Serena Williams has been in the game since she was 3 years old. She now has 23 grand slam titles under her belt, and many more to come (I’m sure of it). She is by far the best women’s tennis player if not, dare I say it, the best tennis player, period. She always gives her all and never lets anyone assume they know what she’s going to do next. I mean, she won a grand slam title while pregnant! What can’t she do?!
Well, according to John McEnroe, she can’t win against a man…
John McEnroe, a retired tennis player and current tennis announcer, stated that Serena, who is currently ranked number 4 in the world in women’s singles, would rank in the 700s if she played on the mens circuit. His comments immediately gained backfire and criticism. Many people stated that he is no one to decide on Serena’s rankings, since he himself only won 7 major titles before his retirement. Other’s stated that he was just trying to stay relevant by feasting off the success of others. McEnroe later stated that he regretted his comment, but we all know that is just a surface level apology, only given because he was surprised by the response he got.
Serena, who throughout her career has had to deal with racism, sexism, and scrutiny over everything she does, responded the best way you can: simply and directly. In a series of tweets she stated that while she respects John, she wants to be kept out of statements that are not factually based, especially while she is preparing to have a baby.
Serena is a badass and does not have the time to worry about what her ranking would be if she played against men. She is too busy preparing for the arrival of her baby, and planning her triumphant return after her sweet babe is born.
We could all take some notes from the way that Williams composes herself and her responses when faced with criticism, and adversity. She always pushes through to the other side, with the same (if not better) light shining through her. Don’t fire up the haters, simply tell them they’re wrong and that you don’t have time for their shenanigans. Don’t let others’ opinions get the better of you. Brush it off and go win a grand slam at a Wimbledon, or whatever.
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(Feature image via Serena William’s Instagram)
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I find that former athletes do become bitter after they retire, and try to criticize the current generation. Maybe they do so because they are trying to stay relevant, maybe because they feel their own achievements threatened. Who knows.
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