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As the first week of the U.S. Open Championships draws to a close, the tennis world, in fact the sports world, is enthralled with Serena Williams like never before in her 20-plus years of dominance.
Why? Because she’s turning a moment that was supposed to be about her legacy, into a moment about her tennis.
She set the stage for this special Open by writing last month that likely it would be her last. New York responded as only New York could, feting her with video tributes by Queen Latifah and Oprah Winfrey. The big screens around Arthur Ashe stadium projected a steady stream of famous faces who came to pay their respects. And, admit it famous faces, to be seen, right?
The biggest to-do happened the night of Williams‘ first round match against Danka Kovinic of Montenegro – of course it was respectful to get in all the messages of „we love you, you’re the GOAT Serena“ on the tournament’s first night. But truth be told, the way Williams had been playing since she returned from a year-long injury absence, there was a chance she might not be around long enough to receive all the love.
But then she beat Kovinic in straight sets. Two nights later, the tributes were there again, albeit toned down, while Williams‘ game continued to rev up. She beat number-two seed Anett Kontaveit in three sets. And suddenly, the evolution (Williams‘ preferred word) from legacy to tennis, was in full swing.
