dapxin

Could Serena Williams have played her last competitive tennis match?

Williams has long been resented not only by rival players, who have struggled to compete with her power and athleticism, but by tennis-watchers, many of whom seemed at times uncomfortable with the emergence of a proud, unashamedly black woman champion.

Serena, can be proud. But then, when arrogance meets competence, with a dose of drama, you are not entitled to complain.

In a sense, one is actually entitled to worship those things, and by projection, Serena - unless you are tennis competitor. 

"I'm a black player 100 per cent," she once said. "I'm playing for those little girls who never watched tennis, who never had a chance to play tennis."

Very instructive. While I am not easily the most informed Tennis analyst, Serena Williams brought me to the game and I vividly recollect watching her, over DSTV in the cubicle of my office uptown Akure, in the early 2000s and the most endearing thing, was that concentration. Serena's concentration.

Which, ultimately drives her legendary, and usually fun come-backs. She usually plays with the swagger, of one who is never down or out. You just love it Or as Jason puts it:

I've long thought she was terrific, the only player on the women's tour I'd pay to watch.

Worth repeating: The only female Tennis player worth paying to watch.

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Where Jason doesn't make a lot of sense, to me, is the idea, that a Serena Williams retirement, from Tennis, now, or anytime soon, will be a sad thing.

At 29+, and having travelled down that road, conquering all, she was always in her twilight years anyway. And only the dog who stays alive, scrambles for bones.

Jason's references to Malcom Gladwell's thoughts, is also revealing.

"It's not enough to ask what successful people are like. It is only by asking where they are from that we can unravel the logic behind who succeeds and who doesn't."

Gladwell has what he calls the 10,000 hours rule for exceptional achievement. He believes that all extraordinarily successful people have put in their 10,000 hours of hard work, invariably from an early age.

Interesting.

Ever since I have been reading script on Serena Williams, Jason's piece is quite easily the one, that reads most honest and admirable in its undisguised affection for Serena William's standing, in the sport.

And when he states "I wish we could produce someone like her in this country", you appreciate where Jason is coming from. A very good place and a very good read.

If Serena was English or British? oh wow! silence... but bring me the din.