This year's US Open event could be the last for Serena Williams after a brilliant 25 year career - (Edwin Martinez photo)

Naomi Osaka is one of the new edition era of women's tennis

19-year-old Emma Raducanu is back to defend her US Open title- - (si.robi photo)

SPORTS NOTES - RADUCANU IN SERENA OUT?

James Loving/National Radio Text Service

The Williams sisters Venus and Serena have dominated Women's tennis for most of the past quarter of a century. It is believable that what these two have accomplished winning 30 Grand Slam tournaments between them will never be duplicated by another sister team. Their legacy of hard work and determination is what they will leave behind. They have opened the doors for other black female tennis players to strive to for success. They have felt the pain in breaking down the racist barriers that have existed in the sport so others can feel less pressure since they have set the standard of racial tolerance, focus and winning - NBA's ALL TIME BEST PLAYERS 1st and 2nd TEAMS

Friday August 26, 2022

TENNIS' CHANGING OF THE GUARDS

There is something in common with Serena Williams and Emma Raducanu the US Open was the first Grand Slam win. Both were 18 going on 19 when they accomplished the fete.

Presently this year's event could be the last for Serena after a brilliant 25 year career in which she has won 23 Grand Slam titles. She's also is believed to be the greatest player the game has ever had. In addition Williams is considered by many to be one of the greatest athletes, regardless of sport, ever.

For me this is somewhat personal since I've been attentive to her and her sister Venus' careers before they became professionals. At the time they first came to my attention was when Channel 4 News in Los Angles was doing a feature of the two sisters practicing in public courts in Compton, California with their father Richard as coach. The reporter interviewing the then 10 and 12 (guess) year old sisters asked a question and Richard ran in front of the cameras and stopped the interview while noting that the reporter didn't inform him earlier that he was going to ask that question nor would he have been given permission to do so.

At the time it was the beginning of my broadcast journalism career. That career followed a career as a musician where I had played in clubs in Compton. With that experience I was familiar with the dangerous environment that the family was living in. The dangers of the then drug infested Compton is aptly described in the film Straight Outta Compton.

When they became professional I covered the Virginia Slims tournament at the Manhattan Beach Tennis Club in which they participated. During the break between afternoon matches and evening matches I was in the end court stands opposite the stands where the two sisters were conversing. We were the only three people in the tennis area. That gave me an insight to how close they were.

Serena won a match in that tournament. At the post-match press conference Serena was asked a question about how intense her father was training her. She differed the question to her father who she pointed to standing on the side of the tent next to me and said ask him, "he's right over there."

My next insight was when Richard stated that Serena was the better player. My curiosity was raised why he would make such a comment. As history has played out the proof is in their career results since Venus has won seven Grand Slams to Serena's 23. Serena was the first to win one accomplishing it in 1999 when she won the US Open. Venus followed with two titles in 2000 Wimbledon and The US Open.

It raises the question why Serena 40 who is 15 months younger than Venus 42, is signifying that she is about to retire from the game while Venus has not stated that she's done competing. The 15 month difference in age is Venus was born June 17, 1980 and Serena September 26, 1981.

The answer could be that Serena is carrying a heavier load. Both are involved in business ventures. Serena is married and has a child. Although shorter, Serena is physically larger. She appears to have gained weight since her last Grand Slam title the Australian Open in 2017. She then took a year off to give birth to her child Olympia and care for her.

In 2018 she returned to competition in her quest to tie Margaret Court's 24 Grand Slam title record with hopes to then go on the surpass her. It appears that the pressure to accomplish that goal erupted after being a finalist at Wimbledon and then going ballistic in the US Open in her loss to Naomi Osaka. As Serena burst out in tears the world was in shock at her behavior… the pressure was showing.

In 2019 she was a Grand Slam finalist at Wimbledon and the US Open. Since that time she has yet to reach the finals.

Last week in Cincinnati she was trampled by Raducanu 6-4, 6-0. Following the match she refused to do press interviews. She declined the on-court interviewer as she quickly packed her bags and walked off the court immediately after the match, waving and smiling to the crowd. A microphone that had been set up on the opposite side of the net from Raducanu's interview was then removed from the court.

Raducanu was gracious in her win praising Williams, "We all should honor Serena and her amazing career," Raducanu said. "I'm so grateful for the experience to have been able to play her and for our careers to have crossed over. Everything she's achieved is so inspirational. It was a true honor to share the court with her."

That set the tone for next week's US Open competition. Nobody expects Raducanu or Williams to win the tournament. The point is at this stage it is out with the old and in with the new era of young talent that Raducanu represents. In short there is a changing of the guard in Women's tennis.

The Williams sisters have dominated Women's tennis for most of the past quarter of a century. It is believable that what these two have accomplished winning 30 Grand Slam tournaments between them will never be duplicated by another sister team. Their legacy of hard work and determination is what they will leave behind. They have opened the doors for other black female tennis players to strive to for success. They have felt the pain in breaking down the racist barriers that have existed in the sport so others can feel less pressure since they have set the standard of racial tolerance, focus… and winning.

NATIONAL RADIO PUBLISHED IN 5 LANGUAGES

National Radio text is published in five languages, Thai, French, Russian, Khmer (Cambodian language) and English, Any of our foreign language material and our Roman Wanderaugh columns is legally available ONLY on our National Radio site. Our sports, entertainment and feature programming has been broadcast on over 1000 radio stations