Before I get into Serena Williams’ first round and HISTORY and all of that, here’s some excellent and exciting news: Serena and Andy Murray are pairing up to play Mixed Doubles at Wimbledon! Andy Murray had hip surgery back in January, and he spent months recuperating and trying to figure out if he could rejoin the tour. He decided that he would play doubles for a few months just to work on his fitness and strength, and he proceeded to win a doubles title in Queen’s Club a week before Wimbledon. He’d been saying over and over that he was interested in playing Mixed Doubles at Wimbledon but ladies kept turning him down. Serena didn’t turn him down – she needs matches too, and she and Andy have always gotten along famously. I’m honestly expecting Murrena/Serendy to have off-the-charts sexual and tennis chemistry.
As for Serena’s first round match… she got through in straight sets. But just barely, because she was pretty rusty the entire way through. What’s going on with her serve, you guys? Still, she got the win and maybe playing Mixed with Andy will loosen her up. As we’ve been saying for years, Serena is playing with a certain goal in mind: to beat Margaret Court’s record of “24 Slams.” Serena has 23 Slam titles in singles, and Margaret Court’s record was half-way before the Open Era, when few top players played the Australian Open. CNN did an interesting piece on Serena and how she’s chasing history and what a grind that is for her. I wanted to excerpt this part:
Although the chase for Court’s all-time slam record has been a key driver for Williams and her team in the past few years, some tennis watchers query its relevance. Australia’s Court won 24 major singles titles between 1960 and 1973. She competed both in the amateur and the Open era, which began in 1968 when tennis turned professional. However, Court won 11 of her titles at the Australian Open, during a time when not all top players made the long journey Down Under. Court also played during a time when it was not unusual for players to skip slams altogether because they could make more money on the women’s circuit.
“I don’t think it is a record she [Serena] needs, and I don’t think it is a record that she should be chasing,” WTA expert Courtney Nguyen said of Serena at the French Open. “I think that in a lot of ways her chasing the record, validates the record. When really the [main] record, it was Steffi’s record, which she already broke. When Steffi got 22, no one said, ‘Oh, you need two more to get to Margaret.’ It was just, holy crap, you are the greatest of all time, you have 22 majors. It’s a false record.”
Although Williams and Federer, the men’s Open era record holder with 20 major titles, are both now in their late 30s, the two tennis superstars have a different mindset when they take to the court in the latter stages of their careers.
“Roger gets to plays freely in the last years of his career,” said Nguyen. “It is all a celebration, and he just gets to play, and there is a lightness around him. Whereas every time Serena takes to the court at a major, there is a heaviness, there is a stress, there is an anxiety, and that breaks my heart, because she is chasing a thing I don’t think she needs. And if she doesn’t get it, now that she has chased it, it feels like she is missing something. But she never needed it.”
I have a real question: say that Serena gave birth and came back to the tour with a huge bang last year and ended up winning either Wimbledon or the US Open (she made both finals). Then she would have had 24. Say she would have walked into every Slam this year knowing that she could get over the “line” and get 25 and then… she does it, somewhere. Do you think she would have quit THIS year if she had gotten to 25? I really do think she would have. I’m not saying that’s right or that Nguyen doesn’t make an excellent point, I’m just saying that SERENA has set that goal for herself. Serena is the one who wants the record to be without question, without an asterisk of *WELL TECHNICALLY MARGARET COURT WON 24. But as Nguyen says, it’s a false record. By chasing Court’s record, Serena validates Court’s record. It sucks.
Her Wimbledon kit wasn’t the most flattering thing, but I think Serena just likes the cutouts. They’re so awkward. I like the Swarovski-crystal “broosh” though.
Photos courtesy of Getty, Avalon Red.
I love Serena, and her style – on court or off. I’m going to start wearing trainers with dresses this summer! Just try and stop me!
I do think she knows people are afeared of her dark skin, so to me, (besides ventilation) the cutouts are like, FU, I am a strong black woman!
She don’t need their approval.
On that note, what is with this shipping and nickname coining?
There is absolutely nothing to indicate that they are more than friends and fellow professionals.
Assuming that they are going to hook up due to working together is silly. And it denigrates them both on a personal level. It’s anti feminist to boot!
You haven’t seen how Alexis (Mr Serena) looks at her? Why would she throw that away for a sidepiece? Especially in the public eye. I think she is super into her husband, daughter, and fam.
I know she want that last title. If she doesn’t get it here, it might be beyond her reach. No shame in that. I couldn’t flop a tennis ball over the net to save my life. Even if I could “serve” by hand tossing the ball!
I can’t even play ping-pong.
Doubles players often have a “team name” and people have been trying to figure out what Serena and Andy will call themselves. It’s not “shipping” it’s a joke FFS
This makes me so happy. I was heartbroken for Andy when it looked like he wouldn’t play. This is the best news mixed doubles tennis has had in years
@snappyfish I don’t even really follow tennis besides headlines and Kaiser’s tweets (lol) and this made me happy. It just feels like its going to be a good match.
