Merlisa Lawrence Corbett - Serena Williams: Tennis Champion, Sports Legend, and Cultural Heroine

Serena Williams

Tennis Champion, Sports Legend, and Cultural Heroine

Merlisa Lawrence Corbett

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York London

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Corbett, Merlisa Lawrence, 1965 author.

Title: Serena Williams : tennis champion, sports legend, and cultural heroine / Merlisa Lawrence Corbett.

Description: Lanham, Maryland : Rowman & Littlefield, 2020. | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: Record-breaking, trend-setting, and controversial, tennis star Serena Williams often sparks conversation and debate. She's one of the most intriguing figures in sports, and this book offers insight not only into her impact on tennis and popular culture but also into how she has challenged race and gender norms Provided by publisher.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019038838 (print) | LCCN 2019038839 (ebook) | ISBN 9781538109663 (cloth) | ISBN 9781538109670 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Williams, Serena, 1981 | Women tennis playersUnited StatesBiography. | African American women tennis playersBiography. | CelebritiesUnited StatesBiography. | African American celebritiesBiography.

Classification: LCC GV994.W55 C67 2020 (print) | LCC GV994.W55 (ebook) | DDC 796.342092 [B]dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019038838

LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019038839

TM The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

To my father,

the late Robinson Louis Lawrence,

who read the Lakeland Ledger every day

before heading off to work.

He was always thoughtful enough to

leave behind the sports section for his daughters.

Steering a book from idea to completion is impossible without the support of family, friends, colleagues, and professionals. I especially want to thank the following folks who helped make this trip a rewarding ride.

Thank you to the professionals at Rowman & Littlefield, the driving force behind transforming me from writer to author. Thank you, Christen Karniski, editor extraordinaire. Your patience and guidance made even the potholes and pitfalls enjoyable.

Tracey Reavis, thanks so much. Your friendship and advice are always appreciated.

Thank you to my siblings, a built-in support system. This includes my brothers, Ranney and Selwyn, whose encouragement and unconditional love kept me from veering off the road.

Camille Mosley, a tireless crusader, thank you. Your passion for promoting and preserving the history of African Americans in tennis continues to inspire me.

To my mom, Esther, thank you for modeling creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit.

To Marvin, thanks for being pleasant and supportive over the years.

A special thank-you to Sara, Nicky, and Gregory, the three amigos. I love you guys.

Finally, thank you to the baristas at N+1 Coffee. Your mochas fueled much of this book.

Less than two weeks after coming into this world on September 1, 2017, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. had more than 60,000 Instagram followers. By February 2018, she had 259,000. She had 590,000 followers before she reached her second birthday. Olympias Instagram account followed four people: her aunt, Venus Williams; her father, Alexis Ohanian Sr.; her doll Qai Qai; and her mother, Serena Williams, one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Serena is such an icon that her daughter and her daughters doll have amassed social media followings. Alexis arrived during a headline-making month for Mommy. Maria Sharapova, 219 against Serena and 017 in the last 14 years, released a memoir entitled Unstoppable: My Life So Far, in which she characterized the 23-time Grand Slam champion as intimidating in size.

First of all her physical presence is much stronger and bigger than you realize watching TV. She has thick arms and thick legs and is so intimidating and strong. Its the whole thingher presence, her confidence, her personality.... Even now, she can make me feel like a little girl, wrote Sharapova, who is almost 6-foot-3 and can see over Serenas head when they stand side by side.

A Daily Beast columnist called Sharapovas language vile and racially tinged. The drama played out on social media as fans and media personalities debated whether Sharapova was body-shaming Serena to sell books. That all took a backseat when baby Ohanian arrived.

Serena gave birth and changed the subject. Similar to the way she grabs victory from pending defeat, Serena snatches the media spotlight away from all others. Whether on the court, on the runway, on the red carpet, or in the boardroom, Serena puts an exclamation point on almost everything she touches.

Record-breaking, trend-setting, polarizing, and controversial, Serena sparks conversation. Her failures are almost as epic as her triumphs. Her presence permeates so many aspects of mainstream culturesports, fashion, celebrity, businessshes like a living piece of Americana.

Shes one of the most intriguing figures in sports. This book offers a comprehensive look at Serenas life, including her impact on tennis, gender equality, racial issues, and popular culture.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist has a team, an entourage, celebrity groupies, and a band of fans who call themselves Serenas army. She also has almost 11 million Twitter followers. Shes in that first-name recognition club with Oprah, Beyonc, Cher, Rafa, and Rihanna.

When not winning titles and making cameos in motion pictures, Serena is building her brand or funding schools for girls in Africa and Jamaica.

Her life is more than a sports story. Professional athlete is far too minuscule a title for someone whose impact on society leaps off the sports pages and into business publications, fashion magazines, and academic journals.

Serena is a tennis champion, sports legend, and cultural heroine. Still unfolding, her lifes story is the ultimate American dream, filled with hope, anger, love, sadness, aspiration, perspiration, and perseverance.

Serena Williamss straight-out-of-Compton life story is a fascinating fairy tale. While her family did live in the rough neighborhood, Serena spent more of her childhood at country clubs in Florida than on the mean streets of South Central Los Angeles.

The story of a little black girl from the ghetto who reaches international superstardom makes a hell of a rags-to-riches tale, however. Indeed, Serenas journey from Compton to center court is the inspirational story of an American family with an influential father figure whose children survive, thrive, and persevere despite racism, sexism, and classism.