Bill Simons
WIMBLEDON
It’s tough to break into any sport. It’s challenging to be at ease in tennis’ weighty culture – it’s a world that can intimidate. Years ago, a then-wispy Venus Williams first flashed across the WTA sky when she was just 14. When Venus first arrived, the game was far more white than it is today (and even now, it’s rather pale).
And it’s especially hard to break in when the expectations of the world are on your shoulders. Ask any phenom, from Jennifer Capriati to Amanda Anisimova. Still, Venus’ 1994 coming-out party was quite the happening – a frenzy like few others. “Is she for real?” demanded the dream spinners. Tennis wanted to know – would she live up to all the hype? At her first match, the whole world was watching. CNN, the New York Times, Bud Collins and the hype machine descended on Oakland Coliseum. What could it have possibly been like for this already steely kid? “It was awesome…It was a great time,” Venus recalled today.
You know the narrative. Visionary Richard Williams told his wife, “Hey sweetie, I just saw some Romanian girl on TV win forty grand. That’s not so bad for a week’s work – right? So, listen up, I’ve got this idea. You’ll have a couple of girls. I’ll learn what I can about tennis – it can’t be that hard – and then teach them that game and we’ll pocket a fortune – got it?”
Mother Oracene got it, and what tennis got was a revelation and a revolution. Papa spit in the eye of convention and mostly kept Venus out of junior play. He bragged she’d be No. 1. And, just to add a twist, boasted that Venus’ little sister would be even better than her elder. And you know what? Richard, with a lot of help from his wife Oracene and two pretty eager kids (who proved to be pretty talented), was more then right.
Papa Williams said they would revolutionize the game, and 25-years, 30 Grand Slam singles titles and many a tumultuous chapter later the Williams clan has transformed tennis. Last week Serena appeared on a Wheaties box and today Venus was out on Court 1 playing a match with historical, cross-generational implications that were impossible to miss.
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The biggest thing about the most hyped match of Wimbledon’s opening day was not that the 15-year-old American phenom Coco Gauff was the youngest player to ever qualify for the Wimbledon main draw in the Open Era. It wasn’t just that the former French junior champion was 24 years younger than her 39-year-old foe, and was born ten years after Venus had made her debut. It wasn’t that before Coco was born Venus had won four of her seven Slam titles. And it was not only that legends like Serena and Federer had sung her praises. Serena said, “I’ve been in her shoes…It’s a great story. Coco is a nice girl, works really hard. She’s obviously got a wonderful future.” John McEnroe was more succinct: “If she isn’t No. 1 by the time she’s 20, I’d be shocked.”
Perhaps in the big picture of things what was most noteworthy about Coco Gauff’s convincing, break-out 6-4, 6-4 win over Venus was that few even mentioned that Coco’s an African-American. After all, long ago players named Althea, Zina, Katrina, Mal, Lori, James, Sloane, Madison and Naomi, to name a few, have proven that tennis players of color bring it big time. And that’s due, in significant measure, to the Williamses. It’s no surprise that Coco has a poster of Serena in her home. It reminds her to work hard. Serena said Coco “reminds me of the time where I was out there with my dad. I can’t help but look inside of myself and be proud.” McEnroe said that for the lean, athletic, powerful Gauff being out there facing Venus, “was like looking in the mirror.” Some suggested Venus’ legacy would live on through Gauff.
But today Coco said she just played her game. And that’s some game. Never mind that she’s ranked No. 313 and that she was surprised to even be in Wimbledon. A few days ago she was taking a science test. Then she got a wildcard into the qualifying, beat the top seed and didn’t drop a set en route to the main draw.
When she came out on court today she was dazzled by the huge Court One. She’d never played in front of so many people. As always, she’d prayed for the safety of herself and her foe. She’d listened to her music [Jaden, Kendrick Lamar and the upcoming rapper Miss Multatto] and knew what her dad thought: after she won the celebrated Little Mo International when she was just eight, he told her she could be the best.
Today she returned serve with confidence. Her serve was a weapon. She unleashed a 108-mph serve at crunch time. She moved well, scored cross-court backhand winners and was unafraid to blast groundies point-blank at her idol. Her depth and court sense backed Venus up. Even Gauff’s shanked shots drifted in. Plus, she defended with ease and played with a poise that, simply put, astounded.
Coco won the first set in 33 minutes, but suffered a loose game and dropped serve midway into the second set. But no biggie. She broke right back. Sure, it took her four match points to win, but reporters soon wondered, “Is this the most memorable pre-final Wimbledon match since Federer beat Sampras in 2001?”
Today, on a court with a new roof, one asked, “Is there any ceiling for this new blue sky Floridian?” Gauff has the same agent as Federer, the fellow with 20 Slams. Dare we even ask whether this poised, long-legged young athlete could someday compose a career that might be a bit suggestive of the Swiss maestro’s symphony? Radio Wimbledon sternly warned us, “Let’s not get too far in front of ourselves.” But that was a challenge.
It’s been a long time since tennis has celebrated anyone in their mid-teens who shows so much “can’t miss” promise. One thinks of long-ago WTA prodigies: Graf, Seles, Capriati, Hingis, Venus and Serena.
Yes, Gauff got a B in that science test she took. But she gave herself an A for her play today. And when it comes to future greatness, clearly she passes with flying colors. Her strokes and speed are great. She gets pumped, but not too pumped. She can rebound, has an uncanny balance and, like the Williamses, a deep-well belief in her own greatness. After she won, Coco wept and thanked Venus for all she’s done – for being an inspiration to so many little girls. The teen spoke of how she and Venus have similar games and bodies and how, once after a 2018 loss in Australia, Federer gave her a pep talk. At one level, she said her win today was just another match and Wimbledon was just another tournament.
Then she confided that off-court she was “goofy.” But there’s little that’s goofy about this kid’s take on life. “I literally don’t play with any pressure. I’m just enjoying … I just tell myself whatever happens happens. Everything happens for a reason. My motto is just wing it…We’re all going to die one day. I just want to make the most of it. I don’t want to put too much pressure on the little moments because those are moments that turn out big when you look back in life.”
Exactly. After all, following a Wimbledon debut that dazzled like few others, we know one thing. We will look back on and savor this “little moment” when a vastly appealing, “bound-for-number-one” star was born out there on Court One.
