Chrys Weedon | Entertainment Editor
Serena Williams is an American professional tennis player who has won 23 Grand Slam Singles titles and has won a grand slam tournament for three decades in a row. Williams has earned the most prize money to date in the world of tennis; none of that money came from sponsorships or endorsements, either, but only from her winning record. She has won 743 matches as of May 2018, which is the highest number of won matches of any active tennis player (all statistics gathered from sbnation.com). Just google “Serena Williams statistics,” because there’s a lot more where that came from.
Certain aspects of Williams’ conduct during matches have come under scrutiny by public audiences and news outlets alike, even sparking the creation of a racist comic by Mark Knight. The biggest incident in question is during Williams’ match against Naomi Osaka. After some calls by the referee that Williams viewed as questionable, she argued against them.
“You stole a point from me. You’re a thief, too,” said Williams after getting penalized for throwing her racket onto the court. Later in the match, Williams is quoted as commenting: “this has happened to me too many times.”
I don’t believe that this one outburst can label Williams “aggressive” for the rest of her career. As my stint as an athlete, I can relate to Williams’ outrage. Sometimes, when your adrenaline is high and the game is high-stakes, you do things that you probably wouldn’t do when you are off the court.
Also, I would like to point out that many male athletes have argued questionable calls, saying worse things than Williams, and often they are lauded for “sticking up for themselves.” For example, NFL player Richard Sherman is famous for interacting with the referees, arguing penalty calls and getting hyped up about a game — fans love him for it.
Williams clearly has a passion for the game of tennis that has undoubtedly been one of the factors contributing to her success. I mean, you don’t become a world-renowned, top-ranking athlete by being lukewarm about your sport.
Take a look at Michael Phelps, for example. When he locked down a gold medal in the Olympics, he often yells, slaps the water, hugs his fellow American teammates. Of course he does, right? He is a record-setting athlete. Many athletes do it, and rarely do we hear about it, much less hyperfocus on it. Muhammad Ali often celebrated after winning a fight, and although he has faced much discrimination, no one denies that he is one of the greatest boxers of all time. He isn’t labeled aggressive because of his athleticism.
Yes, maybe Williams shouldn’t have blown up at the referee in her match against Osaka, but she most likely knows that by now. Hindsight is 20/20, and I’m sure the average person walking down the street doesn’t want to be forever identified by a mistake they’ve made in the past.
“Serena Williams, in her more than 20 year career, has completely remade women’s tennis,” remarked Liz Clarke, sports writer for the Washington Post, “she has changed what a women’s player serves like, what she hits like, she has changed the expectation of what a women’s player dresses like.”
I believe that someone who completely remakes a sport has the right to be excited about how they, literally, changed the way a sport is played. In my opinion, when I watch sports, it’s more enjoyable when I see someone heated, passionate, and excited about what they’re doing. And honestly, I see a little bit of a double standard when people say that Williams is “too loud” or “overly aggressive.” Why is it okay to criticize Williams for her behavior, while at the same time put these male athletes on a pedestal for the exact same display?
Contact the author at cweedon16@wou.edu
Photo courtesy of serenawilliams.com
