A Quick Word: Respect Serena Williams instead of finding a comp for her greatness
Steffi Graff is pretty damn great. But so is Serena. The debate is endless, so skip it.
Sports fans and writers love comparisons too much. The infatuation starts out with an athlete retiring and being deemed the greatest ever. Soon after, a new hunt begins for someone who may or may not be better-as in tracking down a rightful comparison, or “comp” for short and cooler-a strategy that only means to hinder the greatness of the freshly retiring athlete.
Less than 12 hours after Serena Williams wrapped up her latest, and final, U.S. Open run (losing in the third round), a verified Twitter account just had to come out and post Steffi Graff’s accomplishments as an instant threat to the “greatest” conversation, something that includes too many variables to be ruled as fair.
Also, at the very end, Arash Madani adds the anti-sweetener of “went about it quietly.” Essentially, due to Williams being loud and ferocious on a tennis court, something as right as fucking rain, her work isn’t as rich as the quieter Graff. Give me a *wanking motion* break, Arash.
Let’s play the game. Anyone can do it. In my opinion, if each woman played each other in their primes, Williams would beat Graff handily. The serve, the return, and the ability to keep the gas tank full for sets 3,4,5 would have done the original Queen in handily. That’s what I think. A pure hypothetical built off desire and nothing near fact. A happen-chance setup that isn’t possible.
Arash isn’t doing much different with his tweet, but he has to go a step further in the comparison with the “quietly” bullshit. He has to make “loud, emotional” players seem less than “quiet, stoic” types. This is entertainment too, buddy. Boring players aren’t that fun. That’s the pet peeve of his article. If he thinks Graff is better, that’s great. Write the article at any time, but not right after Williams finishes her remarkable run.
It’s not exactly apples to oranges, either. Williams came into the sport along with her equally gifted sister Venus, entering the field with a built-in rivalry and high stakes thanks to the much-covered story of Richard Williams training them to be greats. Mission accomplished, sir. Serena rose to stardom and domination, and then took time to grow a family. And then she came back with a vengeance, rising to the top again. It’s a one of a kind story.
Respect the greatness. 858 tour victories, 73 singles titles, a Gold medal from the Olympics, and 319 weeks at No. #1. She owns 23 majors, a mark no other man or woman holds in the Open Era.
Someone could argue that Graff retiring, ala Barry Sanders, hindered her Grand Slam title count. She did get out of the game at a younger age than most. Her choice. Williams didn’t walk away early. She stayed until everything that could be given was gone. But as an ESPN article pointed out, the effect of the Williams sisters on several generations of young female tennis players is infinite. A mark that extends beyond the court.
Comparing athletes is as natural of a sports pastime as the sport itself. It’ll go on and on. I just find it tedious, tiring, and counter-productive. More than that, it’s hard to truly compare men or women who played in different eras. I could say Pete Sampras would kick Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal’s ass, but I don’t have much to go outside of carefully assembled opinions.
For the time being, if that’s possible, let’s appreciate Serena Williams. A true one of a kind athlete who played the game like few others and could continue to compete until she was 50. That’s how gifted athletes roll. Let’s not turn her accomplishments into a female “Lebron or Michael” discussion. It’s so tiring and pointless. Something that will eternally piss me off, and cause me to write.
Thanks for the highlights, Serena.