The well-rounded Williams sisters
When Venus and Serena have eight Wimbledon championships between them, will Americans give them their due?
But once again at Wimbledon, when the stakes are at their highest, the sisters have risen to the occasion. And on Saturday, a Williams will again reign supreme: Either Venus will win her 6th Wimbledon title, her third in a row, and her 8th major championship; or Serena will capture her 3rd Wimbledon and 11th major. If there is any disappointment for us, it is only that an all-Williams final lacks that cutting edge of genuine rivalry. The discomfort felt by the sisters in playing each other has always been palpable and, thus, the victory celebration is tempered by the winners’ shared disappointment with her sibling.
Still, it’s time to recognize that not only has the on-again, off-again, more well-rounded life approach worked for the sisters, it may actually prove to be the answer to survival in the game. While countless other top players — Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin among them — have faded away at young ages, succumbing to burnout, injuries or simply the toll of the relentlessly oppressive tour, Venus, at 29, and Serena, at 27, still got both game and heart.
To the extent that we fans might have wanted, even demanded, something more from them, we were wrong and exceedingly shortsighted. Regardless of which Williams comes out on top Saturday (if you must bet though, get down on Venus rising), it’s time to give them their full due.
Both sisters are great champions and worthy successors in the American line — and, indeed, particularly to Martina Navratilova, who was, after all, a lady of wide-ranging pursuits and interests. We should never begrudge those, especially when they may turn out to be the very secret to enduring success.
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