A final “serenesque” snub. Could it be otherwise? A few days before his last US Open and his 41e anniversary, a victory in the first round of Serena Williams, falling back beyond the 600e place in the world, was a risky bet. With the complicity of 23,800 fans on the verge of swoon, the New York organizers had concocted a tribute ceremony for him as disproportionate as his career, before his first match, Monday August 29… and in the wake of his victory. Premature celebrations, to the taste of the person concerned. The American has decided to extend her farewell tour at home, reaching the third round on Wednesday, after her demonstration against world number 2, Estonian Anett Kontaveit.
“I’m not in a hurry, I still have a little left… It’s just a bonus, I have nothing more to prove, nothing more to lose and I love challenges, that’s what I more successful”, she raved about the court, glittering from head to toe, the word “Queen” affixed to his laces.
The former boss of the circuit has so far refrained from confirming the exact date of a retirement which she announced as imminent in the columns of the magazine vogue, August 9. In a river text, the one whose only first name was enough to identify her poured out, at the time of looking in the retro: “I would like to think that because of what I have been able to do, female athletes can be themselves on the court. (…) That they can wear whatever they want, say whatever they want, kick ass and be proud of it all. »
Inspiring or maddening. Glorified or criticized. On and off the courts, Serena Williams never left anyone indifferent, whether it was her committed speaking out for the rights of women and minorities, her fights against police violence and racial discrimination – evidenced in particular by her movement support “Black Lives Matter” –, his conceited declarations or his clothes. In 2018, at Roland-Garros, his black jumpsuit, such “a warrior princess”, was widely commented on and even decried, starting with the then president of the French Tennis Federation, Bernard Giudicelli. Never mind, at the US Open a few weeks later, the accused responded to the provocation with audacity by showing off a tutu with fishnet tights (compression).
Pride, Serena Williams has never lacked. Each of his press conferences was an opportunity to verify this. “I like the fact that expectations are placed on my shoulders, because it means that I don’t inspire mediocrity. Without it, I wouldn’t be Serena Williams.”, she dared at the 2018 US Open.
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