At 44 years old, Serena Williams returned not to win Wimbledon, but to do something she loves
To herself, to the world, to the game of tennis, Serena Williams had nothing to prove. Has nothing to prove.
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When she “evolved” her way out of the game four years ago, she did so with a legacy secured, leaving the US Open court on a warm September night as one of the best ever to do it, handing off to ensuing generations of players destined to look up to her records or attempt to imitate her style.
So why do it again?
Why come back at age 44, and make a return to competitive singles at Wimbledon?
Why do it again, when logic, time, and age dictate it can never be the same?
Why?
Simply put, because she can.
And she should.
Even as we dissect what turned out to be a relatively brief singles appearance, this was cause for celebration, not critique. Yes, Williams lost her much-heralded first-round match to 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint by a 6-3, 6-7 (6), 6-3 score Tuesday on Wimbledon’s manicured Centre Court.
Williams lost, but she did not fail. And what better lesson can we ask from the athletes we watch?
Williams played with a level of grit and competitiveness that belied her 1,396-day layoff from her last singles match, fighting back to take the second set in a thrilling tiebreaker, before running out of gas in the third. There were moments, when she served with such power, when she hit impossible angles, when she dropped soft shots across the court or skimmed lasers just over the net, that visions of the old Serena danced in our heads. But there were also those tougher moments, when she couldn’t find a first serve, when she couldn’t chase down a drop shot, when she misfired an overhead or bounced one just off the net cord, that we had to accept she is also an old(er) Serena.
Yet, the day more than lived up to its hype. Count me among the worldwide audience who lapped up the breathless ESPN coverage of her imminent return and sat riveted to the 2 hours, 22 minutes of sporting theater. When it was over, I couldn’t help but think this was no trip down memory lane. This was a teaser into a fascinating future. Even if that future extends only back to New York for one more swing through Flushing Meadows this fall, here’s hoping it happens, that Williams is eyeing more singles play.
And we still get a doubles match with her similarly inspiring sister Venus, when they open play on Thursday. It was the sisterly partnership that initially reignited Serena’s competitive fire, but as is always the case with the 23-time Grand Slam winner, this was about so much more than going after a score. With a belief in herself that channels the singular arrogance of her generational equals (think Tom Brady), Williams always risked alienating a certain segment of the sporting audience. But from childhood days in Compton, Calif., when she and Venus had to fight for their place in a country club sport, she has always bet on herself.
And won.
Why should this time be different? While her business ventures grew in the years away from the game, the family grew, too. Her husband, Alex Ohanian, was in the stands with their two daughters, all of them rooting on mom, building an inspirational river that flowed both ways.
Williams wrote this in an online essay back when she was still contemplating a return: “I find myself looking back — not to recapture the glory years, these women are far too good for me to even think about that — but sometimes I wonder if my kids will ever really see me doing what I once loved so much.
“At one point, I didn’t think that mattered, but as they grow, I realize it does. I don’t think they fully understand what I’ve done. Not just on the court, but beyond it. I’ve tried to shield them, to give them a normal life, but I also want them to feel proud: I’m proud. These days, I’ll go out and hit a few balls, and I feel something different. A sense of calm. Joy. Tennis has become my happy place . . .
“If I did return, it would be about experience, about sharing the moment with my kids. Maybe even a small moment where I can say, ‘Look — this is what Mommy used to do.’ ”
Here she is, doing it again, showing the world just what it is to be a badass working mom, showing her daughters the full version of herself, listening to her heart.
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Because she can.
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