Full Bloom
Posted on Jul 5, 2009 9:02 am
By Alex Belth
Correct me if I’m wrong, but if Venus and Serena Williams were men, they’d be a whole lot more popular than they are, right? Is that what it is? That they are women? Is it tennis? Or is it that they are black? Or perhaps because they are not cutie-pies, known to be ungracious in defeat, or because their old man is as unappealing as they come? Are they just not likable? Or maybe it’s because their personal rivalry is without much drama. The sisters love each other and while they have different personalities–Venus is elegant yet removed, Serena, effusive, with a wide, beautiful smile–they don’t have much visibile angst or tension toward each other. Or if they do, it’s private. So watching them play each other feels drained of drama–they won’t let us in.
They aren’t the girls next door, or pin-up blondes. They are physical marvels in the tennis world–Venus is long and strong, and Serena is a tank, with the thighs of a fullback. Serena is also pretty in a conventional way, with a winning smile, and an ample bossom. She’s a bombshell trapped inside a weighlifters body. Certainly a long way from Tracy Austin. But what makes the Williams sisters great is their staying power.
Why aren’t they more popular? It’s a combination of many things, but there it is–the Williams sisters are holding up women’s tennis and somehow they are not huge celebrities here in the States.
The Williams girls played each other in the Wimbledon final on Saturday morning and Serena dispatched her older sister in straight sets giving her an 11-10 edge over Venus in head-to-head play. It was Serena’s third Wimbledon title, the first since 2002. She has the career Grand Slam–the Austrailian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open–winning 11 majors in all. Venus has won Wimbledon and the US Open, but hasn’t won a French or Austrialian Open. I got to wondering how Serena, the better of the two, stacks up against the greatest women tennis players of all-time.
She’s got a ways to go. Billie Jean King won 12 majors, Martina won 18 and Steffi Graf won 22.
Still, where would women’s tennis be today with out Serena and Venus?
Roger Federer is shooting for his record 15th major title this morning against Andy Roddick…
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My sense is that pro tennis as a whole is not as popular as it was twenty years ago. Perhaps related to this, Alex, it should be “Wimbledon,” not “Wimbelton.”
; )
[1] Figured that was just having a laugh by AB but never understood why people over there pronounce it that way, I can understand getting Worcestershire and Leicestershire wrong but Wimbledon is a say what you see word.
Oh and the Williams, I’d rather go hunting for Wombles.
[2] Well, in fact, it’s properly pronounced “-dӘn”. So the problem there lies with our pronunciation in the provinces.
Roddick won the first set. Aie Papi!
[1][2][3]
I sense I am slow on the uptake this morning.
the slow meltdown of Roddick begins…and I’m loving it.
I’m more of a Nadal fan than anything else so I don’t have a big rooting interest here, but I can’t stand Roddick.
Roger up 2 sets to one but Roddick not going away…
Jesus, Roddick just broke serve and is up 3 to 1 in the fourth.
so Wang to DL as expected. Albadalejo up.
Federer hasn’t broken Roddick’s serve yet. Amazing.
Roddick commanding the fourth. Impressive.
i was watching at the gym and after federer won the third set i expected to come home and see the scroll that federer was wimbledon champ – very surprised to see that roddick won the 4th so handily
i like the williams sisters. being black women is certainly a big part of it to me. they are unembraced outsiders.
2-2 in the fifth. Federer hasn’t broken his serve yet. Holy crud.
Dude, tennis is WAAAAY too stressful for me. Especially this early in the day. But it sure is a shot of adreneline, ain’t it?
[14] i’ve always enjoyed watching it. I happen to live a few blocks from the only clay courts in Pittsburgh. A friend got me into playing lsat year. My stinkage is of such a high level that my respect for how good these players are has grown.
As for the subject of the post, I think the fact that there are the two sisters and they are so dominant is anti-climatic. But also, they slipped in and out a bit for a while with injuries. Before the injuries they were hugely popular I thought. Kind of like Wang.
very true alex.
roddick’s serve is pretty amazing today
Great match today.
This takes me back to the 1970s-80s, when I’d watch all the Wimbledon action on Fourth of July weekend, in between spending 6-7 hours mowing the lawn.
This is heart stopping. Federer keeps missing shots and then comes back and makes the impossible look easy.
man something has gotta give soon – can federer break roddick?
I agree with [1]. I think Pro Tennis has dropped off the sports landscape in the United States. I also think the fact that both Williams are so dominant, and that they are their own rivals makes hem less interesting. I think what made Chris Everett so popular was that Martina was both a more formidable and a foreign opponent. That allowed Americans to not only root for the underdog, but also their country.
holy crap this is brutal!
Oh, this is where the tennis banter is located! On the other thread the folks seem to be watching some kind of baseball game.
federe had his chance to break there = but still can’t – wow!
Holy crap. 14-14.
Remember when Andy played that, hm, maybe Moroccan? That guy with an Arabic name, anyway. In the Australian Open, and the fifth set just kept going, and going, and going…
[24] It was January 2003. I guess I could look it up.
Oh, this could be it. Down love-30…
Wow, the kid can still sever, 4 and a quarter hours into the match.
Jeez.
I didn’t realize I was rooting for Roddick until Federer won.
Anyway, terrific final. Wow.
That, is what greatness is all about.
Anyone still here watching the Williams Women?
There’s something really, really nice about seeing them play together after that competitive singles final they played against each other. I dunno. It makes me feel good.
That was very satisfying.
Now, back to baseball.