I watched Serena seal her legacy on Saturday at the expense my favorite Williams sister. Especially given that Venus seemed destined to win even more Grand Slams, and I was duly cheering her along in commentaries like “Hail to 4-Time Wimbledon Champion Venus Williams,” July 9, 2007 and “Venus Routs Little Sister Serena in Wimbledon Final,” July 6, 2008.

Then she became stricken with a debilitating disease:

I feel compelled to at least acknowledge the painful, pitiful way Sjögren’s syndrome, the incurable autoimmune condition she contracted a few years ago, is ravaging her skills. She not only lumbered out in the third round in singles; she proved too much weight even for Serena to carry them beyond the quarterfinals in doubles.

(“Hail, Serena! US Open Champion … Again,” The iPINIONS Journal, September 8, 2014)

This might explain why Venus (36) was so happy just to make it to another Grand Slam final, her first since 2009. And I suppose there’s also some consolation in being the oldest woman to do so.

This might also explain why Serena (35) made such a public show of paying tribute to Venus on centre court after their match:

I really would like to take this moment to congratulate Venus, she’s an amazing person — she’s my inspiration.

There’s no way I would be at 23 without her — there’s no way I would be at [No.] 1 without her. Thank you, Venus, for inspiring me to be the best player I can be and inspiring me to work hard.

(Los Angeles Times, January 28, 2017)

No doubt she’s acutely aware that, but for Sjögren’s, Venus would probably have hoisted the trophy for her 23rd Grand Slam long ago …

All the same, not bad for two little black girls straight outta Compton, eh.

By the way, congrats to Serena on her recent wedding engagement. But I must say, she seems an awful lot for her nerdy, Reddit-founding fiancé to … handle.

Congratulations, Serena!

That said, I’m on record expressing my preference for women’s tennis. I would be remiss, however, not to acknowledge that Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal to win the men’s title.

One of the greatest rivalries in tennis history received another chapter Sunday night in Melbourne, Australia, as Roger Federer outlasted Rafael Nadal to win the Australian Open title, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3.

The win gives Federer his 18th Grand Slam title, the most by a man in the Open era.

(Yahoo! Sports, January 29, 2017)

It is particularly noteworthy that, like Tiger, Roger (35) has been beset by injuries. Indeed, like Tiger, he was making his first return to competition after an extended stint in rehab – in his case, six months. Of course, Roger’s result stands in remarkable contrast to Tiger’s, which only compounds the humiliation Tiger must be feeling – given that his comeback ended with him not even making the cut.

Congratulations, Roger!