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♪
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[Narrator] In the late 1990s,
two sisters emerged
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from out of nowhere to take
the tennis world by storm.
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00:00:28,376 --> 00:00:29,725
[Cecil Harris] When these two
girls came along
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with so much confidence,
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00:00:31,857 --> 00:00:35,252
so much of a belief,
who are black, they do not come
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00:00:35,339 --> 00:00:38,168
from a tennis background,
people could sense
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00:00:38,255 --> 00:00:40,823
that tennis was changing.
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[Narrator] The Williams sisters
were a phenomenon,
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00:00:43,608 --> 00:00:45,306
and by the turn
of the millennium,
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younger sibling, Serena,
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00:00:47,090 --> 00:00:49,701
eclipsed her older sister,
Venus, and began
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00:00:49,788 --> 00:00:52,704
to leave her
rivals in the dust.
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[Rick Macci]
When Serena Williams...
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00:00:54,402 --> 00:00:56,404
when she was on her front foot
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in your face, you had no chance.
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[Julie Cart]
She was different.
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She was powerful.
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She was really aggressive.
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She mowed through the
best players at the time.
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[Caitlin Thompson] 2002 is
really when Serena goes solo.
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She's playing so amazingly and
so far ahead of everybody else
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that it is hard to ever really
keep her in conversation
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as the Williams sisters.
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She's now just Serena Williams,
or even just "Serena."
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[Narrator] And where
Serena's talent
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was reinvigorating tennis,
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her striking appearance
both on and off the court
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sent shockwaves
through popular culture.
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[Analis Bailey]
She's Serena Williams.
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She is more than an athlete.
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She can design clothes
for fashion week.
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She can wear what she wants to
wear and inspire other people.
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[Merlisa Lawrence Corbett]
Serena was telling people,
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you can be strong and feminine.
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You can be beautiful,
but you are still out there
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to kick butt.
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She had become her own celebrity
outside of sports,
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and people knew
her name everywhere.
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[Narrator] Having
overcome antagonism
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both within the tennis
establishment
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and across the wider media,
after a period of decline,
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Serena returned
stronger than ever.
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[Analis Bailey] It's Serena
against the world.
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As she ages, it's going
to keep getting better.
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That decade-long period of her
cranking out these titles
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is unprecedented.
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[Narrator] This is the story
of Serena Williams'
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remarkable journey
from a Compton prodigy
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to a global icon.
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[Rick Macci] I think she's the
greatest athlete of all time,
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in all sports.
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What she's done and the ripple
and the cascade,
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this is what
dreams are made of.
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You cannot make
this stuff up.
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♪
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♪
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[Narrator]
September 2022.
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Fans arrive in
Flushing Meadows, New York,
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for the US Open
Tennis Championships.
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And this year, there is
a bittersweet mood as crowds
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00:03:03,531 --> 00:03:07,230
will witness the end
of a remarkable era.
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Having revealed in a Vogue
Magazine interview
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that she's stepping away from
the sport, Serena Williams,
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00:03:13,584 --> 00:03:17,022
often credited as the greatest
player of all time
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is entering
her final tournament.
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40 years old and ranked 605th
in the world, she has made
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00:03:24,595 --> 00:03:27,207
a surprise return from
an injury that looked
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set to end her career.
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00:03:29,513 --> 00:03:33,300
But Serena is retiring
on her own terms.
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Serena Williams's final US Open
appearance coming on
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00:03:37,478 --> 00:03:39,871
as it did the heels of this
announcement in Vogue
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that she was evolving away
from the game of tennis,
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I think gave everybody
in the sport a real moment
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to kind of grapple with
the enormity of her legacy.
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[cheering]
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Being in the stadium as she
played those last couple matches
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and had those last couple
of victories was a real gift.
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[Narrator] The mood is both
celebratory and downbeat.
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Tennis fans lament the end
of a monumental career,
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but also acknowledge the full
impact of Serena's historic
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accomplishments
both on and off the court.
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She is not only the embodiment
and the actual demonstration
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of the American dream, but
she is inspiring to all those
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who aspire to
something like that.
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She's a legend as far as sports
goes, not only as just
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an athlete but a female,
and then on top of that,
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a black female as well.
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Someone that has been impacted
heavily by black females
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as far as my mothers and aunts,
and now I have daughters,
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I just thought it was
important to witness
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and be a part of history.
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[Narrator] Having emerged as a
distinct outsider at the close
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of the 20th century,
she has helped to transform
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both tennis and popular culture
itself in the 21st.
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[Analis Bailey]
Everything she did
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and everything
she accomplished
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set the tennis world up to keep
wanting to strive for more.
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[Cecil Harris] Serena did more
to change women's tennis
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than anyone else.
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The young players who are
emerging today are part
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of that legacy because many
of them will tell you
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they're only playing tennis
because they saw
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Serena Williams.
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[Caitlin Thompson] She's brought
this wave of people into tennis.
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And by people, I don't
necessarily mean women
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or people of color,
although yes, but just made it
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so much more in conversation
with the larger culture.
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Tennis had gotten very stale and
corporate and white and male,
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and what Serena brought
to tennis, especially
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as the late 90's turned
into the 2000s and the 2010s,
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and she really hit her peak
where she is going
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for the Serena Slam, which
is a number of slams in a row,
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getting gold medals, appearing
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on fashion covers,
going down runways,
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learning different languages.
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She just became so enormous
as a cultural force.
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She reignited the imaginations
of what tennis could be.
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[Narrator] But her journey to
become such a towering
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cultural figure
was not without its obstacles.
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Her struggle to be recognized
as one of the greatest
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American athletes of all time,
a testament to her tenacity
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and her endurance.
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And few could have foreseen how
revelatory she would become
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when her story in the public
eye first began
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almost 30 years beforehand.
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♪
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Los Angeles, 1994.
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The word is out on the
West Coast tennis circuit
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that a prodigiously talented
young black player has emerged,
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making waves in the lower
levels of the game.
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Her name is Venus Williams.
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[Julie Cart] I kept hearing
about Venus Williams.
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I live in Los Angeles,
they're from Los Angeles.
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It was a rumor or someone
who was talked about,
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and there was a tournament
in San Francisco
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that Venus played in,
an indoor tournament,
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and was a huge sensation.
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Everything about her was
different and interesting.
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She was just very, very good.
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[Cecil Harris] When Venus made
her debut in 1994, that's what
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really got me
interested in tennis.
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I'd covered some
US Opens, but I was not
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emotionally invested
in the sport.
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There was no one who really
captured my imagination
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until I saw the
14-year-old Venus.
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That was because of her talent
and because of her father,
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Richard Williams, basically
saying, "My daughter
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is going to be
the best player in the world,"
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and people thought he was nuts.
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[Narrator] The outlandish claims
of Venus's father and coach,
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Richard Williams, helped
to quickly push his daughter
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into the media spotlight.
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But it soon emerged that Venus
wasn't the whole story,
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as Richard also announced that
she had a younger sibling,
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Serena, who he believed
would eventually
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eclipse her older sister.
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[Julie Cart] The Serena drumbeat
came from Richard Williams,
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who said, "I have this
great daughter Venus.
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"She's fabulous.
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"You ain't seen nothing yet.
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Wait till you see
the second one."
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[Cecil Harris] I got to
interview Richard Williams.
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He said, "Serena's going
to be even better."
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I said, "Why?"
"Two reasons," he said.
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"Serena understands
angles better
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and the second thing
is she's meaner."
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Serena will probably
be a better player than Venus.
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Uh, that's not to compare my
girls, but she will be.
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And her main strength, Serena,
she's just like a pit bull.
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She wants to tie in on you,
she wants you real bad.
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And if you get a player that
enjoys the battle like she does,
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that's what you're looking for.
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She has every quality that you
would see in Mr. Jimmy Connors,
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someone who just
really wants to do it.
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And that's Serena's strength.
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He talked about her and he was
like an old-time huckster.
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He was like, "Step right up.
I got a great kid coming up!"
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And you wanted to roll your eyes
because he was a bit
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of a bombastic person.
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But no one had seen her
at a tournament.
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But when she busted out,
she busted out.
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[Narrator] And that eventually
happened in Chicago
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for the 1997 Ameritech Cup.
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Only 16 years old and ranked
304th in the world,
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Serena Williams beat world
number seven, Mary Pierce,
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and number four,
Monica Seles.
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And the whole tennis world
suddenly stood up
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and took notice.
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[Julie Cart] It was an
announcement if there
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ever needed to be,
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and the way the sport is run,
you have the capacity
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to just zoom up the rankings,
especially when you
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beat really high-ranked players.
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So that didn't last long, that
whole idea of she's only
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seeded or ranked
300th in the world. Ha ha.
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I can assure you no one
took her lightly after that.
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No one.
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[Narrator] But as the talent
of both Williams sisters
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became clear, they were not
welcomed with open arms
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by the tennis establishment.
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Their sudden appearance
on the professional circuit
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was a challenge to the
conventions of the sport.
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What really, to me, is so
notable about Venus and Serena
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is that they didn't come up
through the USTA,
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the United States Tennis
Association, which is our
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governing body here in the US.
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It's the largest of them all.
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It was conventional wisdom that
the USTA would be the pathway
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00:10:32,196 --> 00:10:34,068
to becoming a professional
tennis player.
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It cannot be overstated, the
fact that the Richard Williams,
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00:10:37,245 --> 00:10:40,552
the father of Venus and Serena,
did not allow his daughters
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00:10:40,640 --> 00:10:43,120
to play any of the USTA
tournaments at all.
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[Julie Cart] Basically, they
were being prepped and prepared
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for the professional game.
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So they were leapfrogging over
the junior tennis circuit
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and all that that entails.
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This is where you learn
the tennis etiquette,
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00:10:55,742 --> 00:10:57,308
or so-called etiquette.
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This is where you make friends,
this is where promoters
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00:11:00,050 --> 00:11:01,704
get to see you.
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00:11:01,791 --> 00:11:06,230
So the discussion was less
about these very talented
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00:11:06,317 --> 00:11:08,145
young players and aren't we
excited about seeing them
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00:11:08,232 --> 00:11:09,973
and isn't it interesting?
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00:11:10,060 --> 00:11:14,674
And it was more about who
the hell are they to not take
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00:11:14,761 --> 00:11:16,806
the path that you're
supposed to take?
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00:11:16,893 --> 00:11:19,113
[Caitlin Thompson] That actually
was the revolutionary
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00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:20,680
and amazing thing
about all of them,
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00:11:20,767 --> 00:11:23,117
is they completely
bucked the system.
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00:11:23,204 --> 00:11:26,207
And so I think for that reason,
it made their appearance
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00:11:26,294 --> 00:11:29,166
on the scene in the late 90s
when they're playing
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00:11:29,253 --> 00:11:32,474
and winning against
established tour professionals
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00:11:32,561 --> 00:11:36,043
that much more controversial,
that much more exciting,
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00:11:36,130 --> 00:11:38,698
because nobody had really
gotten a look at them.
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00:11:38,785 --> 00:11:41,439
[Narrator] Yet in the
conservative world of tennis,
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00:11:41,526 --> 00:11:45,400
everything about the Williams
sisters was unconventional.
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00:11:45,487 --> 00:11:49,056
Their father, Richard Williams,
a security guard attracted to
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00:11:49,143 --> 00:11:53,060
get-rich-quick schemes, was not
a tennis player himself,
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00:11:53,147 --> 00:11:57,412
yet a chance viewing
of a 1978 Grand Slam final
244
00:11:57,499 --> 00:12:00,197
led him to look at the sport
as a potential
245
00:12:00,284 --> 00:12:02,330
business opportunity.
246
00:12:02,417 --> 00:12:05,202
And although his partner,
Oracene, already had
247
00:12:05,289 --> 00:12:08,640
three children from a previous
marriage, Richard saw this
248
00:12:08,728 --> 00:12:11,469
as a plan for the future.
249
00:12:11,556 --> 00:12:13,776
He was watching TV
on a Sunday afternoon.
250
00:12:13,863 --> 00:12:16,257
He just happened to see a tennis
tournament that was won
251
00:12:16,344 --> 00:12:19,042
by a Romanian player
named Virginia Ruzici,
252
00:12:19,129 --> 00:12:21,088
and she got a $40,000 check.
253
00:12:21,175 --> 00:12:22,306
He said, "Wait a minute.
254
00:12:22,393 --> 00:12:25,005
She only had to play a week?
255
00:12:25,092 --> 00:12:27,311
She won this tournament,
she got $40,000."
256
00:12:27,398 --> 00:12:28,922
Basketball was not an option.
257
00:12:29,009 --> 00:12:30,619
There were great female
basketball players
258
00:12:30,706 --> 00:12:32,577
who couldn't make a living.
259
00:12:32,664 --> 00:12:34,797
Golf, there was a women's
professional golf league,
260
00:12:34,884 --> 00:12:36,843
but they didn't
have the big purses.
