Serena Williams - why did she enter Wimbledon?

[deedee176]

Surely not for the money. For the love of tennis and the winning buzz? Or was she being a bit delusional or arrogant to think she could be a top class sportsperson at 44. She was one of the worlds best and highest achieving athletes - her tennis legacy is unmatched.
AIBU to think she should not have entered Wimbledon?

She said she wanted to show her dc what she could achieve and what she could do. She made a game of it until set 3 and her opponent didn’t crumble: some might have done. Not sure it’s right to come back and deny someone else a place though but sports people are pretty arrogant in non team sports. It’s partly why they are successful.

I'm a runner. Not as good as I used to be now I'm 56, but I still love training and competing, and I can still give some younger competitors a run for their money. Competition gives the training focus, and it's not like she got thrashed, she gave her young competitor a game.

It probably was partly about money though, if not for her personally, for her team or sponsors.

She shouldn’t have entered as she was unhappy about the drugs tests!

It wasnt a reasonable question, it was quite bizarre

I agree! Maya Joint played brilliantly. I think Serena would have beaten many others.

To set a positive example for her daughter and other girls, even at 44 you can do anything you want

I’m not sure of her motivation but she gave it a good go. I thought she could have been more gracious in defeat, the handshake at the end was a bit off. A smile or a well done to Maya would have been nice. Can you imagine how she must have felt facing Serena in centre court at the age of 20?

Exactly, people accusing her of being selfish, thats the name of the game, you have to be selfish in a non team sport, its how you win!!

And hopefully this will put to bed all these silly comments people make about losing weight by WLI being bad for you and you virtually crumbling away through lack of muscle etc. She's shown that you can be strong and fit on them.

Personally I'd just like to celebrate Maya Joint, who rose to the occasion and was delightful. Well done Maya!

Serena was wonderful for tennis, for women's tennis, for women, for black women, and lots more, but I don't think the grand slam main draw should be a showcase for the past and I really feel her place would have been more appropriately given to an up and coming young player. It was done for the crowds - both on her part and on Wimbledon's part - and in my eyes it devalues the tournament. But there you go, it's over now, and I'd love to see Maya get through the next round at least so she gets a bit more than just this and consolidates her win.

Jesus fucking Christ! Any criticism of a person of colour MUST be racism? You're the one who made it about her skin colour FFS!

Not just non team sport, I watched the Beckham documentary and thought he came across as pretty selfish! (About his moves to different clubs, and countries, and re-rooting his family) ....but agree that there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance in elite sports, and a degree of selfishness to get to the very top.

It’ll be interesting to see how well Maya Joint does in the rest of the tournament. Serena played well last night, it was a great match to watch. If she’d come in, lost in straight sets maybe there’d be a point to asking should she have been there. She might well have beaten someone else, and there were points where it looked like she could have beaten Joint.

I loved watching her, it was a great match.

She’s an icon and why not?

I’m looking forward to the doubles.

Stop derailing the thread with your race baiting comments @letmedowngentle . People like @Nanda66 are allowed to have opinion and they don’t owe you an explanation.

I felt sorry for Maya , she's young and was nervous . It didn't help that nearly all the attention was on Serena .

I thought she was ungracious in defeat but then she often was when she played. She also would not talk to the press.

That she was a great player is not in dispute but I never liked her.

But that’s part of tennis (and any other sport) though, especially at Wimbledon where younger players or lower seeds are always drawn against the Goliaths of the tennis world in the early stages.

It’s part of the journey.

I suppose it is up to Serena what she does and doesn't do. If I was that talented and famous for it I would like to think I quit on an absolute high so my legacy was protected.

I'm sure she would rather be remembered as one of the greatest ever sportswomen than being beaten and not knowing when to quit.

Maya will have been absolutely delighted to have played Serena and to have beaten her.
Tennis is a spectator sport and the crowd would also have been delighted they got to watch her play. This is why she got a wild card.

Very true, she’s now “the one who beat Serena”… not a bad association!

I thought I'd have a different take actually but im pleased she did, why should you be past it after 40?? Im in my 30s but think the world is just increasingly for the young gen (more so than it ever has been though considering socials/internet/ads etc) and anyone older than that has to just fade away? It's not right. Why shouldn't her kids see her perform at an older age. She probably was never going to win but why be wrote off??

The way it was scheduled it was a much better, closer match than if either Maya joint, or Serena Williams had had to face a top seeded player in the first round. It probably would have been over in less than an hour

I didn't see the match, so can't comment on that, but I think it's ungracious, unsporting and unimpressive that she refused to do the mandatory press conference afterwards. Not a great lesson to teach your kids IMO.

I don't see why she shouldn't. She is still playing incredible tennis, she's 44 not 84, society doesn't get to dictate when women are past their best. I would understand if she had taking a 6-0 6-0 drubbing. Sportsmen and women in particular, live and breathe their sport and should be able to continue as long as their presence is not making a mockery of the sport. Goran Ivanesevic wasn't much younger when he was given a wildcard, despite having a much less successful career then Serena, and he went on to win. Plus he didn't get the same amount of hate or criticism.

Is it mandatory for the loser to do a press conference? I thought it changed a while back to only be the winner.