To eternity and beyond: the Serena Williams dominance saga

The stage is grand, the occasion even more so, but all the actors seem reluctant to descend on to the dais and perform their roles. There’s a sense of impending, predictable calamity in the air as the participants of the show slowly take their places in the arena. The crowds assemble, most of them wearing bored looks on their faces, but an occasional fearful glance and a random expression of reverence break the monotony. The mediator of the event, the much-respected referee, arrives with the same bored look as most of the audience, and goes through the motions of carrying out the formalities that accompany the start of any tennis match. The entry of the first player, the No. 1-ranked woman in the world, is heralded through the loudspeaker that is louder than normal, but there’s a half-heartedness to the announcer’s words. The woman’s countenance bears a strange mix of expressions – part resignation, part carefree merriment and part morbid fear. Everything on and around the tennis court seems designed to climax into one moment: a moment that would validate the presence of every single soul in the arena, as well as the million others watching the proceedings on their TV screens. That moment is the arrival of the aging warrior, the beaten-up veteran: the arrival of Serena Williams.

Everything isn’t as it has always been. It’s been nine years since Serena crowned a smashing comeback year by winning her third WTA championship title in Istanbul. ‘My best is still to come’, Serena had proclaimed after that awe-inspiring, doubt-silencing, status-reaffirming win. Much to the horror of all the players on the women’s tour, Serena had made good on her promise, racking up a further 13 Grand Slam titles, two Olympics gold medals, five WTA championship trophies and 30 other regular tournament victories in a 9-year span. But the years of success have taken a toll; Serena now walks with a noticeable limp, and wears a permanent supportive bandage on her left arm. Some other things, however, have remained the same; Serena’s father Richard and elder sister Venus (who retired five years ago) make their presence felt in the player box, and cheer enthusiastically when Serena steps on the court.

The match starts, with Serena serving. First point: ace out wide. Second point: service winner down the T. Third point: second serve out wide, forehand winner down the line for 40-0. Fourth point: ace out wide. Serena smiles – another thing that has changed – as she gingerly examines her barely-functioning right leg.

It’s now the opponent’s turn to serve. The World No. 1, a speedy, steady baseline expert with lethal groundstrokes and a good serve, has come into the match with a 1-14 head-to-head record against Serena. Her sole victory had come in a match where Serena had collapsed on the court and retired from the match after a night of wild partying. The fear in her eyes is palpable as she begins bouncing the ball for her serve. After 20 bounces, she tosses the ball in the air and hits a good, deep serve out wide in the deuce court. Serena’s eyes, a picture of fearsome focus, zero in on the ball, and as it reaches her forehand wing she pulls her arm back and slashes her racquet, sending the ball thudding down the line for a flat, outright winner.

Second point, another serve out wide, this time directed to Serena’s backhand. The American unleashes a crosscourt backhand and the World No. 1, who had barely recovered from her delivery stride, flails her racquet in desperation, hoping to at least touch the ball. She succeeds in touching it, but not in getting it back over the net – the ball hops and spins as it trundles desolately into the bottom of the net.

Third point: a good serve down the T gets Serena out of position, and a lengthy baseline exchange seemingly ends with the Word No. 1 pummeling a flat forehand into the deuce court. The crowd exhales, relieved at the first point going the World No. 1′s way. But out of the corner of their eyes they see a blur sprinting into the deuce court, limp and all, and sending a blistering crosscourt forehand for a winner. The World No. 1′s shoulders slump, Serena lets out a bellow, and the crowds go back to their knitting.

Things proceed in much the same way for the remainder of the set, and Serena ends up pocketing it 6-0, having given up a total of five points to her dazed opponent. The second set looks destined to follow in the same tone, as Serena holds serve and then breaks for a 2-0 lead. On the first point of the third game, however, Serena stretches her bad leg a little too sharply, and screams in agony as it gives way and her body collapses in a heap. The World No. 1 casts a look of concern across the net, and then spins around and closes her eyes, mouthing a silent prayer of thanks. The next 15 minutes are spent with the crowd whispering anxiously and the trainer trying to give Serena a semblance of a chance to continue playing. When the medical tape is finally wrapped all around Serena’s right knee, she stands up, and almost collapses again immediately. Steadying herself, she mutters a message of self-encouragement under her breath, and labors towards the baseline. The crowd, while sympathetic to Serena’s plight, is suddenly interested in the proceedings; maybe they would get a match after all.

Serena gets ready to serve once again, and for the first time, there’s a look of fear in her eyes too. She visibly struggles to the service line, grimacing with every step, and bounces the ball 20 times, just like the World No. 1. But as she tosses the ball skyward, her fear seems to vanish, and she thumps an ace down the middle. Three more aces follow, and the lead has now been extended to 3-0. This time, the crowd roars in approval.

The World No. 1 does manage to turn it into something of a contest, breaking back and holding serve the rest of the way, but Serena triumphs eventually, as everyone watching knew she would, clinching the tiebreaker 7-4. As she hits her final crosscourt forehand winner on match point, she collapses on the court yet again, this time with joy rather than physical distress. The crowd exults along with Serena, having got their money’s worth despite every indication that they wouldn’t.

The World No. 1 puts on a brave face as she approaches the net for the handshake. But as she comes within touching distance of her opponent, something inside her snaps: with an almighty scream, she charges at Serena, and the crowd gasps at the murderous rage clearly visible in her eyes. The referee jumps out of his chair, Serena puts her hands over her eyes in alarm, and all hell seems on the verge of breaking loose. As she raises her fist, though, the World No. 1 seems to come to her senses, and she stops just as suddenly as she started. Looking sheepishly around as though she had come out of a trance, she is confronted by the slightly terrified, high-voiced referee. A couple of armed officials descend on the court and take the embarrassed World No. 1 out of the court, with the crowd looking on in shock.

Serena puts her smile back on, waves to the crowd, and gets ready for the presentation to collect her 13th title at this venue. Some things are different – there’s no runner-up trophy at the presentation with the opponent having been escorted out of the stadium, and Serena’s hair shows distinct signs of graying. But as she lifts the trophy into the glittering sun, Serena knows that from a broad perspective, this is how it would always be. She would continue overcoming the odds, the competition and her own body to assert her dominance on the sport that they call tennis. How could it be any other way?