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?

Oh yes definitely! I admit I don't know enough about the rules around non compliance in other sports, but in tennis they are punished by fines if they don't.

I can remember Arthur Ashe winning in 1975 and I just loved him. Those were certainly different times. There were clubs he was not allowed to enter.
He said he had to set a different standard because he was black - etiquette with no anger. But he was also principled with a quiet power - when he saw injustice or poor behaviour he called it out, often to the detriment of his own career. He famously championed the women’s game.
Arthur had been in the army, and graduated college. He was a beautiful player to watch and I never tire of hearing his story.
Venus and Serena also had struggles to overcome - no wealth or middle class stability to cushion them at the beginning of their journeys. I think that what they have both achieved is remarkable based upon their talent and individuality. They may be sisters, but they are very different players.
I think we do hold angry tennis players to account because it just grates - John McEnroe was awful to watch when he threw tantrums, and Zverev kicking an umpire’s chair is the same.

She has always been arrogant so nothing has changed

Lindsay Vonn did.

Oh come on - this is disingenuous: As is your interpretation of the poster's reply.
We all understand what you were getting at - what else did you mean if NOT that she would have reacted differently to a white woman? That's an implied allegation of racism.

And because the poster was annoyed at the allegation, you take that as an admission of guilt? That's really rather shocking.

I thought it was a bit ridiculous. She made a fool of herself.
Though however, I did enjoy a few of her serves what were just wow

So, she was ungracious in defeat, but we can't say it because she's a person of colour?

I dont think she made a fool of herself, at all, it was a 3 set match which is obviously competitive for women's tennis.
However I think the luck of the draw (if the draw is random, I dont know) probably favoured both of them. It could have looked a lot different if either player had met Sabalenka, in the first round.

I think we do hold angry tennis players to account because it just grates - John McEnroe was awful to watch when he threw tantrums, and Zverev kicking an umpire’s chair is the same.

It's unsportsmanlike, to use a rather old fashioned term. It holds up play and is distracting for the opponent, causing him (her) to lose concentration. As well as setting a bad example to younger players.

I think I must be the only person in the world who loathed the smug RF. No idea how everyone claimed he was always humble when you could see his ego from space!

Its funny seeing people saying the player just wanted their kids to see them play cause Novak always said that was his reason for still doing it (presumably because he thinks it sounds better than admitting he doesn't want to share the 24 GS count with Margaret Court) but he's stopped saying it now one of his children is now almost a teenager 😆.

I fully respect Serena for being an excellent athlete in the face of a lot of adversity but I don't think she should have been there last night. One of my joys of Wimbledon is seeing the retired players getting to have a go at invitation doubles and so she would've still had an opportunity to show her kids her playing. And I would say that if it were any other player who hasn't set foot on court in four years

John McEnroe was awful to watch when he threw tantrums
It was awful to watch because you knew that it was just a performance, to gain attention / notoriety. And, as pp says, to put off his opponent.

NO world leading tennis player is humble! Why should they be? They are courting sponsorship and desperate for rankings. It’s not in their dna and the best are ruthless competitors. Without that streak they don’t reach the top. It’s a solo sport and they cannot rely on anyone else.

Most of them have nowhere near the arrogance of Serena. She could have showed her children what good sportmanship is. She could have signed autographs after the match which lots of tennis players do. She could have gone to the press conference and, more importantly, she could have congratulated Maya but no of course she didn't

@mydogisthebest Arrogance can go with the territory too! I stand by what I said, none a humble! I didn’t think she should have taken the place of someone else who could have done with the experience but inevitably she got her way.

because she can

She left quickly and was excused from all the formalities because she had a knee that needed tending to.
Her leaving left the limelight to her young opponent. Serena congratulated her.
I just don’t understand the hate.
Wimbledon wanted her there.
The crowd wanted to see her.
Maya will be known as the person who beat a world champion.

I don’t think being humble makes for a good sportsperson. You really have to believe in yourself.

Yep, this. Really, you need to give it a rest.

Wimbledon has for ages had senior invitation matches (singles and doubles), although I can't find confirmation that they're on this year.
They're usually excellent as you get to see some of the real greats. They're always quite larky and very good-natured too.

That's not what I read. She barely shook Maya's hand. She refused to speak at the press conference.

Maya didn't even really get the limelight did she with the interviewer bleating on about Serena.

I think she comes across as a thoroughly unlikeable person

@Yetone Of course sportspeople are not humble - well not the top elite ones making a lot of money.

She shook her hand and congratulated her. She was excused from the press conference to treat her knee.

Her knee could have waited 10 minutes. It couldn’t have needed treatment that urgently given she’d just played three sets with it.
I’m suspicious about the “bad knee” anyway. A convenient excuse for losing IMO and takes away some of the shine from Joint’s win, which is mean.

Of course athletes play with injuries but attend to it straight after. It is usual to miss press conferences for this. The knee may stop her from playing doubles.

He received criticism on the same level as Serena yesterday. It was a long time ago but I well remember the commentators of the day remarking on how rude he was - and not just on one occasion. I can’t see where there is any racism in the criticism of Serena - just goes to show you that if you look hard enough you’ll come up with something, no matter how spurious.