261
00:12:36,930 --> 00:12:40,020
So Richard was astute enough
to look at this sports landscape
262
00:12:40,107 --> 00:12:43,197
and say, "Tennis is the sport."
263
00:12:43,284 --> 00:12:44,328
[Merlisa Lawrence Corbet]
He started planning
264
00:12:44,415 --> 00:12:46,461
before they were born.
265
00:12:46,548 --> 00:12:49,943
He told Oracene that he was
going to have these champions,
266
00:12:50,030 --> 00:12:53,468
he wrote a 75-page
business plan.
267
00:12:53,555 --> 00:12:58,168
He even had some of Oracene's
older daughters playing tennis,
268
00:12:58,255 --> 00:13:00,780
but it wasn't until
he had Venus and Serena.
269
00:13:00,867 --> 00:13:03,739
It was like this plan
that he had for them
270
00:13:03,826 --> 00:13:08,309
before they were born, before
she was even carrying them.
271
00:13:08,396 --> 00:13:11,225
[Narrator] Initially raised
in Long Beach, California,
272
00:13:11,312 --> 00:13:14,010
in 1983, when
Venus and Serena
273
00:13:14,097 --> 00:13:16,360
were still toddlers,
Richard moved
274
00:13:16,447 --> 00:13:21,104
the family to Compton,
just south of Los Angeles.
275
00:13:21,191 --> 00:13:23,454
And this was also part
of the plan,
276
00:13:23,541 --> 00:13:25,326
although the public courts
277
00:13:25,413 --> 00:13:27,545
where he would train his
daughters were far removed
278
00:13:27,632 --> 00:13:29,591
from the upper crust
country clubs
279
00:13:29,678 --> 00:13:31,985
of the established
tennis world.
280
00:13:32,072 --> 00:13:35,292
Compton was a rough neighborhood
in southern California.
281
00:13:35,379 --> 00:13:36,903
[Merlisa Lawrence Corbet]
It had been an affluent
282
00:13:36,990 --> 00:13:38,774
white community,
then it became
283
00:13:38,861 --> 00:13:43,083
an affluent black community,
and then there was crime.
284
00:13:43,170 --> 00:13:46,826
And then with gangster rap,
with NWA, some of those groups,
285
00:13:46,913 --> 00:13:52,092
they made the reputation that
everything's about gang culture,
286
00:13:52,179 --> 00:13:54,181
gangster rap, and that's
the kind of reputation
287
00:13:54,268 --> 00:13:57,662
it had when Venus
and Serena were young.
288
00:13:57,749 --> 00:13:59,229
[Cecil Harris] Richard thought
that it would toughen up
289
00:13:59,316 --> 00:14:00,665
Venus and Serena
290
00:14:00,752 --> 00:14:03,755
if they lived in an area
where you basically
291
00:14:03,843 --> 00:14:06,367
have to hold on to everything.
292
00:14:06,454 --> 00:14:08,412
No one's going to give you
anything, and you have
293
00:14:08,499 --> 00:14:10,458
to really fight
for everything you get.
294
00:14:10,545 --> 00:14:14,288
And if you can emerge
from an area like Compton,
295
00:14:14,375 --> 00:14:16,420
you'll be mentally tougher
than these other players
296
00:14:16,507 --> 00:14:18,335
you're going to compete against.
297
00:14:18,422 --> 00:14:22,644
So it was Richard's idea that
Compton would toughen them up.
298
00:14:22,731 --> 00:14:25,560
[Narrator] And for six years,
Richard dedicated himself
299
00:14:25,647 --> 00:14:30,043
to coaching his daughters on
the run down courts of Compton,
300
00:14:30,130 --> 00:14:32,828
but knowing he could
only take them so far,
301
00:14:32,915 --> 00:14:36,919
in 1990, he contacted
Florida-based tennis coach
302
00:14:37,006 --> 00:14:41,358
Rick Macci and invited him to
California to assess Serena
303
00:14:41,445 --> 00:14:44,013
and Venus's potential
and consider taking
304
00:14:44,100 --> 00:14:46,189
them under his wing.
305
00:14:46,276 --> 00:14:50,106
[Rick Macci] I'm checking them
out technically, arms, legs,
306
00:14:50,193 --> 00:14:53,153
hair, beads,
flying off their head.
307
00:14:53,240 --> 00:14:55,938
And right then and there,
I'm going, "What in God's name
308
00:14:56,025 --> 00:14:59,072
am I doing in Compton,
California on a Saturday?"
309
00:14:59,159 --> 00:15:01,204
They weren't any better,
any worse than stuff
310
00:15:01,291 --> 00:15:04,033
I see all the time at my camp
for that age.
311
00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:08,255
So then I said,
"Let's play competitive points."
312
00:15:08,342 --> 00:15:10,039
The whole landscape changed.
313
00:15:10,126 --> 00:15:16,524
When I said "game on,"
I never saw two little girls
314
00:15:16,611 --> 00:15:18,613
try so hard in my life.
315
00:15:18,700 --> 00:15:20,310
There was a rage.
316
00:15:20,397 --> 00:15:24,706
There was a rage inside both
these girls I never saw.
317
00:15:24,793 --> 00:15:26,577
That was just insane.
318
00:15:26,664 --> 00:15:28,710
Right then and there
I went up to Richard.
319
00:15:28,797 --> 00:15:31,278
After I saw this, I said,
"Richard, come here.
320
00:15:31,365 --> 00:15:34,498
You got the next female
Michael Jordan on your hands."
321
00:15:34,585 --> 00:15:38,546
He puts his arm around me
and he goes, "No, brother man.
322
00:15:38,633 --> 00:15:41,201
I got the next two."
323
00:15:41,288 --> 00:15:45,074
[Narrator] In the summer of
1991, the Williams family
324
00:15:45,161 --> 00:15:47,642
bid farewell to
the streets of Compton
325
00:15:47,729 --> 00:15:50,427
and headed for
the beatific coastal city
326
00:15:50,514 --> 00:15:55,171
of Delray Beach, Florida,
to train with Rick Macci.
327
00:15:55,258 --> 00:15:59,959
Having previously coached teen
sensation, Jennifer Capriati,
328
00:16:00,046 --> 00:16:02,483
who had turned pro
at 13 years old and later
329
00:16:02,570 --> 00:16:05,442
became world number one,
at his elite tennis
330
00:16:05,529 --> 00:16:09,229
academy, Macci now turned his
attention to transforming
331
00:16:09,316 --> 00:16:13,711
Serena and Venus
into champions.
332
00:16:13,798 --> 00:16:16,845
[Macci]I was there for one
reason, for Venus and Serena.
333
00:16:16,932 --> 00:16:18,455
I was on a mission.
334
00:16:18,542 --> 00:16:21,110
It wasn't about Richard,
it wasn't about Rick Macci.
335
00:16:21,197 --> 00:16:23,460
I knew where this
was going to go.
336
00:16:23,547 --> 00:16:28,074
They both were
just such amazing competitors.
337
00:16:28,161 --> 00:16:30,641
They expected to win.
338
00:16:30,728 --> 00:16:33,775
Two of the mentally
strongest players ever.
339
00:16:33,862 --> 00:16:37,648
And let's face it, that's what
separates great from good,
340
00:16:37,735 --> 00:16:39,302
is the mental part.
341
00:16:39,389 --> 00:16:42,088
But I saw that early
on or I'm telling you right now,
342
00:16:42,175 --> 00:16:44,742
I would've never
took the chance.
343
00:16:44,829 --> 00:16:47,354
[Narrator] And although Macci's
primary focus was on
344
00:16:47,441 --> 00:16:50,705
older sister Venus who would
turn professional first,
345
00:16:50,792 --> 00:16:53,708
Richard Williams saw even
greater raw potential
346
00:16:53,795 --> 00:16:56,232
in his younger daughter.
347
00:16:56,319 --> 00:17:00,193
[Macci]Serena was a little
prankster, messing around,
348
00:17:00,280 --> 00:17:01,585
happy-go-lucky.
349
00:17:01,672 --> 00:17:03,848
But he always told me
even at nine,
350
00:17:03,935 --> 00:17:07,069
Serena was going to be better,
and I couldn't see it.
351
00:17:07,156 --> 00:17:09,854
He just said,
"Wait til she matures."
352
00:17:09,941 --> 00:17:13,249
Besides the speed,
the quickness.
353
00:17:13,336 --> 00:17:16,600
You knew she was going to be big
and strong and fast.
354
00:17:16,687 --> 00:17:21,083
Serena not only checked every
box, she added a few more
355
00:17:21,170 --> 00:17:23,172
of her own, you know?
356
00:17:23,259 --> 00:17:26,871
[Narrator] After three years
of intensive training, in 1994,
357
00:17:26,958 --> 00:17:30,701
Venus turned professional and
entered her first competition,
358
00:17:30,788 --> 00:17:33,095
immediately making an impact.
359
00:17:33,182 --> 00:17:37,708
The following year, 14-year-old
Serena was ready to join her.
360
00:17:37,795 --> 00:17:40,450
With Rick Macci turning down
the opportunity to train
361
00:17:40,537 --> 00:17:43,192
the sisters exclusively,
they were now back
362
00:17:43,279 --> 00:17:46,021
with their father, Richard,
and without the keen eye
363
00:17:46,108 --> 00:17:48,067
of a professional coach.
364
00:17:48,154 --> 00:17:51,722
But they could not have chosen
a better time to emerge
365
00:17:51,809 --> 00:17:55,726
as women's tennis was going
through an evolution.
366
00:17:55,813 --> 00:17:59,556
[Caitlin Thompson] In the late
90s, you really had the very end
367
00:17:59,643 --> 00:18:01,428
of the Steffi Graf era.
368
00:18:01,515 --> 00:18:03,821
When I was growing up, Steffi
Graf and her 22 Grand Slams,
369
00:18:03,908 --> 00:18:06,998
her Golden Slam, winning
all four slams in a year
370
00:18:07,086 --> 00:18:11,960
and the gold medal, was seen
as just an incredible feat.
371
00:18:12,047 --> 00:18:16,007
By the late 90s, it was an
interesting transition moment.
372
00:18:16,095 --> 00:18:19,533
As my friend, Mary Carillo,
called it, 'Big Babe Tennis'
373
00:18:19,620 --> 00:18:21,230
was the prevalent style.
374
00:18:21,317 --> 00:18:24,277
You had Lindsay Davenport,
you had Jennifer Capriati,
375
00:18:24,364 --> 00:18:25,713
you had people who
could just hit massive
376
00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:27,454
ground strokes off the ground.
377
00:18:27,541 --> 00:18:29,369
And Venus and Serena,
because they had practiced
378
00:18:29,456 --> 00:18:32,589
largely with each other for so
many years, and both of them
379
00:18:32,676 --> 00:18:34,809
had an incredibly aggressive
380
00:18:34,896 --> 00:18:39,857
ground-stroke game,
they fit in just right.
381
00:18:39,944 --> 00:18:42,904
[Narrator] While Venus started
strongly, when Serena debuted
382
00:18:42,991 --> 00:18:46,386
in the 1995 Quebec Bell
Challenge, she lost
383
00:18:46,473 --> 00:18:48,388
in the qualifying rounds.
384
00:18:48,475 --> 00:18:51,130
But the media was already
intrigued by the sisters
385
00:18:51,217 --> 00:18:53,828
and their bombastic father.
386
00:18:53,915 --> 00:18:57,875
Soon, Venus reached the final
of the 1997 US Open
387
00:18:57,962 --> 00:19:01,618
in her first Grand Slam season,
while in the same year,
388
00:19:01,705 --> 00:19:05,056
Serena, was making headlines
for her remarkable run
389
00:19:05,144 --> 00:19:08,451
at the Ameritech Cup
in Chicago.
390
00:19:08,538 --> 00:19:10,758
As they faced each other
in a Grand Slam
391
00:19:10,845 --> 00:19:14,544
for the first time
in the 1998 Australian Open
392
00:19:14,631 --> 00:19:17,591
and appeared together
in the pages of Vogue Magazine,
393
00:19:17,678 --> 00:19:19,984
it was clear that
the Williams sisters
394
00:19:20,071 --> 00:19:22,552
were becoming a phenomenon.
395
00:19:22,639 --> 00:19:24,772
Venus steps on the scene,
her little sister
396
00:19:24,859 --> 00:19:26,991
wants to come up
and be just like her.
397
00:19:27,078 --> 00:19:31,213
Her little sister wants
to excel as quick as she is.
398
00:19:31,300 --> 00:19:33,998
They're each other's biggest
cheerleaders, but they
399
00:19:34,085 --> 00:19:36,653
could be each other's
biggest competitors.
400
00:19:36,740 --> 00:19:37,611
[Merlisa Lawrence Corbett]
People were fascinated
401
00:19:37,698 --> 00:19:39,308
with them in general,
402
00:19:39,395 --> 00:19:42,006
particularly since
Richard Williams would come
403
00:19:42,093 --> 00:19:44,052
to tournaments
with his little signs.
404
00:19:44,139 --> 00:19:46,054
"Welcome to the Williams Show."
