Serena Williams is two wins away from completing the Grand Slam, something no one has done since Steffi Graf accomplished the feat in 1988, when she added an Olympic gold medal just to further prove how incredibly dominant she was at the time.
Standing between Ms. Williams and history are Roberta Vinci and the winner of the second semifinal pitting No. 2 seed Simona Halep and Flavia Pennetta. None of those names should worry Williams or any of her followers, supporters or those that want to see history made this weekend.
Winning the Grand Slam should make Williams the runaway Athlete of the Year no matter how or where those things are being handed out. The ESPYs came early and handed the trophy to Ronda Rousey, who was dubbed the most dominant athlete in sports by Sports Illustrated earlier this year. As a mixed martial arts journalist, I can tell you that Rousey is certainly a force to be reckoned with, but what Serena is doing is something completely different.
Think about it: Rousey smashes overmatched competition in under 60 seconds once every four-to-six months; Williams will have won four consecutive major tournaments over the course of the year, 28 victories in all without a defeat on various surfaces against competitors that bring different elements to the table.
I love Rousey, but it’s not even close. There honestly shouldn’t be any question about this and yet I’m pretty sure there will be. Rousey will earn consideration, especially if she earns a third consecutive quick finish this year when she fights Holly Holm at UFC 193 in Melbourne, Australia later this fall.
The US Women’s World Cup team will surely get some “It only happens every four years and we loved them so much!” votes.
Steph Curry will get some love for winning the MVP and NBA Championshp. Jordan Spieth and Jason Day will earn some consideration.
None hold a candle to Williams, even if she doesn’t complete the Grand Slam this weekend, and if she does, there shouldn’t be any other options.
Winning the US Open will give her four straight titles at Flushing Meadows and 22 career Glam Slam singles titles overall, which would tie her with Graf and leave her two back of Margaret Court. She’s stood at No.1 on the WTA Tour 13 years apart and will have won the last five consecutive Grand Slam events, and seven of the last 12.
The fact that she’ll have accomplished something that hasn’t been done in the last 27 years should also be a clear indication that what she’s doing is a different kind of special.
It’s insane to me that this isn’t a bigger deal. Much like American Pharaoh completing the Triple Crown this year, it feels like these monumental achievements have been brushed aside in favour of hot takes, heated playoff races and the return of the NFL.
All those things are great, but they’re also regular occurrences; someone winning the Grand Slam is not. If Serena accomplishes this amazing feat, hopefully she and her achievement get the attention they very much deserve.
