Serena Williams is the GOAT - an acronym for the ‘Greatest OF All Time’, it is usually a term reserved for male athletes. But no male player has made the sport, or any major sport in the professional era their own like Serena Williams has made women’s tennis. Facing down a line of leggy eastern European blondes, the African American superstar has smashed them all with ease. However, it remains to be seen whether Williams can regain her form after becoming a mother to Olympia. Several other tennis players, notably Belgian Kim Clijsters have made successful comebacks after becoming mothers, Clihsters winning several Grand Slams after motherhood.
However few of them faced the post-partum problems that Williams has had to face, particularly severe blood clots. Indeed, some even believed that Serena’s health condition was so bad that she would not make it back onto the court professionally. However, clad in a black body-suit, one seemingly inspired by the movie ‘Black Panther’ and Serena even admitting that she wants to be a superhero (but she already is!), the suit is also functional by keeping her bloodflow going.
At 36, we do not have many more years of Serena Williams left, but she and her elder sister Venus are powerful role models for young women of all races, particularly those who want to be sportspersons. And while people argue whether Roger or Rafael are GOAT’s, there is no doubt that Serena is the GOAT.