405
00:19:46,141 --> 00:19:50,189
They're both great players,
yet it was treated
406
00:19:50,276 --> 00:19:53,931
as though they were an entry,
Venus and Serena.
407
00:19:54,018 --> 00:19:55,368
[Julie Cart] They were
the Williams sisters.
408
00:19:55,455 --> 00:19:56,934
I said it, everyone wrote it.
409
00:19:57,021 --> 00:19:58,719
They are very different people.
410
00:19:58,806 --> 00:20:01,852
But that was our shorthand,
that was our laziness,
411
00:20:01,939 --> 00:20:04,246
to refer to them that way.
412
00:20:04,333 --> 00:20:07,118
[Narrator] Adding to their image
as "The Williams Sisters",
413
00:20:07,206 --> 00:20:09,991
indivisible from each other
was their success
414
00:20:10,078 --> 00:20:12,341
playing together as a team.
415
00:20:12,428 --> 00:20:14,082
Where Serena failed
to make her mark
416
00:20:14,169 --> 00:20:18,608
on the singles competitions
of 1998, in 1999,
417
00:20:18,695 --> 00:20:21,916
she and Venus won
their first Grand Slam title
418
00:20:22,003 --> 00:20:24,919
for Women's Doubles
at the French Open.
419
00:20:25,006 --> 00:20:27,400
But this would also be
the year in which Serena
420
00:20:27,487 --> 00:20:29,706
made a breakthrough of her own.
421
00:20:29,793 --> 00:20:34,363
In September 1999, aged
only 17, she fought her way
422
00:20:34,450 --> 00:20:36,757
to the final of the US Open.
423
00:20:36,844 --> 00:20:40,413
And there, facing world
number one, Martina Hingis,
424
00:20:40,500 --> 00:20:45,461
she won her historic
first Grand Slam title.
425
00:20:45,548 --> 00:20:49,117
[Julie Cart] When a
young player reaches a final
426
00:20:49,204 --> 00:20:51,075
of a major tournament
427
00:20:51,162 --> 00:20:53,991
and then wins it, sometimes
you look at the draw
428
00:20:54,078 --> 00:20:55,732
and say, boy,
were they ever lucky.
429
00:20:55,819 --> 00:21:01,347
So-and-so pulled out and this
person was up all night.
430
00:21:01,434 --> 00:21:02,913
No.
431
00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:06,352
She mowed through the best
players at the time.
432
00:21:06,439 --> 00:21:08,005
[Caitlin Thompson]
1999, Serena Williams
433
00:21:08,092 --> 00:21:09,659
shows up at the US Open.
434
00:21:09,746 --> 00:21:14,534
She plays Kim Clijsters,
Conchita Martinez, Monica Seles,
435
00:21:14,621 --> 00:21:17,232
Lindsay Davenport,
and Martina Hingis.
436
00:21:17,319 --> 00:21:20,409
That is a murder's row of women.
437
00:21:20,496 --> 00:21:24,065
And tennis, you can't help but
play the people in front of you.
438
00:21:24,152 --> 00:21:25,501
Not all the time
does the best player
439
00:21:25,588 --> 00:21:27,721
in the draw win the tournament.
440
00:21:27,808 --> 00:21:30,071
That said, when Serena Williams
won a tournament,
441
00:21:30,158 --> 00:21:31,986
you could almost guarantee
that she was the best person
442
00:21:32,073 --> 00:21:34,989
in the draw, and it started
real early in her first slam.
443
00:21:36,077 --> 00:21:37,992
[crowd cheers]
444
00:21:38,079 --> 00:21:41,387
[Announcer] Game, set and the
championship, Serena Williams.
445
00:21:46,957 --> 00:21:50,874
The US Open is a unique beast.
It's very loud.
446
00:21:50,961 --> 00:21:52,746
She was really embraced
by that group.
447
00:21:52,833 --> 00:21:54,878
Of course, she's an American
playing in an American
448
00:21:54,965 --> 00:21:59,056
tournament, but her ethos--
New Yorkers would like that.
449
00:21:59,143 --> 00:22:00,580
She's a winner.
450
00:22:00,667 --> 00:22:02,843
She's an I don't care,
I'm just going to go do
451
00:22:02,930 --> 00:22:06,237
what I'm going to do, and she
just had an attitude.
452
00:22:06,325 --> 00:22:09,240
At the time, that was a big deal
especially for a woman,
453
00:22:09,328 --> 00:22:11,852
and especially
for a black woman.
454
00:22:11,939 --> 00:22:14,420
[Narrator] To add to the
accolades, the Williams sisters
455
00:22:14,507 --> 00:22:17,466
were also crowned champions
of the women's doubles
456
00:22:17,553 --> 00:22:19,599
at the same tournament.
457
00:22:19,686 --> 00:22:23,864
As Serena ended 1999 as world
number four, with Venus
458
00:22:23,951 --> 00:22:26,867
one place above her,
it was becoming clear
459
00:22:26,954 --> 00:22:30,131
that their powerful,
aggressive style might make
460
00:22:30,218 --> 00:22:33,569
a seismic impact
on the sport itself.
461
00:22:33,656 --> 00:22:36,398
Serena's US Open Win
was just the first
462
00:22:36,485 --> 00:22:39,053
major step toward that.
463
00:22:39,140 --> 00:22:40,881
[Merlisa Lawrence Corbett]
It was significant in that now
464
00:22:40,968 --> 00:22:42,361
it is no longer talk.
465
00:22:42,448 --> 00:22:44,101
They've won a title.
466
00:22:44,188 --> 00:22:48,018
And they were so young that you
just knew more was coming.
467
00:22:48,105 --> 00:22:50,194
[Cecil Harris]
Serena was a US Open champion,
468
00:22:50,281 --> 00:22:52,588
Venus was a US Open finalist,
469
00:22:52,675 --> 00:22:56,723
and people could sense
that tennis was changing.
470
00:22:56,810 --> 00:22:58,986
[Rick Macci] They changed
the game with that style,
471
00:22:59,073 --> 00:23:01,641
but more importantly,
they bought in.
472
00:23:01,728 --> 00:23:04,208
They wanted to attack you,
they wanted to hurt you.
473
00:23:04,295 --> 00:23:05,949
They wanted to hit it hard.
474
00:23:06,036 --> 00:23:10,040
But the wild card,
the wildest of all the cards,
475
00:23:10,127 --> 00:23:11,433
there's no fear.
476
00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:13,087
They were bulletproof.
477
00:23:13,174 --> 00:23:15,306
They weren't going to be afraid
to pull the trigger.
478
00:23:15,394 --> 00:23:17,221
They had courage on courage.
479
00:23:17,308 --> 00:23:19,006
So when the fans are
in the stands and when
480
00:23:19,093 --> 00:23:23,358
it was time to do it,
they weren't afraid.
481
00:23:23,445 --> 00:23:26,317
[Narrator] Off the court too,
Serena and Venus continued
482
00:23:26,405 --> 00:23:29,364
to attract attention, stepping
onto the red carpet
483
00:23:29,451 --> 00:23:34,064
at premiers, attending award
shows, and in September, 2000
484
00:23:34,151 --> 00:23:37,590
appearing for the first time
in Sports Illustrated.
485
00:23:37,677 --> 00:23:40,854
They enthusiastically
courted the media.
486
00:23:40,941 --> 00:23:42,246
Yet on the
professional circuit,
487
00:23:42,333 --> 00:23:44,335
they were very different,
488
00:23:44,423 --> 00:23:47,643
withdrawn, focused,
and weary of the wider
489
00:23:47,730 --> 00:23:49,515
tennis establishment.
490
00:23:49,602 --> 00:23:52,518
The sisters were acutely
aware of how dissimilar
491
00:23:52,605 --> 00:23:55,912
they were from their
fellow professionals.
492
00:23:55,999 --> 00:23:57,000
[Merlisa Lawrence Corbett]
The fascinating thing
493
00:23:57,087 --> 00:23:58,698
about the Williams sisters
494
00:23:58,785 --> 00:24:02,789
and Richard in terms of
embracing the establishment
495
00:24:02,876 --> 00:24:04,486
is they never wanted to.
496
00:24:04,573 --> 00:24:08,272
They had each other
and that mentality that we are
497
00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:11,928
who we are in spite
of what you think of us...
498
00:24:12,015 --> 00:24:15,279
"what you think of me is none of
my business" kind of attitude,
499
00:24:15,366 --> 00:24:17,586
is why they were
able to survive it.
500
00:24:17,673 --> 00:24:21,198
Richard Williams basically told
them, "Just talk to each other."
501
00:24:21,285 --> 00:24:24,114
And Richard came to that
conclusion because he saw
502
00:24:24,201 --> 00:24:26,203
the way the other
players would act
503
00:24:26,290 --> 00:24:27,727
in junior tennis.
504
00:24:27,814 --> 00:24:30,251
A lot of the players
were spoiled basically.
505
00:24:30,338 --> 00:24:31,905
A lot of these young players
had a false sense
506
00:24:31,992 --> 00:24:34,124
of entitlement because
they come from money,
507
00:24:34,211 --> 00:24:35,952
they come from means.
508
00:24:36,039 --> 00:24:39,216
And Richard felt like
to protect Venus and Serena,
509
00:24:39,303 --> 00:24:41,349
they just need to rely
on each other.
510
00:24:41,436 --> 00:24:43,873
So don't go around the locker
room getting involved
511
00:24:43,960 --> 00:24:45,484
with what the other
players are doing.
512
00:24:45,571 --> 00:24:48,095
Talk to your sister,
practice with your sister.
513
00:24:48,182 --> 00:24:49,836
They played doubles together.
514
00:24:49,923 --> 00:24:52,534
They often would play
the same tournaments.
515
00:24:52,621 --> 00:24:57,800
And that bond, I think,
strengthened both of them.
516
00:24:57,887 --> 00:25:00,324
[Narrator] And they
needed the strength.
517
00:25:00,411 --> 00:25:02,849
Their meteoric rise
may have been celebrated
518
00:25:02,936 --> 00:25:05,721
outside the tennis world,
but within it,
519
00:25:05,808 --> 00:25:08,507
they were still
not fully embraced.
520
00:25:08,594 --> 00:25:10,857
Two black teenagers
in an elite,
521
00:25:10,944 --> 00:25:12,989
predominantly white sport,
522
00:25:13,076 --> 00:25:14,904
when Serena and Venus
first appeared
523
00:25:14,991 --> 00:25:17,559
on the professional circuit,
they were questioned
524
00:25:17,646 --> 00:25:20,910
about their vocal,
aggressive playing style,
525
00:25:20,997 --> 00:25:22,912
and the beads
they wore in their hair.
526
00:25:22,999 --> 00:25:25,436
And Venus, as the first
to emerge,
527
00:25:25,524 --> 00:25:27,743
faced particular scrutiny.
528
00:25:27,830 --> 00:25:29,702
[Cecil Harris] It was something
that Venus was questioned
529
00:25:29,789 --> 00:25:31,617
about in sort of
an accusatory way.
530
00:25:31,704 --> 00:25:33,967
"Why are you wearing your hair
like that in the first place?"
531
00:25:34,054 --> 00:25:36,926
As if black women
somehow have to conform
532
00:25:37,013 --> 00:25:38,972
to what other women are doing.
533
00:25:39,059 --> 00:25:41,583
When they had the beads,
it was kind of old.
534
00:25:41,670 --> 00:25:43,803
Most black women
weren't wearing beads.
535
00:25:43,890 --> 00:25:46,588
That was something that
was fashionable in the 70s.
536
00:25:46,675 --> 00:25:49,896
So it was odd for not
just white people, but even
537
00:25:49,983 --> 00:25:51,114
black people looking at,
"Why are they
538
00:25:51,201 --> 00:25:52,681
wearing these beads?"
539
00:25:52,768 --> 00:25:55,554
But it was just something
they liked to do.
540
00:25:55,641 --> 00:25:56,729
[Julie Cart]
They were different,
541
00:25:56,816 --> 00:25:58,426
and it's understandable
542
00:25:58,513 --> 00:26:02,125
because it is something
that's unusual, but it took
543
00:26:02,212 --> 00:26:04,127
so long to get over that.
544
00:26:04,214 --> 00:26:07,087
And no one wanted to say,
"Well, she's black."
545
00:26:07,174 --> 00:26:09,045
That was not being discussed.
546
00:26:09,132 --> 00:26:13,572
But I think
that was the subtext.
547
00:26:13,659 --> 00:26:15,791
[Narrator] But the backlash
against the sisters
548
00:26:15,878 --> 00:26:18,707
came to a head in early 2001
549
00:26:18,794 --> 00:26:20,448
at the final
of a tournament
550
00:26:20,535 --> 00:26:22,798
held in the politically
conservative city
551
00:26:22,885 --> 00:26:25,584
of Indian Wells, California.
552
00:26:25,671 --> 00:26:27,237
Indian Wells
is the ugliest incident
553
00:26:27,324 --> 00:26:30,197
I've ever seen in tennis.
