When GOATs Come Back To Roost

I am back on my tennis kick, again. What can I say, I am a fan and with good reason. With Covid-19 restrictions subsiding, tennis looks to be getting back into full swing as the Queen’s All White (as in apparel) Club of Wimbledon approaches.

The big news for the upcoming major event announced last week was that GOAT Serena Williams would be hitting the grass court again. The decision for the 23 major slam winner was made well before the French Open but kept hush hush until last week.

I, like many other tennis spectators, had given Serena up for retirement after playing her last tournament at Wimbledon 2021. The 40-year old is the mother of a toddler she loves spending time with on and off the court. Most of her endorsement spots, Tik Toks, and Insta snaps over the past three years have featured the sports great with her daughter.

There’s a migraine commercial which features her daughter Olympia, and Brazilian sensation Shakira has a dance video out now featuring Quai Quai Olympia’s famed doll. In the year Serena hasn’t played tennis publicly, she’s been busy enjoying life off the court which has led me to believe that for as much as she loves the tennis life she’s ready for the after tennis life and looking toward retirement.

But I know with her status in the sport, she is just not going to retire out of the blue without giving her fans a swan song—I think Wimbledon and the U.S. Open this year might be that. And if not so, there’s probably only a year or so left in her.

Her longevity, along with that of her sister Venus, Roger Federer, and of course, Rafael Nadal, is astounding. Many think that all four of them should have retired years ago. But why, if they feel they can still play up to their normal level. And Rafa has proved that all year winning the Australian Open and his beloved French Open at age 36 when so many had written him off. I’ll get to him later.

The interesting fact about retirement for the women’s side is that so many have retired in what may seem an abrupt manner. The former #1 Ash Barty retired after winning the Australian earlier this year at age 25. Marion Bartoli won her first major at Wimbledon at age 27 and retired a month later. Flavia Pennata won her first major at the U.S. Open and then promptly retired during her trophy presentation speech. I guess it’s all about what you feel you have left in the tank.

Serena has so many off court interests in life that there’s no doubt that she will have plenty to fill her time not on the court. Watching her daughter grow up will be number one on that list but she has many business ventures like clothing lines, shoes lines, part owner of professional teams, licensed nail tech—you get the point.

I think she has wrestled with retirement for a few years as her body just doesn’t bounce back from injury now like it did 15 years ago and then the pandemic threw life into a funk.

Either way I will enjoy seeing her play next week even if she’s not the same ol’ Serena because I know she won’t be around much longer to instill fear in her opponents across the net. Part of me feels that if she wins that elusive “24th tying the most major slams” title at Wimbledon or the U.S. Open, she is gone for sure but maybe a few trips to the finals would keep her around for another year. We’ll see what happens, just happy to see it happen at least one more time.

As for Rafa, I have always been a believer since I saw him nearly two decades ago. He plays with passion and focus and when he is on clay you better believe he is playing to win. I could have peed my pants when he beat Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals of the French Open a few weeks ago. That match was the final with Novak trying to defend last year’s title against the King of Roland Garros and of clay, Rafa. It went as I thought.

More than half of his now 22 major titles have been won on Phillipe Chartrier, he has only loss three times in his entire tennis career in that tournament—just amazing. I’m getting the notion that the French delegation might end up naming that court after him.

Rafa, like Serena and Roger, are past what many consider their prime. But as good as each of them were in their prime, their subprime and experience is still enough to beat quality foes. After Rafa’s win a few weeks ago, I thought for sure he was out of Wimbledon with such a quick turnaround and his foot troubles that he played through.

I am excited to see him play in London, though grass isn’t his best surface, and I am excited that he could capture a calendar grand slam and become a first time dad all in the same year.

All I need now is for Roger to come back to the game and I will be tennis ready!