COULD SERENA BE ON A LONG WALK TO FORGIVENESS?
By Bill Simons
Before I arrived in Melbourne, there were three “big issue” questions, relating to religion, human rights, and race, that I wanted to ask the players about.
I hoped to ask Argentina’s gentle giant, Juan Martin del Potro—a devout Catholic who was delighted when he met the Pope—what he thought of the new pontiff: his open, compassionate mindset and transformative views. But Delpo was beaten in the second round, before I could get to him.
Then I wanted to talk with Maria Sharapova. On the surface, she seems as American as can be. If you buy her image, she is a LA fast-lane type (who gets a bundle to endorse Porsche), a fashion maven, and a sharp business woman.
All the while, she works hard to sustain her deeply felt—and also lucrative—Russian connection. Sharapova’s involvement with the upcoming Winter Olympics is a big part of her Russian branding. And few others, this side of Federer, know more about branding than Ms. Maria.
Sharapova carried the Russian flag in the London Olympics. She will be a NBC Olympic commentator at this winter’s games, providing thoughts on Sochi, where she lived for four years as a child, and where her grandparents and extended family still live. Plus, rumor has it that she will be involved in the ceremonies of the games. (We say: Light that Olympic flame, Maria, or at least bring the Olympic torch into the stadium.)
More to the point, I knew that Sharapova would probably be guarded if asked to comment on her homeland’s controversial anti-gay laws, which criminalize speaking out for gay rights. Not surprisingly, she basically blew off my question (see the previous post on InsideTennis.com), referring back to a diplomatic, noncommittal response she gave to the New York Times in December.
But most of all, I wanted to ask Serena about Indian Wells. I was there in 2001, when fans—unhappy that Venus had abruptly pulled out four minutes before her semi against sister Serena—vented their anger at Richard, Venus, and Serena Williams during her subsequent final against Kim Clijsters. With little substantiation, a tabloid story had claimed the controversial Richard basically controlled the outcome of the sisters’ previous matches, and Russian Elena Dementieva inferred said the same thing after losing in the quarters to Venus. Fans, perhaps unhappy that they’d spent good money for a match that never happened, let Serena, who was just 19, have it for over two hours during the final.
The jeers were loud and unrelenting, the spirit mean. No steps were taken to counter the unruly behavior. Most observers felt race was not at all involved. I was there, close to Richard and Venus in the stands, and I strongly feel otherwise. It was not pretty, and a white teen would not have had to endure such anger (unless she pulled a stunt like Martina Hingis’ in the ’99 French Open final against Steffi Graf). Still, for years, I have been hoping Venus and Serena would end their subsequent boycott of the event, one that’s now lasted over a decade. Tournament officials took few steps to reconcile the unhappy situation, asserting that when they did reach out, the Williams’ resisted.
That rang true, and to this day, there are some bitter voices around Serena and Venus.
Over the years, I had gotten to know and like their father, who loves to stir the milkshake. We often joked and laughed. He liked me, and had a penchant for pulling off off pranks. But one day, on the Wimbledon media terrace, I said, “Hey Richard, you’re a Christian. How about picking up on the Christian teaching of turning the other cheek and having the girls go back?”
Richard went ballistic—it wasn’t pretty.
More recently, in 2011, towards the end of the time when long-sidelined Serena was recovering from a near-fatal bout with a pulmonary embolism, writer Douglas Robson visited her LA home. He wrote that he “asked … about returning to Indian Wells. Williams said she did not want to go into it. But as a visitor left her home, she called out, ‘At this point I would play Indian Wells—anything to get back!'”
Naturally, I followed up, asking Serena soon after if she would indeed consider going back. She dismissed the question with trademark withering humor. Her message was, “Oh, that was so yesterday—I’ve so gotten beyond that.”
But then things advanced. Serena hooked up with Patrick Mouratoglou, a reflective Frenchman, who has helped her take extraordinary steps on and off court. She’s now less a girl and more a woman. Plus, Nelson Mandela, who she met, admired, and studied, became ill and eventually passed. His message was clear. Forgiveness, the most difficult thing we can achieve, is the most important thing we can achieve.
On top of all this, sister Venus returned to the desert for a promotion at a tennis shop near Indian Wells, and said some benign things about the region.
Observers read the tea leaves, and I wanted to ask again about Indian Wells. After her third-round win over Daniela Hantuchova in Melbourne’s extreme heat, Serena was tired and—perhaps due to a not-yet-revealed injury—in a funk. It was a bad time to broach the subject. But I knew I just had to. Who knew whether I would have another opportunity? (And sure enough, in the next round, Serena lost to Ana Ivanovic.)
“You love to laugh,” began my lengthy question. ”But you also have a serious side. You have your great schools in Africa that you’ve opened, your have written poignantly about those [slave] forts in Africa and have read Mandela closely. Mandela’s message was pretty much about forgiveness and reconciliation. He said [blacks in South Africa should] work with the Springboks rugby team for reconciliation, he put his prime jailer in the front row at his Presidential inauguration. Do you think that spirit could affect your thoughts about what happened in the desert? There is a new generation of people now who would love to see you there. Would that ever cross your mind as a possibility?
Serena replied, “Yeah, it actually crossed my mind a couple days ago, or after I saw the movie [Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom].
I followed up, asking, “Do you think you would [go again]? It would be such a wonderful event for American tennis and for your career. Is that something you might consider in the future?”
Serena replied, ”It crossed my mind not too long ago when I went to see the movie. I thought about it.”
Then I continued, saying “the movie was pretty strong, hey?” Serena responded by saying, “I think Mandela was a really amazing man.I felt really honored to have a chance to meet him, get to know him a little bit, and get to know his story a little better.”
Serena’s response was modest, and she was exhausted. Still, in context, it was also extraordinary.
For years, she had bristled at any public suggestion that she should return.
As luck would have it, after the press conference, I ran into Serena’s coach Patrick Mourtogolou in the media cafeteria. We talked tennis at length and then parted. But I had to go back. There was one more thing.
I told Patrick there was something that was very important he could do. As Serena’s coach and partner, he could encourage her to do something that had the potential to have as much impact as any of her wins. I argued that if Serena went back to Indian Wells, it would be so fully in the spirit of Mandela that it would be healing for our culture.
He listened, taking in my wide-ranging contentions.
Five days later, word came out that Serena Williams had at last placed her name on the Indian Wells entry list.
Was there a connection between all this and Serena’s move?
Who knows? And, most importantly, we will see if Serena follows through and actually shows up. There’s a long way to go.
If she does, let’s hope the good people who go to the BNP Paribas Open give a good reception to a good woman making a good gesture.
It would be good for many, and good for the soul.
Forgiveness matters.