554
00:26:30,284 --> 00:26:32,634
[Julie Cart]
Indian Wells. Wow.
555
00:26:32,721 --> 00:26:34,462
This is a money-drenched
tournament.
556
00:26:34,549 --> 00:26:36,159
It's in a beautiful setting.
557
00:26:36,246 --> 00:26:39,728
They call it
the US Open of the west.
558
00:26:39,815 --> 00:26:42,644
People who attend that
have a lot of dough.
559
00:26:42,731 --> 00:26:44,037
They're not from Compton.
560
00:26:44,124 --> 00:26:46,735
They may not like
people from Compton.
561
00:26:46,822 --> 00:26:47,954
[Cecil Harris]
Indian Wells and Compton
562
00:26:48,041 --> 00:26:50,652
are almost light years apart.
563
00:26:50,739 --> 00:26:52,785
So even though the Williams
sisters were technically
564
00:26:52,872 --> 00:26:57,267
at home in southern California,
Indian Wells was not home.
565
00:26:57,354 --> 00:27:00,619
[Narrator] Both Serena and Venus
had progressed impressively
566
00:27:00,706 --> 00:27:02,272
through the tournament
and were headed
567
00:27:02,359 --> 00:27:04,753
for a semifinal showdown.
568
00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,321
But serious allegations
of match fixing
569
00:27:07,408 --> 00:27:10,106
against Richard Williams
were already spreading
570
00:27:10,193 --> 00:27:13,066
before the game began,
fueled by Russian player,
571
00:27:13,153 --> 00:27:15,111
Elena Dementieva.
572
00:27:15,198 --> 00:27:17,810
These rumors were then
strengthened when Venus
573
00:27:17,897 --> 00:27:21,509
withdrew from the match against
her sister through injury,
574
00:27:21,596 --> 00:27:24,947
handing Serena
a walkover to the final.
575
00:27:25,034 --> 00:27:28,298
It came from the players,
the gossips that they are,
576
00:27:28,385 --> 00:27:32,651
"She's faking that because they
don't want to play each other."
577
00:27:32,738 --> 00:27:36,045
They had played
each other so many times,
578
00:27:36,132 --> 00:27:40,136
in consequential matches,
so I don't buy that.
579
00:27:40,223 --> 00:27:43,836
[Narrator] But the accusations
had spread into public opinion.
580
00:27:43,923 --> 00:27:47,970
On March 17th, 2001,
Serena Williams stepped out
581
00:27:48,057 --> 00:27:51,191
onto the court at Indian Wells
to play for the title
582
00:27:51,278 --> 00:27:55,021
against Belgian, Kim Clijsters,
and the indignant crowd
583
00:27:55,108 --> 00:27:58,415
immediately made
their feelings known.
584
00:27:58,502 --> 00:28:01,592
Here's the American, Serena,
from Southern California,
585
00:28:01,680 --> 00:28:03,507
against the Belgian,
Kim Clijsters.
586
00:28:03,594 --> 00:28:08,164
That entire crowd, predominantly
white, more than 99% white,
587
00:28:08,251 --> 00:28:10,079
they booed her.
588
00:28:10,166 --> 00:28:13,256
When Richard Williams and Venus
Williams took their seats
589
00:28:13,343 --> 00:28:16,433
at courtside, they booed them.
[crowd booing]
590
00:28:16,520 --> 00:28:18,044
[Announcer] And there's father
Richard coming down.
591
00:28:18,131 --> 00:28:19,480
It's quite amazing.
592
00:28:19,567 --> 00:28:21,090
Jo Jury alongside me,
Simon Reed.
593
00:28:21,177 --> 00:28:22,613
There's Venus.
594
00:28:22,701 --> 00:28:25,007
And the crowd,
an American crowd,
595
00:28:25,094 --> 00:28:29,969
booing an American family.
596
00:28:30,056 --> 00:28:34,495
And you have to say that it does
smack of a little bit of racism.
597
00:28:34,582 --> 00:28:37,324
[Julie Cart] There's film of
Venus and Richard coming down
598
00:28:37,411 --> 00:28:39,065
into the stadium.
599
00:28:39,152 --> 00:28:42,895
They weren't without fans
and supporters, but it just
600
00:28:42,982 --> 00:28:44,592
was so overwhelming.
601
00:28:44,679 --> 00:28:48,378
It was just this culmination
of, we don't like them.
602
00:28:48,465 --> 00:28:49,640
We're not sure why.
603
00:28:49,728 --> 00:28:51,991
We're going to create a reason.
604
00:28:52,078 --> 00:28:53,209
And it's the beads.
605
00:28:53,296 --> 00:28:54,907
Okay, they're not wearing beads.
606
00:28:54,994 --> 00:28:56,952
Well, they fix their matches.
607
00:28:57,039 --> 00:28:59,955
It was always something
that they couldn't
608
00:29:00,042 --> 00:29:03,524
put their finger on when it's
like, no, it's right out there.
609
00:29:03,611 --> 00:29:05,004
You're just racist.
610
00:29:05,091 --> 00:29:07,223
We have walkovers
in tennis because people
611
00:29:07,310 --> 00:29:09,748
withdraw so often.
612
00:29:09,835 --> 00:29:11,967
It's just a part of the game.
613
00:29:12,054 --> 00:29:14,927
So I don't know why they've
thought, other than racism,
614
00:29:15,014 --> 00:29:19,279
that it was okay to boo her
like that because her sister
615
00:29:19,366 --> 00:29:22,108
withdrew from a tournament.
616
00:29:22,195 --> 00:29:24,153
[Narrator] And as the match
began, the crowd's
617
00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:26,852
hostility continued.
618
00:29:26,939 --> 00:29:30,029
Every mistake she made,
every error, was cheered
619
00:29:30,116 --> 00:29:31,639
by an American crowd.
620
00:29:31,726 --> 00:29:34,511
It was unprecedented in tennis.
621
00:29:34,598 --> 00:29:37,558
[Merlisa Lawrence Corbet]
The vitriol to Serena
622
00:29:37,645 --> 00:29:39,995
was also hurtful
to Kim Clijsters.
623
00:29:40,082 --> 00:29:43,607
She seemed confused, her
opponent, as to what's going on.
624
00:29:43,694 --> 00:29:46,175
"Why are they booing this
person? I'm Belgian."
625
00:29:46,262 --> 00:29:47,611
They were both teenagers.
626
00:29:47,698 --> 00:29:49,309
It was an ugly situation.
627
00:29:49,396 --> 00:29:51,528
I think they both
handled it beautifully,
628
00:29:51,615 --> 00:29:54,488
and they remained friends.
629
00:29:54,575 --> 00:29:59,493
It was the crowd, the grownups
who were acting ridiculous.
630
00:29:59,580 --> 00:30:01,712
[Narrator] And although Serena
would triumph over this
631
00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:05,020
homegrown adversity
and ultimately win the match,
632
00:30:05,107 --> 00:30:09,590
the ordeal made a significant
impact on the teenager.
633
00:30:09,677 --> 00:30:12,375
[Cecil Harris] She was
gracious, she was strong.
634
00:30:12,462 --> 00:30:15,204
She didn't let the crowd see how
much they had hurt her.
635
00:30:15,291 --> 00:30:18,077
But Serena has since said,
on the drive away
636
00:30:18,164 --> 00:30:19,818
from Indian Wells,
she was crying in the car.
637
00:30:19,905 --> 00:30:21,297
It hurt her that much.
638
00:30:21,384 --> 00:30:24,344
But she didn't let
the crowd see it.
639
00:30:24,431 --> 00:30:26,302
[Narrator]
In the aftermath of the event,
640
00:30:26,389 --> 00:30:28,739
both Serena and Venus
would boycott the tournament
641
00:30:28,827 --> 00:30:30,829
for over a decade.
642
00:30:30,916 --> 00:30:33,440
Yet beyond its impact
on the sisters,
643
00:30:33,527 --> 00:30:37,096
the Indian Wells debacle
would prove a turning point,
644
00:30:37,183 --> 00:30:39,489
a watershed moment
in which the tennis world
645
00:30:39,576 --> 00:30:43,232
was forced to confront
its own innate prejudices.
646
00:30:43,319 --> 00:30:47,193
From its very inception
in late 18th century Britain,
647
00:30:47,280 --> 00:30:49,021
the sport had been
characterized
648
00:30:49,108 --> 00:30:51,023
by its exclusivity,
649
00:30:51,110 --> 00:30:53,895
a pastime for the privileged.
650
00:30:53,982 --> 00:30:57,246
Tennis has had
so many different eras.
651
00:30:57,333 --> 00:31:00,946
It was obviously evolved
as a lawn game
652
00:31:01,033 --> 00:31:05,994
for rich elitists
in their English gardens,
653
00:31:06,081 --> 00:31:07,822
and this is dating back
about a hundred years.
654
00:31:07,909 --> 00:31:10,912
You could buy a set
and set up your own court
655
00:31:10,999 --> 00:31:13,915
in your backyard and really just
have a sort of leisure game
656
00:31:14,002 --> 00:31:15,917
between gin and tonics.
657
00:31:16,004 --> 00:31:19,442
Tennis to me started getting
really interesting in the 20s.
658
00:31:19,529 --> 00:31:20,661
This is when you actually
had your first couple
659
00:31:20,748 --> 00:31:22,532
of female superstars.
660
00:31:22,619 --> 00:31:26,275
This is Gussie Moran,
this is Suzanne Lenglen,
661
00:31:26,362 --> 00:31:29,322
women who transcended the sport
and forced their way
662
00:31:29,409 --> 00:31:32,803
in alongside your Renee Lacostes
and other legends.
663
00:31:32,891 --> 00:31:36,372
Tennis became this, certainly
a little bit blue blood,
664
00:31:36,459 --> 00:31:39,636
but a place for female success,
which if you look
665
00:31:39,723 --> 00:31:44,685
at other sports,
was groundbreaking.
666
00:31:44,772 --> 00:31:46,208
[Narrator]
Although it was pioneering
667
00:31:46,295 --> 00:31:48,428
in its embrace
of women players,
668
00:31:48,515 --> 00:31:50,734
this was still bound up
in privilege;
669
00:31:50,821 --> 00:31:53,215
the female athletes wealthy
members of the same
670
00:31:53,302 --> 00:31:55,783
social class as the men.
671
00:31:55,870 --> 00:31:59,047
And as the game spread to
Europe and then to America,
672
00:31:59,134 --> 00:32:02,833
it remained an elite country
club sport, with no access
673
00:32:02,921 --> 00:32:06,925
for either the working classes
or for people of color.
674
00:32:07,012 --> 00:32:09,405
This led African-Americans
to form their own
675
00:32:09,492 --> 00:32:13,975
sports organization: The
American Tennis Association.
676
00:32:14,062 --> 00:32:18,458
And by the 1920s, it began to
host its own tournaments.
677
00:32:18,545 --> 00:32:22,201
Tennis was a deeply segregated
sport when the ATA was formed,
678
00:32:22,288 --> 00:32:24,943
and that's one reason
it existed, because similar
679
00:32:25,030 --> 00:32:26,770
to Negro League Baseball,
there were outstanding
680
00:32:26,857 --> 00:32:29,034
black baseball players
who were not given a chance
681
00:32:29,121 --> 00:32:30,600
to play Major League Baseball.
682
00:32:30,687 --> 00:32:33,647
The same problem
existed in tennis.
683
00:32:33,734 --> 00:32:36,780
And the ATA had some wonderful
players who unfortunately
684
00:32:36,867 --> 00:32:39,174
never got a chance
to play major tennis.
685
00:32:39,261 --> 00:32:41,002
Ora Washington was one.
686
00:32:41,089 --> 00:32:43,657
She won eight ATA
singles championships
687
00:32:43,744 --> 00:32:45,746
and combined with various
partners to win
688
00:32:45,833 --> 00:32:48,096
12 doubles championships.
689
00:32:48,183 --> 00:32:50,403
She could well have become
one of the all-time
690
00:32:50,490 --> 00:32:53,362
great tennis players.
691
00:32:53,449 --> 00:32:57,497
And maybe she was,
but she's not known as such.
692
00:32:57,584 --> 00:32:59,760
She's been largely forgotten
by history because she didn't
693
00:32:59,847 --> 00:33:02,110
get a chance to play.
694
00:33:02,197 --> 00:33:05,244
[Narrator] And it was not until
the 1950s that a black player
695
00:33:05,331 --> 00:33:07,986
was finally given
the opportunity to compete
696
00:33:08,073 --> 00:33:10,466
in the major
tennis tournaments.
697
00:33:10,553 --> 00:33:13,643
Althea Gibson, who had honed
her talents on the streets
698
00:33:13,730 --> 00:33:18,257
of Harlem, became the leading
female player in the ATA,
699
00:33:18,344 --> 00:33:20,172
dominating the field
and winning 10
700
00:33:20,259 --> 00:33:22,652
straight singles titles.
