Bill Simons
WIMBLEDON
The feel-good throng on Henman Hill erupts in glee. Wimbledon’s central promenade, St. Mary’s Walk, is an avenue of bustling, cosmopolitan fans. The Centre Court crowd, alert to every nuance, roars loud.
At first blush, Wimbledon seems to be a bit of a wild and crazy place.
But not really.
In our world of chaos, where the middle is barely holding, and coping with crises is a way of life, each year the mother church of tennis emerges as a kind of haven: immaculate, grass courts, impeccable walls of green ivy, and flawless banks of bright flowers. Here’s an island of civility. Sanity not only has a real shot in this place, it seems to actually thrive within these walls.
Yes, the All England Lawn Tennis Club can be more than snooty. But dignity, propriety and good old kindness reverberate. And these days, that’s a bit of a wonder.
The opening day at each of the Slams has a certain “first day of school” feeling. The tennis tribe once again gathers. The anticipation is palpable. The first day at the All England Club is something else. The unscarred grass is lush and slick, our spirits are free, our emotions are bright.
ONCE MORE WITH VENUS: Four decades ago, a wispy child entered a dusty Oakland California arena as a phenom. The tall 14-year-old had already drawn international acclaim. Here was tomorrow’s champion – right? Or was this just a con job by a shameless family promoter?
In 1994, Richard Williams said Venus was “pretty much ready to revolutionize tennis. These pro girls will have a major-league problem dealing with her.” The tennis universe scoffed: “No way!” “We might as well all go home because Venus Williams is going to beat everybody,” said Martina Navratilova. “Yeah,” said Chris Evert, “She’s the greatest that ever lived.”
Once she wore braids in her hair. Today, some 15,000 adoring English fans seemed to think she was wearing a crown.
Elegant and regal, Venus strode onto tennis’ most beloved court with an air of confidence. And why not? After all, the most famous older sister in all of athletics, together with her younger sibling, had transformed tennis – and a good chunk of sporting culture.
Decades ago, she brought defiance. Reportedly she kicked her foes’ bags in the locker room. At the US Open, Romanian Irina Spirlea said, “She thinks she’s f–king Venus Williams!” The two collided during a US Open changeover. All the while, Venus and Serena collided with the ethos of tennis.
Over the years, Venus, in her own quiet, sometimes aloof and always proud way, has become a beloved idol who pried open women’s tennis to kids from the hood, fought for equal pay on the tour and against anti-Semitism in the Middle East.
No wonder someone said they should make a movie about her. Hollywood listened.
Early in her career, all eyes were on Venus. But it was Serena who first lifted a Slam trophy. Venus won Wimbledon five times. Serena did it seven times. Venus claimed seven Slams, Serena collected twenty-three.
Serena was loud, bold, in-your-face. Venus was inward. We heard what she didn’t say. Her death stares were lethal. It was Serena who went on Oprah, who was invited to royal weddings, married a billionaire and won a Slam while pregnant.
At times it seemed as if Venus had been reduced to being Serena’s doubles partner and prime cheerleader. A jerky New York fan yelled out during one of Venus’s matches, “Do it for Serena’s baby!”
But today it was Aunt Venus’s turn. Yes, almost 20 years ago her dad had insisted she quit and become a techy. But it was her mother Oracene who once said that Venus’s greatest quality is her “stick-to-it-ness.”
Never mind that she was once booed in a California stadium, or that she has long battled Sjogren’s Syndrome and was involved in a fatal Florida car accident that left her “devastated and heartbroken.”
Venus getting a degree in accounting and starting her own fashion business seemed to matter little on this gray English afternoon. And it hardly mattered that she’s barely played in three years – she was totally sidelined from January to mid-June this year, and her ranking had dipped to No. 558.
She last won Wimbledon in 2008 and she’s won only three Wimbledon matches here in the past five years. Then again, she’s a five-time Wimbledon champion, while the other 127 players in the field have won only three Wimbledon titles total.
