Solomon: Serena again inspires awe

Fandom, particularly the obsessive, overzealous enthusiasm with which we support our beloved teams and individuals, drives sport.

That is why adults spend untold hours discussing games that were played 50 years ago and games that have yet to be played.

That is why they dress up in costumes and spend small fortunes to join like-minded fans at sports events.

Why they cry when their team loses and cry when their team wins.

Whether it is the pure entertainment, the joy of victory, or escape from reality, we root as much for ourselves as we do our favorite teams and athletes.

We want, we need, them to deliver performances that move us, make us happy.

No athlete in the past 20 years has provided more of those moments than Serena Williams.

Williams, who has an instantly recognizable first name as if she were a pop music star, lost what is almost certainly her final match as a pro Friday night at the U.S. Open, likely ending a remarkable 27-year career that was improbable, but not unimaginable.

Not for the girl from Compton, Calif., who from the day she picked up a tennis racket had vowed to be the best.

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That she is.

Contemporary men’s great Rafael Nadal said Williams is one of the most important athletes in the history of sports, not just tennis. He is not overstating it.

She stood tall against all foes, including some invisible ones, who tried to crush her spirit with hate. They could challenge her, but not change her, nor defeat her.

For too long women were told that strength wasn’t beautiful, power wasn’t graceful. Black women have been told even worse.

Williams shattered those themes.

I’m not foolish enough to believe a sweet backhand makes you a sweet person, or regularly displaying last-second heart means you’re a sweetheart.

But, by definition, a hero is one who is admired or idealized for courage, outstanding achievements, or noble qualities.

No need for a conceptual semantics argument, Williams fits the definition.

After Friday’s loss, she thanked her sister Venus, who was also once the No. 1-ranked player in the world.

Serena first gained notice as Venus’ little sister. Before you knew it, Serena was big sis to millions who grew up watching her win a record 23 major tournament titles.

Williams embraced her position as a role model. She was taught that her excellence, her presence atop a sports world where people who look like her had always faced a discriminatory challenge, could change lives.

“Growing up, I never thought that I was different because the No. 1 player in the world was somebody who looked like me,” Coco Gauff said.

After beating second-seeded Anett Kontaveitin the second round, Williams staved off five match points before falling in three sets to Ajla Tomljanovic on Friday. She displayed talent and grit few 40-year-olds with so few matches this year could muster.

Williams’ inspired play was almost enough to make one wonder if she is capable of working toward the top of the sport again.

In 2015, Williams won the French Open with a 101-degree temperature and serious flu symptoms in the semifinal and final. Two years later, she won the Australian Open while she was pregnant.

Surely, she can overcome Father Time?

We expect the impossible from the great ones. Selfishly, we want more than they can deliver.

“Clearly, I’m still capable, but it also it takes a lot more than that,” Williams said. “I’m ready to, like, be a mom and explore a different version of Serena.

“And technically in the world, I’m still super young, so I want to, have a little bit of a life where I’m still walking.

“I have such a bright future ahead of me.”

The COVID shutdown and an injury that cost her a year of play, gave her time with her five-year-old daughter Alexis and a taste of what life without tennis tournaments would be like. Thus, she believes stepping away from the game should be easier for her than most.

Williams’ business successes could match her brilliance between the lines.

Williams wrote in a Vogue article recently that as she moves into this next phase, she prefers the word evolution over retirement. She is positioned to be as influential in her post-playing days as she was on the tennis tour.

Williams, who will turn 41 later this month, has reached a legendary status on the court by dominating her sport for more than 20 years, two generations. She has ascended to a position off the court where she is widely regarded as the most marketable and influential female athlete off all-time.

Williams’ influence comes from more than her dominant serve or her wealth (she made nearly $50 million off the court last year) it is the power and grace with which she has stood against all she faced. He authenticity — whether in fiery approach to competition, or deftly handling media queries — has been criticized and applauded, but never doubted.

She has always been unabashedly Serena.

When asked what she hoped to be remembered for, she went to her toughness.

“I’m such a fighter,” Williams said. “I feel like I really brought something and bring something to tennis. You know, just the different look, the fist pumps, like the just crazy intensity. Obviously, the passion, I think is a really good word.

“And just continuing through ups and downs. And I could go on and on. But I just honestly, I’m so grateful that that I had this moment, and that I’m Serena.”

So are we.

jerome.solomon@chron.com

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