So this;
“When Steffi got 22, no one said, ‘Oh, you need two more to get to Margaret.’ It was just, holy crap, you are the greatest of all time, you have 22 majors. It’s a false record.”
and this;
“years of his career,” said Nguyen. “It is all a celebration, and he just gets to play, and there is a lightness around him. Whereas every time Serena takes to the court at a major, there is a heaviness, there is a stress, there is an anxiety, and that breaks my heart, because she is chasing a thing I don’t think she needs. And if she doesn’t get it, now that she has chased it, it feels like she is missing something. But she never needed it.”
stuck out at me. Nguyen may not think she needs the validation of beating Court’s record, but Serena clearly does. Think of all the times reporters and even other tennis players have given her shit – essentially because she’s a black woman who dares to be great. She is constantly criticised. She’s called names. Her achievements ignored for men. Even Murray has corrected reporters for that shit. Of course Federer can coast. He’s a white dude. He’s constantly being praised or having excuses made for behaviour that is atrocious yet Serena even breathes wrong and she’s called a bad sport. She’s won more than him yet it’s like pulling teeth to get that acknowledged half the time. It’s no surprise she wants that record, and there’s no reason she shouldn’t.
Yeah. This is an interesting discussion. I think Nguyen has a point and I hope Serena isn’t chasing the record in an attempt to get external validation from her detractors, which is what you seem to advocate. That’s a game you never win. I’m not convinced that’s it though. I think she is a serious competitor and she had this goal for herself for whatever reason- to prove she can still do it at her age and post childbirth, maybe. I hope she also just enjoys playing still. I think Serena isn’t a laid back person so I don’t know if she’s capable of a relaxed victory lap kind of play- I think she’s all in or all out. So it does look like she isn’t having fun , though I’m not sure that is true. And the idea of her being stressed and not enjoying herself chasing a record she doesn’t need in order to prove her greatness to people who will never believe is kind of sad. But I’m not sure that’s what is really happening. I hope not anyway.
I suspect playing mixed doubles with Murray is mostly for fun, so that’s nice. It will be cool to see them play together.
What? I’m not at all advocating the idea that one should do something for the external validation of detractors. I’m literally saying that she shouldn’t be diminished for wanting to achieve a thing because someone doesn’t see it as necessary. It’s not about Nguyen; it’s about Serena. And if Serena wants to beat a record – even one that’s doesn’t *technically* count (according to some) then she should be given the chance to do that on her terms. She’s dealt with enough shit and this is just another layer. It’s concern trolling on the part of Nguyen.
Ok. Well your comment about why she should be chasing the record is all about what other people have said about her/criticisms. I interpreted that to mean that acquiring the record would prove something to those people. But I can see maybe that is not what you meant.
I don’t think Nguyen herself is diminishing Serena; I think she’s just expressing fear that if Serena doesn’t match Court’s record it will diminish her and be considered a failure when it really shouldn’t be. I personally don’t think I agree with that, but it’s an interesting angle. I think there should be no punishment for setting ambitious goals even if you fail to meet them. I don’t know if that’s reality though, especially for a woman in court of public opinion.
I do agree that the comparison to Federer is unfair. But I just think it’s because of Serena’s intensely competitive personality, which is part of what makes her great. People aren’t comfortable with women being so intensely unapologetically competitive though. Basically it’s a fancy way of saying it would be nice if she would smile more, which is annoying.
+1 @banjo
Erm, can’t say I’m too into any idea of sexual chemistry 😆 Alexis and Serena are awesome together, and Andy and Kim have adored each other since they were 18 and 17. But awesome friendship chemistry and (hopefully) tennis chemistry? Yes PLEASE! What a combination! It was an absolute delight to watch Andy teaming up with Feli Lopez- to see him back was amazing, 5 months on from that heartbreaking press conference, to see them win, and how much it meant to BOTH of them, was just incredible, and so heartwarming. Here for more of the same for this pair, please, tennis gods! I think they’ve both earned it!
Right? I thought that was an odd comment, when both Serena and Andy seem to be very happily married to other people. They are two of my favorite players though, so I hope the tennis chemistry is off the charts!
Chris Evert made a similar point re Margaret Court and number of slams. I got the impression she didn’t care much for Margaret Court.
People make a big thing out of Fed chasing Connors records of career victories and career titles. I think, at times, that Fed plays like a man who knows his slam number will be overtaken by Djokovic and is simply enjoying himself now.
Margaret Court is a racist bigot, which probably has something to do with Evert’s attitude.
This SerAndy news is the best thing I’ve heard in a long time.
Serena wants the record so we can stop talking about this racist, homophobic person. No more record means way fewer reasons to talk about Court. Getting a racist’s record broken by a black woman is a bit of poetic justice.
To be honest I’m a little nervous for her because she just got past her injury, but she seriously needs the match play.