For a black woman to succeed in an overwhelmingly white, male-dominated space, she must go over and above. To get a seat at the table, you had to be extraordinary.
Serena Williams not only succeeded in carving out this space for herself, she dominated.
When Serena and Venus entered the world of tennis, they broke it open; they changed the game irrevocably. A whole new audience, previously closed off from the game, now had a stake in it. The stuffy and outdated principles cherished by some were held up to scrutiny when the Williams' walked onto the court in tutus, glitter, braids; a body type deemed "wrong" for the sport. They didn't try to fit into any mould. |
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Comedian and Actor Leslie Jones ruminates on how Serena dealt with this atmosphere of hostility, similarly present in the comedy realm too. Serena was unapologetic and, while she had every right to, never used racism or sexism as an excuse in her game.
She channeled all her energy into being the best, so that even the biggest racists couldn't deny her talent. Leslie Jones empathises with this pressure, to not just meet expectations but exceed them in order to be taken seriously in a field that hasn't quite accepted you as 'one of them'.
Tennis is undeniably a better game, for players and spectators alike, thanks to the Williams sisters.
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