701
00:33:22,739 --> 00:33:26,265
But despite her towering
reputation, she was still
702
00:33:26,352 --> 00:33:30,573
unable to compete in the United
States National Championships
703
00:33:30,660 --> 00:33:34,012
solely because
of her skin color.
704
00:33:34,099 --> 00:33:37,493
It would take the intervention
of a former world number one
705
00:33:37,580 --> 00:33:40,757
to finally tackle
the racial divide.
706
00:33:40,844 --> 00:33:43,804
[Cecil Harris] A prominent white
player named Alice Marble
707
00:33:43,891 --> 00:33:47,112
heard about Althea, had
not yet met her, but the name
708
00:33:47,199 --> 00:33:49,549
was going around tennis circles.
709
00:33:49,636 --> 00:33:52,856
Here's this black American
woman who is very good
710
00:33:52,943 --> 00:33:55,642
but is not being
given a chance to play.
711
00:33:55,729 --> 00:33:59,211
Alice broke the ice by writing
a column in what was then
712
00:33:59,298 --> 00:34:03,519
an influential publication,
American Lawn Tennis Magazine,
713
00:34:03,606 --> 00:34:06,479
and she put the tennis
establishment to shame.
714
00:34:06,566 --> 00:34:09,134
"How can we say tennis
is the sport for ladies
715
00:34:09,221 --> 00:34:12,615
"and gentlemen if we're not
giving this young black woman
716
00:34:12,702 --> 00:34:14,226
a chance to play?"
717
00:34:14,313 --> 00:34:16,793
Football, baseball, basketball,
where all desegregated.
718
00:34:16,880 --> 00:34:19,796
Boxing had black champions like
Joe Lewis and Jack Johnson.
719
00:34:19,883 --> 00:34:23,409
So how could tennis call
itself the sport for ladies
720
00:34:23,496 --> 00:34:26,760
and gentlemen if we're denying
Althea Gibson a chance
721
00:34:26,847 --> 00:34:28,805
to prove what
she can do against the best
722
00:34:28,892 --> 00:34:30,677
tennis players in the world?
723
00:34:30,764 --> 00:34:32,940
[Narrator] The tennis world
was convinced by Marble's
724
00:34:33,027 --> 00:34:35,856
stinging criticisms,
and Althea Gibson's
725
00:34:35,943 --> 00:34:37,814
subsequent entrance
into the major
726
00:34:37,901 --> 00:34:42,080
tennis tournaments finally
broke through the segregation.
727
00:34:42,167 --> 00:34:45,431
She would become the first
black player to win Grand Slams
728
00:34:45,518 --> 00:34:48,434
both at home and abroad,
and a role model
729
00:34:48,521 --> 00:34:52,960
for future generations,
including Serena Williams.
730
00:34:53,047 --> 00:34:56,920
She won the US Nationals
twice, 1957 and 1958.
731
00:34:57,007 --> 00:35:00,881
Won Wimbledon twice,
1957 and 1958.
732
00:35:00,968 --> 00:35:03,753
Won the French
Nationals in 1956.
733
00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:06,495
And because Wimbledon
is the premier tournament,
734
00:35:06,582 --> 00:35:09,846
when she won her
first Wimbledon title in 1957,
735
00:35:09,933 --> 00:35:13,633
Queen Elizabeth presented her
with the Venus Rosewater Dish,
736
00:35:13,720 --> 00:35:15,896
the golden plate
that the champion receives.
737
00:35:15,983 --> 00:35:17,941
And when she came
back to New York,
738
00:35:18,028 --> 00:35:20,118
she was honored
with a ticker-tape parade.
739
00:35:20,205 --> 00:35:22,729
Althea got the kind of
celebration that astronauts
740
00:35:22,816 --> 00:35:25,514
returning from the moon would
get, or the New York Yankees
741
00:35:25,601 --> 00:35:26,994
winning the World Series
742
00:35:27,081 --> 00:35:28,778
or the New York Giants
winning the Super Bowl.
743
00:35:28,865 --> 00:35:32,869
This was for a Black American
woman who broke
744
00:35:32,956 --> 00:35:35,872
the color barrier
in her sport and was the first
745
00:35:35,959 --> 00:35:39,049
Black major champion.
746
00:35:39,137 --> 00:35:42,052
[Narrator] Yet despite this
progressive leap forward,
747
00:35:42,140 --> 00:35:43,967
Gibson's success
did not prove
748
00:35:44,054 --> 00:35:46,361
to be a catalyst
for long-term change
749
00:35:46,448 --> 00:35:48,276
in the tennis world.
750
00:35:48,363 --> 00:35:50,713
Although Black stars would
break through in the following
751
00:35:50,800 --> 00:35:54,587
three decades, including
the American, Arthur Ashe,
752
00:35:54,674 --> 00:35:58,460
and Frenchman Yannick Noah,
by the 1990s,
753
00:35:58,547 --> 00:36:01,637
just before the Williams
sisters arrived on the scene,
754
00:36:01,724 --> 00:36:05,250
the sport remained
a predominantly white affair.
755
00:36:05,337 --> 00:36:07,252
[Julie Cart] If you want
to look at that period
756
00:36:07,339 --> 00:36:08,688
of time in the 90s,
757
00:36:08,775 --> 00:36:12,953
one hand, you can
name the black players.
758
00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:16,826
Look at Zina Garrison,
a Wimbledon finalist.
759
00:36:16,913 --> 00:36:19,612
She could barely get
sponsorship, could not
760
00:36:19,699 --> 00:36:22,876
scrape up anybody
who wants to pay her a dime,
761
00:36:22,963 --> 00:36:25,487
and look how good she was.
762
00:36:25,574 --> 00:36:29,143
When Zina Garrison reached
the Wimbledon final in 1990,
763
00:36:29,230 --> 00:36:31,841
the first black woman
to reach a Wimbledon final
764
00:36:31,928 --> 00:36:34,409
since Althea Gibson in 1958,
765
00:36:34,496 --> 00:36:37,064
Zina was the only player
in the top 10
766
00:36:37,151 --> 00:36:38,413
in women's tennis
who did not have
767
00:36:38,500 --> 00:36:41,329
a clothing endorsement deal.
768
00:36:41,416 --> 00:36:44,114
Zina ended up playing
against Martina Navratilova
769
00:36:44,202 --> 00:36:49,511
in the 1990 final wearing
clothes that Martina gave her.
770
00:36:49,598 --> 00:36:52,819
[Narrator] After so many
years of black players
771
00:36:52,906 --> 00:36:54,603
being underrepresented
772
00:36:54,690 --> 00:36:57,432
and underappreciated,
when the Williams sisters
773
00:36:57,519 --> 00:37:00,522
arrived shortly afterwards,
they brought the sport
774
00:37:00,609 --> 00:37:02,916
to a tipping point.
775
00:37:03,003 --> 00:37:06,441
The Indian Wells debacle
was damning proof to many
776
00:37:06,528 --> 00:37:08,965
that the deep-rooted prejudices
of the conservative
777
00:37:09,052 --> 00:37:13,709
tennis world desperately needed
to adapt to the modern age.
778
00:37:13,796 --> 00:37:17,017
And Serena and her sister,
Venus, would ultimately
779
00:37:17,104 --> 00:37:20,629
force that change to occur.
780
00:37:20,716 --> 00:37:21,891
[Caitlin Thompson]
The appearance of Venus
781
00:37:21,978 --> 00:37:23,806
and Serena Williams
on the scene
782
00:37:23,893 --> 00:37:26,940
with their braids, their
unapologetic style of play,
783
00:37:27,027 --> 00:37:31,074
their family, it was
hard to see how anything
784
00:37:31,161 --> 00:37:34,252
other than what happened
happened, as much
785
00:37:34,339 --> 00:37:37,167
as it would pain me
to say that.
786
00:37:37,255 --> 00:37:41,171
We had had phenomenally
successful players of color
787
00:37:41,259 --> 00:37:44,044
preceding the appearance
of the Williams sisters,
788
00:37:44,131 --> 00:37:47,090
but really, nobody
who took up as much space
789
00:37:47,177 --> 00:37:49,136
as the Williams family.
790
00:37:49,223 --> 00:37:53,314
And I think everything that made
them a little bit anathema
791
00:37:53,401 --> 00:37:57,840
to the conservative power
structures in tennis,
792
00:37:57,927 --> 00:37:58,841
the fact that they
were loud, the fact
793
00:37:58,928 --> 00:38:00,626
that they were unapologetic,
794
00:38:00,713 --> 00:38:03,498
the fact that they played loud,
flashy tennis and assumed
795
00:38:03,585 --> 00:38:07,894
an amount of space, made them
incredible tennis players.
796
00:38:07,981 --> 00:38:10,810
And so for me, it's been very
interesting to see not only
797
00:38:10,897 --> 00:38:14,422
at the time the way
the tennis world reluctantly,
798
00:38:14,509 --> 00:38:16,685
but then inevitably
made space
799
00:38:16,772 --> 00:38:20,036
for Serena Williams
in particular.
800
00:38:20,123 --> 00:38:22,300
[Narrator] And if the tennis
establishment proved reluctant
801
00:38:22,387 --> 00:38:25,651
in accepting these rising
stars, the wider public
802
00:38:25,738 --> 00:38:29,045
was only too happy
to embrace them.
803
00:38:29,132 --> 00:38:31,961
Tennis viewership had been on
the decline since its heyday
804
00:38:32,048 --> 00:38:35,704
in the 1970s, with characters
like John McEnroe
805
00:38:35,791 --> 00:38:38,751
and Jimmy Connors
replaced by more disciplined
806
00:38:38,838 --> 00:38:42,320
athletes like Pete Sampras
and Steffi Graf,
807
00:38:42,407 --> 00:38:45,235
whose dispassionate,
clinical playing styles
808
00:38:45,323 --> 00:38:48,282
offered little
on-court personality.
809
00:38:48,369 --> 00:38:51,590
The Williams sisters
were a breath of fresh air.
810
00:38:51,677 --> 00:38:53,592
And when they faced
each other in the final
811
00:38:53,679 --> 00:38:59,075
of the 2001 US Open, audience
numbers went through the roof.
812
00:38:59,162 --> 00:39:01,861
Tennis should thank its lucky
stars that those two came along.
813
00:39:01,948 --> 00:39:03,732
Absolutely.
814
00:39:03,819 --> 00:39:06,822
22 million people watching
the final between the sisters
815
00:39:06,909 --> 00:39:08,476
at the US Open.
816
00:39:08,563 --> 00:39:11,349
You got to see them play,
and wow, it's for real
817
00:39:11,436 --> 00:39:13,133
and it's exciting.
818
00:39:13,220 --> 00:39:14,700
[Merlisa Lawrence Corbett]
Not only did Venus and Serena
819
00:39:14,787 --> 00:39:16,179
bring more eyes,
820
00:39:16,266 --> 00:39:19,574
they brought non-tennis
fans to the game.
821
00:39:19,661 --> 00:39:21,141
So you had people who didn't
care about tennis,
822
00:39:21,228 --> 00:39:24,362
never watched, they were tuning
in to see these sisters.
823
00:39:24,449 --> 00:39:25,667
It was unique.
824
00:39:25,754 --> 00:39:27,974
They were young,
they were hip.
825
00:39:28,061 --> 00:39:31,238
[Rick Macci] Saturday night,
prime time, US Open,
826
00:39:31,325 --> 00:39:34,763
22 million people watching this.
827
00:39:34,850 --> 00:39:39,072
It's one thing to have
one play in the finals.
828
00:39:39,159 --> 00:39:42,423
But you're playing your sister
who lives in the same house
829
00:39:42,510 --> 00:39:48,124
and you share the same bedroom,
it's a whole different dynamic.
830
00:39:48,211 --> 00:39:51,911
And the eyeballs they
brought and the fascination
831
00:39:51,998 --> 00:39:56,481
and the intrigue and the story.
832
00:39:56,568 --> 00:39:59,701
[Announcer] Game, set and match.
Venus Williams.
833
00:39:59,788 --> 00:40:01,573
- Two sets to love: 6-3, 6-4.
- And there it is.
834
00:40:01,660 --> 00:40:03,357
[crowd cheers]
835
00:40:03,444 --> 00:40:06,795
[Announcer] Venus Williams,
the US Open champion
836
00:40:06,882 --> 00:40:10,756
over younger sister,
Serena Williams.
837
00:40:10,843 --> 00:40:12,801
[Rick Macci] This is what
dreams are made of.
838
00:40:12,888 --> 00:40:17,632
You cannot make this stuff up.
839
00:40:17,719 --> 00:40:20,026
[Narrator] And while both
sisters were playing their part
840
00:40:20,113 --> 00:40:23,812
in attracting record viewing
figures, Serena's tough,
841
00:40:23,899 --> 00:40:27,642
high voltage playing style
and on-court persona,
842
00:40:27,729 --> 00:40:31,994
were bringing drama
back to the sport.
843
00:40:32,081 --> 00:40:33,996
[Julie cart] Tennis was
being left in the dust.