Today, as Venus came out on court, some recalled Mary Carillo’s telling commentary: “This woman and her sister dance on the edge of a volcano more than any other champs I’ve watched.” Not surprisingly, there was much press room chatter about Venus’s 24 years of combat at the All England Club – the good, the bad and the ugly.
In 2005, we watched one of the great moments in tennis history when she downed Lindsay Davenport and leapt high in total elation, as Richard Williams wrote “TOLD YOU SO!” on a chalkboard.
There was the sad moment when Venus comforted her doubles partner Serena, who was dizzy and near collapse on an outer court. And yes, Venus suffered one of the more deflating inter-generational defeats in Wimbledon history when 15-year-old Coco Gauff downed her in the opening round in 2019.
Today’s popcorn match against Elina Svitolina was a battle between two heroes. Elina, who’s married to France’s Gael Monfils and became a mother nine months ago, has been a courageous leader in the defense of her Ukrainian homeland.
On Centre Court, Svitolina, who was once ranked No. 3 and had a 3-1 head-to-head record over Venus, broke early in the first set and went on to close the first set 6-4 over her heavily wrapped opponent.
Venus was not happy. She suffered a nasty fall, and, after losing 6-4, 6-3, refused to shake hands with the umpire. She confided to the press, “I started the match perfectly… I was in great form…I was literally killing it. Then I got killed by the grass… It all was very shocking in the moment…I just couldn’t figure it out today…These kinds of things are hard to process emotionally, mentally and physically.”
Still, when Venus was asked if she might play into her 50s, she quipped, “It’s never been done before – so if there’s anyone to do it, it would be me.”
We can view the singular Venus in so many ways: kid phenom, feminist pioneer, social justice warrior, fierce competitor, transcendent champion, unapologetic lioness and astonishing survivor. But let’s face it, “V”, who lost today, is one of the greatest sportswomen in history. She defies categorization. Yesterday she told us boldly, “I never wanted to be boxed in. You can be an inspiration to every single person: man, woman and child.”
RUMOR OF THE DAY: Roger Federer, who sang in a concert with Coldplay yesterday in Zurich, is rumored to be honored on Centre Court Tuesday.
AN ART THIEF LOOSE AT WIMBLEDON? The fun-loving Ons Jabeur, who fell to Elena Rybakina in last year’s Wimbledon final, said that everyone brings up the match and, “It’s not great going in the locker room and seeing Elena’s picture, but I try to take it off.”
GO FIGURE: At Wimbledon, ball persons open umbrellas to provide shade for the players even when it’s totally overcast…At the French Open they sometimes check your bags as you leave the grounds…Yes, that was Novak Djokovic trying to towel off the damp Centre Court.
THE RINGMASTER OF TENNIS LEAVES THE CIRCUS: On Sunday, Nick pulled out of Wimbledon due to a bum wrist. “People forget how strenuous this sport is,” he commented last year, “…just because…it’s not that physical. [But] I dare someone to go out there and play four hours with Novak and see how you feel afterwards.”
MOCKING MISS RADUCANU: Emma Raducanu won the 2021 US Open to gain huge wealth and fame as an 18-year-old. But since then there have been many defeats, many coaches, many injuries and much sorrow. The 20-year-old, who’ll miss Wimbledon due to surgery on both wrists, opened up to London’s Sunday Times and confided, “Sometimes I think to myself I wish I’d never won the US Open – I wish that didn’t happen.”
But Raducanu’s candor didn’t draw any sympathy from France’s Corentin Moutet. The Frenchman, No. 79 in the ATP rankings, mercilessly mocked Emma on Twitter, saying, “Sometimes I wish I never won the Brest Challenger.”
IT JUST WOULDN’T BE WIMBLEDON UNLESS: We spotted some lovely ladies from Cornwall in fine frocks fanning themselves during a rain delay.
Also reporting: Vinay Venkatesh and Lucia Hoffman
