"I think Serena carries that with her in the way that Jordan did" - Chris Fowler draws interesting parallels between Serena Williams and Michael Jordan
Noted American sports broadcaster Chris Fowler drew parallels between Serena Williams and basketball legend Michael Jordan in a recent interview, saying that although they are very successful and dominant in their sport, they still see themselves being touted and fueled by other factors.
Speaking on The Ryan Russillo podcast, Fowler said Serena Williams was constantly fueled by the thought of being an underdog in the sport and gained strength from it as she went on to become one of the greatests of all time.
"I think she's got any common that she has been fueled by the doubts of other people. I mean, she gains strength from that job and is thinking of herself as being an underdog, which is ironic because she's the ultimate favorite. She's always expected to win every time she takes the court in her prime years, for sure which was about 20 years," he said.
Elite athletes can be similar in the ways they drive themselves to greatness.
But when it comes to Serena Williams, she is simply in her own category.
@cbfowler joined @ryenarussillo to discuss: https://t.co/p9keINT1eK
Fowler added that Serena Williams "sort of imposed herself" in a sport that initially wasn't that accepting of such attitudes, noting how similar it was to the way Michael Jordan began his career after being ignored at the college level.
"She (Serena Williams) sees herself as a girl from Compton, who grew up playing with Venus in the public courts and came as an outsider and sort of imposed herself in a sport that initially wasn't that accepting. And so I think she carries that with her in the way that (Michael) Jordan did. Many other athletes, even though they have become incredibly successful and dominant in their sport, they still saw themselves as being touted and fueled by, Michael (Jordan) missing the cut in high school basketball. I think he never get over that."
He further opined that the 23-time Grand Slam champion was helped immensely by her sister Venus Williams, both inspired by her success and gaining the motivation to catch up with her older sibling.
"And the fact that Serena was in her big sister's shadow and watched Venus succeed earlier and watch Venus drub her when they played head-to-head. I think that's part of it, too. You can't discount the fact that she was always the younger sister who was fighting and striving to catch up to Venus. And then that just continued to fuel her," he added.
The broadcaster went on to say that there are not many athletes who belong in the same category as Serena Williams in any sport, pointing to how she has surmounted several obstacles most athletes wouldn't have even faced in their careers.
"It's hard to really put into words because I don't think there's a lot of athletes that are in that category at all in any sport. She's got a greater degree and a deeper reservoir and physically amazing. I mean, she not only lasted after 40 (years of age), she also won a Grand Slam while she was pregnant. She came back after giving birth and being a mom and playing in four more Grand Slam finals. You don't see that, that just doesn't happen," he said.
Serena Williams loses to Ajla Tomljanovic in career last match
Serena Williams drew curtains on her illustrious career at the US Open earlier this month, losing to Ajla Tomljanovic. Williams beat Danka Kovinic in straight sets in the first round and got the better of World No. 2 Anett Kontaveit in the second round. However, in the third round, Australian Ajla Tomljanovic proved too good for the tennis legend.
Although Williams went down fighting, she never gave up till the end. She stretched the match to three sets and saved five match points in the third before Tomljanovic finally sealed the deal to register the most memorable victory of her career.
Serena Williams, who had earlier announced that she would "evolve away" away from the game, refused to reconsider her decision to hang up her racquet but did not rule out a comeback, saying "you never know" when quizzed about her plans.