844
00:40:34,083 --> 00:40:37,304
That whole sense of [mimicking]
fair play, congratulations...
845
00:40:37,391 --> 00:40:41,787
it's not contemporary,
it's not interesting.
846
00:40:41,874 --> 00:40:45,051
You want to see people bleed,
you want to see their struggles.
847
00:40:45,138 --> 00:40:47,967
You know the backstory,
and I know that sounds
848
00:40:48,054 --> 00:40:51,971
sort of artificial, but that's
what is interesting to people.
849
00:40:52,058 --> 00:40:55,191
Serena screams when
she wins and she gets upset.
850
00:40:55,278 --> 00:40:59,282
It's just her
understanding of the sport
851
00:40:59,369 --> 00:41:02,198
as an entertainment medium.
852
00:41:02,285 --> 00:41:05,332
[Narrator] Serena was now
firmly in the spotlight.
853
00:41:05,419 --> 00:41:09,292
Between 1999 and 2001,
she had rocketed
854
00:41:09,379 --> 00:41:13,340
up the rankings to cement
herself as a top 10 player.
855
00:41:13,427 --> 00:41:15,734
And after years
of high expectations,
856
00:41:15,821 --> 00:41:19,651
2002 heralded
a new era of dominance.
857
00:41:19,738 --> 00:41:21,261
[Serena screams]
858
00:41:21,348 --> 00:41:24,133
[Announcer] Game, set, match.
859
00:41:24,220 --> 00:41:27,920
[Narrator] Winning eight of
the 13 tournaments she entered,
860
00:41:28,007 --> 00:41:30,618
Serena would beat her
higher ranked sister
861
00:41:30,705 --> 00:41:34,100
in three Grand Slam finals:
the French Open,
862
00:41:34,187 --> 00:41:38,365
Wimbledon, and the US Open,
before defeating her again
863
00:41:38,452 --> 00:41:42,369
in the Australian Open
in January 2003,
864
00:41:42,456 --> 00:41:45,067
becoming the first player
since Steffi Graf to go
865
00:41:45,154 --> 00:41:48,418
undefeated in Grand Slams
in a single season
866
00:41:48,506 --> 00:41:51,639
and finishing the year
as world number one.
867
00:41:51,726 --> 00:41:56,122
Soon, talk of the Williams
sisters came to an end.
868
00:41:56,209 --> 00:41:57,906
[Caitlin Thompson]
2002 is really when you get
869
00:41:57,993 --> 00:41:59,778
separation between
the two of them.
870
00:41:59,865 --> 00:42:01,170
It's so hard not to lump them
together just because
871
00:42:01,257 --> 00:42:02,824
they're both so excellent,
they're both
872
00:42:02,911 --> 00:42:05,784
hitting number ones, they're
both getting to finals.
873
00:42:05,871 --> 00:42:10,397
But for me, 2002 is really
when Serena goes solo.
874
00:42:10,484 --> 00:42:14,444
It's not close and she's winning
slam after slam after slam,
875
00:42:14,532 --> 00:42:17,230
so much that they had
a whole new term for her,
876
00:42:17,317 --> 00:42:20,668
which is after winning
Wimbledon, the French Open,
877
00:42:20,755 --> 00:42:22,409
the US Open,
and then the next year,
878
00:42:22,496 --> 00:42:26,326
Australian Open, they called
it the 'Serena Slam'.
879
00:42:26,413 --> 00:42:29,068
To me, the fact that she's
beating Jennifer Capriati
880
00:42:29,155 --> 00:42:34,726
in 2002 in Miami, a fast, humid
court and beating her sister
881
00:42:34,813 --> 00:42:36,858
in the French Open, and then
beating her sister
882
00:42:36,945 --> 00:42:39,382
again at Wimbledon,
it cannot be stated.
883
00:42:39,469 --> 00:42:42,037
This is so crazy an achievement
because of how diverse
884
00:42:42,124 --> 00:42:45,258
the field and the surfaces
are at this time.
885
00:42:45,345 --> 00:42:48,217
[crowd cheers]
886
00:42:48,304 --> 00:42:50,002
She is firing
on all cylinders.
887
00:42:50,089 --> 00:42:51,960
She's got the peroxide
blonde hair, she's got
888
00:42:52,047 --> 00:42:54,746
the ponytail, she looks
amazing and she's playing
889
00:42:54,833 --> 00:42:58,010
so amazingly and so far ahead
of everybody else that it
890
00:42:58,097 --> 00:43:01,404
is hard to ever really
keep her in the same
891
00:43:01,491 --> 00:43:04,016
conversation
as the Williams sisters.
892
00:43:04,103 --> 00:43:08,760
She's now just Serena Williams,
or even just Serena.
893
00:43:08,847 --> 00:43:10,413
[Narrator] And it wasn't
just her dominance
894
00:43:10,500 --> 00:43:12,024
that was separating Serena
895
00:43:12,111 --> 00:43:15,505
from both her sister
and her contemporaries.
896
00:43:15,593 --> 00:43:18,683
As her confidence
as a player grew, so too
897
00:43:18,770 --> 00:43:22,295
did her confidence to dress
in eye-catching outfits.
898
00:43:22,382 --> 00:43:26,212
And both on and off court,
she began to experiment
899
00:43:26,299 --> 00:43:29,084
with bold new styles
and further break away
900
00:43:29,171 --> 00:43:32,392
from tennis traditions.
901
00:43:32,479 --> 00:43:35,482
In the early 2000s, Serena
was sponsored by Puma.
902
00:43:35,569 --> 00:43:37,440
They put her in the Cameroon
colors and she wore
903
00:43:37,527 --> 00:43:39,834
a jumper at the French Open
with green shorts
904
00:43:39,921 --> 00:43:42,054
and yellow trim
with the high socks.
905
00:43:42,141 --> 00:43:44,230
It's the greatest look
that's ever been served.
906
00:43:44,317 --> 00:43:46,841
Serena has never been afraid
to make a fashion statement
907
00:43:46,928 --> 00:43:49,278
on court, that's one of the
things I admire about her.
908
00:43:49,365 --> 00:43:52,542
She will come up with unique
outfits that nobody else
909
00:43:52,630 --> 00:43:55,545
would even dare to wear.
910
00:43:55,633 --> 00:43:58,766
[Narrator] But in a sport known
for etiquette and reserve,
911
00:43:58,853 --> 00:44:02,422
one outfit in particular
drew heavy criticism.
912
00:44:02,509 --> 00:44:05,512
The black faux leather catsuit,
which she debuted
913
00:44:05,599 --> 00:44:09,559
at the US Open in 2002, clearly
didn't hinder her path
914
00:44:09,647 --> 00:44:11,910
to victory in that competition.
915
00:44:11,997 --> 00:44:14,303
But where some press reports
applauded her courage
916
00:44:14,390 --> 00:44:17,524
and style, others used it
as an opportunity
917
00:44:17,611 --> 00:44:20,745
to deride Serena herself.
918
00:44:20,832 --> 00:44:22,747
[Cecil Harris] One fashion
critic from the Washington Post
919
00:44:22,834 --> 00:44:25,967
called her catsuit trashy.
920
00:44:26,054 --> 00:44:32,104
There were people likening her
to looking like a street walker.
921
00:44:32,191 --> 00:44:34,759
It was unique for tennis,
it was what Serena
922
00:44:34,846 --> 00:44:35,890
wanted to wear.
923
00:44:35,977 --> 00:44:37,500
It was not trashy.
924
00:44:37,587 --> 00:44:39,241
It was just different.
925
00:44:39,328 --> 00:44:41,417
This happens a lot,
beyond Serena Williams.
926
00:44:41,504 --> 00:44:44,246
When black women decide
to present themselves
927
00:44:44,333 --> 00:44:47,467
in form fitting clothes,
tight clothes,
928
00:44:47,554 --> 00:44:51,166
it's automatically,
"Oh, she's trying to be sexual."
929
00:44:51,253 --> 00:44:53,342
"She's trying to show
off her body."
930
00:44:53,429 --> 00:44:54,953
And at the end of the day,
she's just wearing
931
00:44:55,040 --> 00:45:00,219
an athletic outfit
that she can move freely in.
932
00:45:00,306 --> 00:45:01,481
Now, was there backlash?
933
00:45:01,568 --> 00:45:02,525
Absolutely.
934
00:45:02,612 --> 00:45:04,049
It's form fitting.
935
00:45:04,136 --> 00:45:07,226
Now you see her muscles
and where she's toned,
936
00:45:07,313 --> 00:45:08,923
you see her physique.
937
00:45:09,010 --> 00:45:12,710
That can be intimidating
for a lot of people, honestly.
938
00:45:12,797 --> 00:45:15,756
But I mean, if I looked
like that, I would be
939
00:45:15,843 --> 00:45:20,674
in my skintight catsuit
as well, and I love it.
940
00:45:20,761 --> 00:45:23,416
[Narrator] And Serena wasn't
content just to push boundaries
941
00:45:23,503 --> 00:45:25,592
within the world of tennis.
942
00:45:25,679 --> 00:45:28,508
Having enrolled at the Art
Institute of Fort Lauderdale,
943
00:45:28,595 --> 00:45:32,555
Florida, to study fashion
back in 2000, her interest
944
00:45:32,642 --> 00:45:35,645
in this industry was soon
to play a central role
945
00:45:35,733 --> 00:45:38,257
in her off-court career.
946
00:45:38,344 --> 00:45:42,000
And in April 2003,
she appeared in her first
947
00:45:42,087 --> 00:45:46,178
solo Vogue shoot, confidently
celebrating her physique
948
00:45:46,265 --> 00:45:48,658
within a fashion world
still obsessed
949
00:45:48,746 --> 00:45:52,227
by a very different
beauty standard.
950
00:45:52,314 --> 00:45:56,754
The fashion industry always has
been, always will be dominated
951
00:45:56,841 --> 00:46:00,583
by size-zero models, but
what was unique was not only
952
00:46:00,670 --> 00:46:03,891
was Serena more muscular,
but it was,
953
00:46:03,978 --> 00:46:07,939
you're able to see women
as strong and feminine.
954
00:46:08,026 --> 00:46:13,422
Serena's body is obviously
perfect for what she's doing,
955
00:46:13,509 --> 00:46:19,167
but it is not the slender
white vision of female beauty,
956
00:46:19,254 --> 00:46:23,041
and it's yet another norm
that she pushed through.
957
00:46:23,128 --> 00:46:27,480
And instead of tiptoeing,
she just said, "Ta-da."
958
00:46:27,567 --> 00:46:29,917
[Narrator] Her appearance in
Vogue came just at the point
959
00:46:30,004 --> 00:46:32,224
that the cultural landscape
itself was going
960
00:46:32,311 --> 00:46:34,661
through a transformation.
961
00:46:34,748 --> 00:46:37,142
While Serena had distinguished
herself from Venus
962
00:46:37,229 --> 00:46:39,405
in the public's consciousness
and was stepping out
963
00:46:39,492 --> 00:46:40,972
on her own.
964
00:46:41,059 --> 00:46:43,757
Destiny's Child singer,
Beyonce Knowles,
965
00:46:43,844 --> 00:46:46,760
was also going solo
and quickly emerging
966
00:46:46,847 --> 00:46:50,155
as one of the biggest
stars in the world.
967
00:46:50,242 --> 00:46:53,332
Strong black women,
previously so overlooked
968
00:46:53,419 --> 00:46:56,161
by the gatekeepers
of the mainstream media,
969
00:46:56,248 --> 00:46:59,425
were suddenly
in the driving seat.
970
00:46:59,512 --> 00:47:05,910
It's really cool to see this new
age of accepting black women
971
00:47:05,997 --> 00:47:11,785
as the star of the show,
black women being spotlighted.
972
00:47:11,872 --> 00:47:15,833
Having curvy bodies, full-bodied
women like Beyonce,
973
00:47:15,920 --> 00:47:19,532
like Serena Williams,
who are authentic in themselves,
974
00:47:19,619 --> 00:47:23,710
were always around,
but now we're starting to,
975
00:47:23,797 --> 00:47:27,453
as the media, as the public,
starting to embrace that,
976
00:47:27,540 --> 00:47:29,847
and there is some
liberation in that.
977
00:47:29,934 --> 00:47:35,330
I think we have a long way to
go, but it's cool to see, okay,
978
00:47:35,417 --> 00:47:37,506
I'm black, my family's black.
979
00:47:37,593 --> 00:47:40,901
I see these types
of women all the time,
980
00:47:40,988 --> 00:47:44,296
but now I'm seeing it
in mainstream media.
981
00:47:44,383 --> 00:47:46,864
Now I'm seeing it
on magazine covers,
982
00:47:46,951 --> 00:47:49,518
now I'm seeing it
in commercials.
983
00:47:49,605 --> 00:47:52,652
[Narrator] In December 2003,
Serena signed
984
00:47:52,739 --> 00:47:56,308
a $40 million deal with Nike,
985
00:47:56,395 --> 00:47:58,876
at the time the largest
endorsement contract
986
00:47:58,963 --> 00:48:01,661
ever offered
to a female athlete.
