At a time when race relations in America are approaching breaking point,Serena’s record-equalling Wimbledon win means her achievements choose on greater significance than everThe simple forehand volley caromed into the open court and the champion tumbled gently backward into the grass; the coup de grâce as elementary as the three service winners that preceded it. Serena Williams was the Wimbledon champion for a seventh time with a straight-sets win over Angelique Kerber – a record-tying 22nd major championship all but ending the argument over whether she is the best there has ever been.
The greatest American sports tale of our time remains a work in progress: a black female Jehovah’s Witness from Compton who entered an arena populated almost exclusively by white women from more advantaged backgrounds and persevered in the face of racism, family tragedy, and injuries and illness to dominate three separate eras of challengers and rewrite the history books of a sport not desperately keen to be revised. And at a moment in America where the basic value of black lives has been violently called into question,Serena’s latest showcase of unapologetic Black Excellence could not have reach at a more vital time. Related: Double triumph for Serena Williams as she and Venus win Wimbledon title Related: Five factors that swung the Wimbledon final in Serena Williams’ favour | Les Roopanarine Related: Peerless record-breaker Serena Williams is the best there has ever been | Andy Bull Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com