987
00:48:01,748 --> 00:48:06,274
And this would propel her into
the spotlight even further.
988
00:48:06,361 --> 00:48:09,930
Attending red carpet premiers,
high profile events,
989
00:48:10,017 --> 00:48:14,543
and invited to New York's
prestigious Met Gala in 2004,
990
00:48:14,630 --> 00:48:16,023
Serena was no longer
991
00:48:16,110 --> 00:48:18,286
a sports star,
but had now become
992
00:48:18,373 --> 00:48:21,159
an international celebrity.
993
00:48:21,246 --> 00:48:24,423
And where the tennis community
had initially shunned her,
994
00:48:24,510 --> 00:48:28,731
the entertainment world
welcomed her with open arms.
995
00:48:28,818 --> 00:48:30,864
[Analis Bailey] The tennis
world, you have this
996
00:48:30,951 --> 00:48:33,301
predominantly white sport,
997
00:48:33,388 --> 00:48:36,870
and then you have this colorful
world of entertainment
998
00:48:36,957 --> 00:48:39,177
and celebrity and culture.
999
00:48:39,264 --> 00:48:43,877
So I think natural
she was embraced and accepted
1000
00:48:43,964 --> 00:48:47,794
in that diverse space
like a lot of people are,
1001
00:48:47,881 --> 00:48:49,970
like a lot
of black athletes are.
1002
00:48:50,057 --> 00:48:52,886
Serena felt more at home with
celebrity only because
1003
00:48:52,973 --> 00:48:55,758
celebrities loved Serena.
1004
00:48:55,845 --> 00:48:59,588
She is one of the few athletes
who have celebrity groupies.
1005
00:48:59,675 --> 00:49:03,679
Celebrities embraced Serena
because they were fangirling
1006
00:49:03,766 --> 00:49:06,378
on her and they
wanted to meet her.
1007
00:49:06,465 --> 00:49:08,815
So that was a place where,
on the tennis world,
1008
00:49:08,902 --> 00:49:12,036
she had a lot of adversaries,
in the world of entertainment,
1009
00:49:12,123 --> 00:49:14,125
they embraced her, loved her.
1010
00:49:14,212 --> 00:49:18,303
So she had become like her own
celebrity outside of sports,
1011
00:49:18,390 --> 00:49:22,220
and people knew
her name everywhere.
1012
00:49:22,307 --> 00:49:24,657
[Narrator] But just as she had
been elevated to the top tier
1013
00:49:24,744 --> 00:49:28,835
of popular culture, the tide
turned, and Serena was hit
1014
00:49:28,922 --> 00:49:32,970
by a number of personal
and professional crises.
1015
00:49:33,057 --> 00:49:36,669
In September 2003,
her oldest half-sister
1016
00:49:36,756 --> 00:49:39,541
and personal assistant,
Yetunde Price,
1017
00:49:39,628 --> 00:49:42,501
was shot and killed in Compton.
1018
00:49:42,588 --> 00:49:45,199
At the same time, her career
began to be plagued
1019
00:49:45,286 --> 00:49:47,158
by significant injuries.
1020
00:49:47,245 --> 00:49:50,813
In 2004, she won
only two minor titles.
1021
00:49:50,900 --> 00:49:54,556
And despite winning
the Australian Open in 2005,
1022
00:49:54,643 --> 00:49:57,168
afterwards her
form and her fitness
1023
00:49:57,255 --> 00:49:59,561
deteriorated once again.
1024
00:49:59,648 --> 00:50:03,000
While her career away from
the court seemed healthy,
1025
00:50:03,087 --> 00:50:06,916
with acting roles in popular
shows, Law and Order and ER,
1026
00:50:07,004 --> 00:50:09,180
her absence from
the professional tour
1027
00:50:09,267 --> 00:50:12,096
saw her ranking slip
ever downwards.
1028
00:50:12,183 --> 00:50:16,535
At the end of 2006,
she was ranked number 96
1029
00:50:16,622 --> 00:50:20,800
in the world, and many tennis
insiders felt she had become
1030
00:50:20,887 --> 00:50:24,760
too preoccupied with
her life outside of sport.
1031
00:50:24,847 --> 00:50:26,458
[Interviewer] Are we going to
see you on the big screen?
1032
00:50:26,545 --> 00:50:27,763
Oh, absolutely.
Absolutely.
1033
00:50:27,850 --> 00:50:29,243
Very soon, very soon.
1034
00:50:29,330 --> 00:50:30,331
And how's the fashion
life going?
1035
00:50:30,418 --> 00:50:31,680
Very good.
1036
00:50:31,767 --> 00:50:33,465
I'm really excited
about everything.
1037
00:50:33,552 --> 00:50:37,469
[Cecil Harris] She was dabbling
in acting, fashion design.
1038
00:50:37,556 --> 00:50:40,298
She was pulling herself in many
different directions
1039
00:50:40,385 --> 00:50:43,910
and not focusing on tennis
as much as she should have.
1040
00:50:43,997 --> 00:50:46,826
Success came so quickly,
I think she believed,
1041
00:50:46,913 --> 00:50:48,915
"Okay, I've conquered
the tennis world.
1042
00:50:49,002 --> 00:50:50,786
What else can I do?"
1043
00:50:50,873 --> 00:50:52,875
[Merlisa Lawrence Corbett]
Emotionally, she was struggling
1044
00:50:52,962 --> 00:50:55,835
to deal with her sister's death.
1045
00:50:55,922 --> 00:50:58,707
And it wasn't just her sister's
death, because her sister
1046
00:50:58,794 --> 00:51:02,102
also had two kids, and a lot
of people don't realize
1047
00:51:02,189 --> 00:51:06,411
Venus and Serena went to court
trying to win custody
1048
00:51:06,498 --> 00:51:08,804
of their niece and nephew.
1049
00:51:08,891 --> 00:51:11,981
So to be in your twenties
and trying to win custody
1050
00:51:12,069 --> 00:51:16,551
of two little kids, and so when
you have the emotional stuff
1051
00:51:16,638 --> 00:51:21,121
along with the injuries,
that was a tough time.
1052
00:51:21,208 --> 00:51:22,644
[Narrator] But Serena
was determined
1053
00:51:22,731 --> 00:51:24,603
not to lose her crown.
1054
00:51:24,690 --> 00:51:28,433
Her win at the 2007 Australian
Open Final provided her
1055
00:51:28,520 --> 00:51:30,261
with a lifeline.
1056
00:51:30,348 --> 00:51:33,177
And the following year's
victories at the Miami Masters
1057
00:51:33,264 --> 00:51:36,963
and a third US Open final
set her on course
1058
00:51:37,050 --> 00:51:38,573
for a dramatic comeback.
1059
00:51:41,185 --> 00:51:42,925
Come on!
1060
00:51:43,012 --> 00:51:45,798
[Narrator] And that
was to happen in 2009,
1061
00:51:45,885 --> 00:51:47,452
when she won in Australia
1062
00:51:47,539 --> 00:51:50,107
yet again before beating her
sister to claim
1063
00:51:50,194 --> 00:51:53,240
her third Wimbledon title.
[crowd gasps]
1064
00:51:53,327 --> 00:51:57,157
But rather than return
full-time to the WTA Tour,
1065
00:51:57,244 --> 00:51:59,681
Serena had selected
the tournaments in which
1066
00:51:59,768 --> 00:52:03,555
she would compete, careful
to avoid further injury.
1067
00:52:03,642 --> 00:52:07,472
It proved a hugely successful
strategy, and by the end
1068
00:52:07,559 --> 00:52:12,433
of 2009, she was world
number one yet again.
1069
00:52:12,520 --> 00:52:16,002
Even in being a little bit more
detached from the game,
1070
00:52:16,089 --> 00:52:18,657
she ended up being incredibly
impactful because what she did
1071
00:52:18,744 --> 00:52:21,747
was start cherry-picking
her season.
1072
00:52:21,834 --> 00:52:23,444
She wouldn't play all
the mandatory tournaments.
1073
00:52:23,531 --> 00:52:26,143
In fact, when she needed to play
a mandatory tournament
1074
00:52:26,230 --> 00:52:28,014
and it wasn't going to coincide
with her schedule
1075
00:52:28,101 --> 00:52:31,757
for whatever reason, she would
gladly pay the fine.
1076
00:52:31,844 --> 00:52:34,368
That actually ended up creating
a trend where athletes
1077
00:52:34,455 --> 00:52:36,892
created their own schedules,
had their own swings,
1078
00:52:36,979 --> 00:52:39,417
and we've seen it
basically ever since.
1079
00:52:39,504 --> 00:52:43,464
It's amazingly vindicating to
think about the amount of times
1080
00:52:43,551 --> 00:52:46,772
Serena was written off,
especially as she aged.
1081
00:52:46,859 --> 00:52:49,557
And I think for me, it proved
that this really
1082
00:52:49,644 --> 00:52:52,560
would only be over when
she wanted it to be.
1083
00:52:52,647 --> 00:52:55,128
And whenever she decided that
the game was hers
1084
00:52:55,215 --> 00:52:58,087
for the taking,
she made it happen.
1085
00:52:58,175 --> 00:52:59,915
[Narrator] And despite
still suffering
1086
00:53:00,002 --> 00:53:01,830
from intermittent injuries,
1087
00:53:01,917 --> 00:53:05,094
including a life-threatening
pulmonary embolism,
1088
00:53:05,182 --> 00:53:08,315
and drifting up and down
the rankings while in recovery,
1089
00:53:08,402 --> 00:53:11,449
from 2010,
Serena began to compete
1090
00:53:11,536 --> 00:53:14,278
at the top level once again.
1091
00:53:14,365 --> 00:53:17,759
Now approaching her thirties,
she nevertheless was able
1092
00:53:17,846 --> 00:53:20,762
to focus on those aspects
of her game that helped her
1093
00:53:20,849 --> 00:53:23,330
to dominate her opponents.
1094
00:53:23,417 --> 00:53:27,682
And the most powerful of these
attributes was her serve,
1095
00:53:27,769 --> 00:53:31,251
which she had been developing
since her youth.
1096
00:53:31,338 --> 00:53:35,299
[Rick Macci] Even before I got
involved, her throwing motion,
1097
00:53:35,386 --> 00:53:37,910
biomechanically, was correct.
1098
00:53:37,997 --> 00:53:39,216
It was natural.
1099
00:53:39,303 --> 00:53:40,478
Venus wasn't.
1100
00:53:40,565 --> 00:53:42,436
She was more disjointed.
1101
00:53:42,523 --> 00:53:46,048
But Serena, her natural motion
was like, whoa.
1102
00:53:46,135 --> 00:53:47,485
It was like a quarterback
just throwing
1103
00:53:47,572 --> 00:53:49,574
a tight spiral, the motion.
1104
00:53:49,661 --> 00:53:52,098
And I kept telling her,
the toss, it's like
1105
00:53:52,185 --> 00:53:53,621
you have an egg in your hand.
1106
00:53:53,708 --> 00:53:57,016
Put the egg on the shelf,
egg on the shelf.
1107
00:53:57,103 --> 00:54:00,367
Fast-forward, the best serve
ever in women's tennis.
1108
00:54:00,454 --> 00:54:05,067
Her attitude was always:
think big, go bigger,
1109
00:54:05,154 --> 00:54:07,069
expect to hit an ace.
1110
00:54:07,156 --> 00:54:09,115
It wasn't like, just get it in,
like it was in the 80s
1111
00:54:09,202 --> 00:54:10,421
and early 90s.
1112
00:54:10,508 --> 00:54:12,292
So the mindset was there.
1113
00:54:12,379 --> 00:54:16,340
But her serve, Serena's serve,
poetry in motion,
1114
00:54:16,427 --> 00:54:18,951
a knife through butter,
but there's an assassin
1115
00:54:19,038 --> 00:54:21,562
with a racket in her hand just
wanting to hit that ball
1116
00:54:21,649 --> 00:54:23,912
as hard as she could.
1117
00:54:23,999 --> 00:54:27,089
When it was break point
or when she needed it,
1118
00:54:27,176 --> 00:54:31,006
it's that Compton Street fight,
that she could go deep inside,
1119
00:54:31,093 --> 00:54:33,835
the bigger the moment,
that's what separates
1120
00:54:33,922 --> 00:54:35,141
great from good.
1121
00:54:35,228 --> 00:54:37,622
[grunts]
1122
00:54:37,709 --> 00:54:41,582
Bang! She would get that serve
in when she needed it.
1123
00:54:41,669 --> 00:54:44,455
[Narrator] And alongside
her serve, another aspect
1124
00:54:44,542 --> 00:54:47,936
of her game that Serena used
to diminish her opponents
1125
00:54:48,023 --> 00:54:50,678
was her ability
to volley at the net.
1126
00:54:50,765 --> 00:54:51,940
[Caitlin Thompson]
Serena has baseline shots
1127
00:54:52,027 --> 00:54:53,464
that are as good, if not better,
1128
00:54:53,551 --> 00:54:55,292
than anyone else who's ever
played the game,
1129
00:54:55,379 --> 00:54:57,032
but her net game is elite.
1130
00:54:57,119 --> 00:54:59,861
Again, not very many people,
especially women,
1131
00:54:59,948 --> 00:55:04,431
emphasize so much net play,
and it is easy to forget,
1132
00:55:04,518 --> 00:55:07,347
but important to remember
how many titles she won,
1133
00:55:07,434 --> 00:55:10,481
usually alongside her sister,
but also in mixed doubles.
1134
00:55:10,568 --> 00:55:13,397
She's an elite doubles player.
1135
00:55:13,484 --> 00:55:16,791
[Narrator] And where the media
devoted untold column inches
1136
00:55:16,878 --> 00:55:20,708
in praise of her power and her
physical dominance,
1137
00:55:20,795 --> 00:55:25,191
often less appreciated was
her on-court intelligence.
1138
00:55:25,278 --> 00:55:31,763
[Julie Cart] Her strength is her
brain, her mindset, and the fact
1139
00:55:31,850 --> 00:55:34,809
that she has
a very strong will.
1140
00:55:34,896 --> 00:55:38,639
You do not get to where
she is, and stay there,
1141
00:55:38,726 --> 00:55:41,729
that's the main thing, you don't
stay there unless you have
1142
00:55:41,816 --> 00:55:46,299
some just monumental
determination,
1143
00:55:46,386 --> 00:55:49,215
self-belief, resilience.
1144
00:55:49,302 --> 00:55:53,175
She just has a will.
1145
00:55:53,262 --> 00:55:56,048
[Caitlin Thompson] Every single
match Serena has ever contended,
1146
00:55:56,135 --> 00:55:58,137
she expects to win.
1147
00:55:58,224 --> 00:56:01,619
And for a large part of her
career, so did her opponents.
1148
00:56:01,706 --> 00:56:05,187
And you can't overstate how
tough it is to go out
1149
00:56:05,274 --> 00:56:07,886
against an opponent who's
already essentially
1150
00:56:07,973 --> 00:56:12,760
beaten you, broken your spirit,
made you not believe.
1151
00:56:12,847 --> 00:56:15,459
You have to beat her,
because she's certainly
1152
00:56:15,546 --> 00:56:16,677
not going to beat herself.
1153
00:56:16,764 --> 00:56:18,462
That's a big deal.
1154
00:56:18,549 --> 00:56:20,377
[Narrator] All of these
attributes would come
1155
00:56:20,464 --> 00:56:22,857
to the fore as Serena
strived to regain
1156
00:56:22,944 --> 00:56:25,773
her winning form in 2010.
1157
00:56:25,860 --> 00:56:28,689
After her years in the
wilderness, she was up against
1158
00:56:28,776 --> 00:56:32,214
a renewed field of competitors,
some of whom she was facing
1159
00:56:32,301 --> 00:56:34,129
for the first time.
1160
00:56:34,216 --> 00:56:37,916
Yet up until this point,
her injuries had caused her
1161
00:56:38,003 --> 00:56:41,528
more concern
than her opponents.
1162
00:56:41,615 --> 00:56:45,010
[Caitlin Thompson]
Serena had really few rivals.
1163
00:56:45,097 --> 00:56:48,666
At the beginning of her career,
her sister proved
1164
00:56:48,753 --> 00:56:51,059
to be a frequent
sparring partner.
1165
00:56:51,146 --> 00:56:54,846
She had some interesting matches
against Steffi Graf
1166
00:56:54,933 --> 00:56:56,456
or Martina Hingis.
1167
00:56:56,543 --> 00:56:59,720
But really, for her prime,
there was almost nobody
1168
00:56:59,807 --> 00:57:02,288
who could hold a candle to her.
1169
00:57:02,375 --> 00:57:04,986
[Julie Cart] You don't look back
at Serena's career and say,
1170
00:57:05,073 --> 00:57:11,515
oh, she played so-and-so
48 times, and it was 24-24.
1171
00:57:11,602 --> 00:57:16,215
It's not like that and it's not
like the attenuated rivalry
1172
00:57:16,302 --> 00:57:19,566
that Martina Navratilova
had with Chris Evert,
1173
00:57:19,653 --> 00:57:21,786
where they brought out
the best in each other.
1174
00:57:21,873 --> 00:57:28,314
I think that there were sharp,
pointed moments when people
1175
00:57:28,401 --> 00:57:32,492
played well against Serena,
kind of, figured her out,
1176
00:57:32,579 --> 00:57:36,496
or she may have had something
going on, and they won.
1177
00:57:36,583 --> 00:57:40,413
But I don't think there was
someone where she said,
1178
00:57:40,500 --> 00:57:43,982
"Ugh, man, this is going
to be a tough one."
1179
00:57:44,069 --> 00:57:47,202
[Narrator] But at the start
of her comeback trail in 2007,
1180
00:57:47,289 --> 00:57:51,685
she had faced an opponent who
repeatedly stood in her way.
1181
00:57:51,772 --> 00:57:54,688
The Belgian, Justine Henin,
had defeated her
1182
00:57:54,775 --> 00:57:57,125
in the quarterfinals
of three Grand Slams
1183
00:57:57,212 --> 00:58:00,738
during that season,
the French Open, Wimbledon,
1184
00:58:00,825 --> 00:58:04,176
and the US Open, and proved
a major obstacle
1185
00:58:04,263 --> 00:58:07,092
in Serena's goal
to get back to the top.
1186
00:58:07,179 --> 00:58:09,921
[Caitlin Thompson] At her peak,
she could take the fight
1187
00:58:10,008 --> 00:58:13,141
to Serena because she and Serena
had very different games.
1188
00:58:13,228 --> 00:58:15,579
Justine Henin is one of the few
people who was bold enough,
1189
00:58:15,666 --> 00:58:18,843
and she's not big, she's only
5'5, to stand inside
1190
00:58:18,930 --> 00:58:21,672
the baseline on a Serena
Williams serve just in
1191
00:58:21,759 --> 00:58:24,457
the effort to take it early
and try to dictate the point
1192
00:58:24,544 --> 00:58:25,937
before Serena
would get the chance.
1193
00:58:26,024 --> 00:58:28,853
So from a tennis perspective,
she's in my mind
1194
00:58:28,940 --> 00:58:32,160
the closest that Serena
had to a consistent rival.
1195
00:58:32,247 --> 00:58:35,860
[Narrator] In 2008, Henin
had briefly retired.
1196
00:58:35,947 --> 00:58:39,603
But in January 2010, with
Serena looking to return
1197
00:58:39,690 --> 00:58:43,824
to form and dominate the field,
she faced Henin once again
1198
00:58:43,911 --> 00:58:46,740
at the final
of the Australian Open.
1199
00:58:46,827 --> 00:58:51,049
It would prove a key match
in Serena's resurgence.
1200
00:58:51,136 --> 00:58:54,531
Justine Henin was coming back,
trying to decide
1201
00:58:54,618 --> 00:58:57,272
whether she was going to retire,
and she was at the time
1202
00:58:57,359 --> 00:59:00,493
the only real
competition for Serena,
1203
00:59:00,580 --> 00:59:02,582
consistent competition.
1204
00:59:08,109 --> 00:59:12,113
[crowd cheers]
1205
00:59:16,030 --> 00:59:20,992
To beat her and send her back
into retirement was like
1206
00:59:21,079 --> 00:59:22,776
Serena saying,
"No, I'm in charge now.
1207
00:59:22,863 --> 00:59:24,517
I'm here to stay."
1208
00:59:24,604 --> 00:59:28,216
So I think that was her sending
the message to the field,
1209
00:59:28,303 --> 00:59:30,828
that "I'm back for good now."
1210
00:59:30,915 --> 00:59:32,699
[Narrator] But as Serena moved
into the second chapter
1211
00:59:32,786 --> 00:59:34,353
of her career,
1212
00:59:34,440 --> 00:59:37,661
there was one other
rival on her radar.
1213
00:59:37,748 --> 00:59:40,707
And Russian player,
Maria Sharapova, was competing
1214
00:59:40,794 --> 00:59:43,667
with her both
on and off the court.
1215
00:59:43,754 --> 00:59:46,974
Having entered the professional
circuit just as Serena's form
1216
00:59:47,061 --> 00:59:51,675
had started to decline,
in 2004, Sharapova
1217
00:59:51,762 --> 00:59:55,113
had caused an upset
when as the 13th seed,
1218
00:59:55,200 --> 00:59:57,332
she defeated
the defending champion
1219
00:59:57,419 --> 00:59:59,683
at the Wimbledon final.
1220
00:59:59,770 --> 01:00:02,555
Although Serena had
been gracious in defeat,
1221
01:00:02,642 --> 01:00:04,992
the tennis world's sudden
embrace of Sharapova
1222
01:00:05,079 --> 01:00:08,126
after the game was a shock.
1223
01:00:08,213 --> 01:00:10,345
There were people in the sport
hoping someone else
1224
01:00:10,432 --> 01:00:13,261
would come along to take over
from the Williams sisters.
1225
01:00:13,348 --> 01:00:15,916
And Maria didn't exactly take
over, she just beat Serena
1226
01:00:16,003 --> 01:00:19,920
in a big upset in 2004,
and people ran with that.
1227
01:00:20,007 --> 01:00:22,270
"Oh, Maria is the next
big thing now."
1228
01:00:22,357 --> 01:00:26,840
Nike gave Maria Sharapova a more
lucrative endorsement deal
1229
01:00:26,927 --> 01:00:30,888
than the one Serena had
because Maria won that match.
1230
01:00:30,975 --> 01:00:34,282
And I'm sure that got to Serena
as well, because Serena
1231
01:00:34,369 --> 01:00:36,154
had done so much more.
1232
01:00:36,241 --> 01:00:40,375
Being 17 and upsetting Serena,
that puts Sharapova on the map.
1233
01:00:40,462 --> 01:00:42,290
She's the new darling.
1234
01:00:42,377 --> 01:00:46,991
And even though she's Russian,
she was a darling in the US too.
1235
01:00:47,078 --> 01:00:50,821
All of the money just started
pouring into Sharapova.
1236
01:00:50,908 --> 01:00:55,390
She'd won one tournament against
an injured Serena Williams,
1237
01:00:55,477 --> 01:00:57,218
but oh, she's better.
1238
01:00:57,305 --> 01:00:59,003
And she's blonde and she's tall.
1239
01:00:59,090 --> 01:01:04,443
So it was this weird transition
for Serena during that time.
1240
01:01:04,530 --> 01:01:07,881
[Narrator] And during Serena's
years of struggle and absence,
1241
01:01:07,968 --> 01:01:10,928
Sharapova had not only proven
one of the best players
1242
01:01:11,015 --> 01:01:13,974
in the game, but had
eclipsed her as the face
1243
01:01:14,061 --> 01:01:15,584
of women's tennis.
1244
01:01:15,672 --> 01:01:16,934
[Merlisa Lawrence Corbett]
To have a good rivalry,
1245
01:01:17,021 --> 01:01:19,588
the other person
has to be at the top too.
1246
01:01:19,676 --> 01:01:22,679
And Sharapova was at the top,
she was dominating
1247
01:01:22,766 --> 01:01:24,550
when Serena was out.
1248
01:01:24,637 --> 01:01:28,206
And then, so when Serena came
back strong, this is the person
1249
01:01:28,293 --> 01:01:31,078
she had to beat.
1250
01:01:31,165 --> 01:01:33,080
[Caitlin Thompson] A lot of the
years that both Serena Williams
1251
01:01:33,167 --> 01:01:35,822
and Maria Sharapova
were active, Maria Sharapova,
1252
01:01:35,909 --> 01:01:38,999
despite having a whisper
of Serena Williams
1253
01:01:39,086 --> 01:01:42,133
tennis resume,
especially head-to-head,
1254
01:01:42,220 --> 01:01:45,614
bested Serena Williams
in money endorsements.
1255
01:01:45,702 --> 01:01:49,314
Canon, Porsche, Evian,
the list goes on and on.
1256
01:01:49,401 --> 01:01:54,058
She was really out-earning
Serena by such a large margin
1257
01:01:54,145 --> 01:01:57,017
that I think it enraged
Serena and made her play
1258
01:01:57,104 --> 01:01:58,889
even better tennis,
because an angry
1259
01:01:58,976 --> 01:02:00,499
Serena Williams
tends to be a focused
1260
01:02:00,586 --> 01:02:02,153
Serena Williams, and that's
not who you want to see
1261
01:02:02,240 --> 01:02:04,242
on the other side of the court.
1262
01:02:04,329 --> 01:02:06,592
[Narrator] And in 2012,
on the back of winning
1263
01:02:06,679 --> 01:02:08,942
her fifth Wimbledon
singles title,
1264
01:02:09,029 --> 01:02:10,857
a resurgent Serena faced off
1265
01:02:10,944 --> 01:02:14,121
against Maria Sharapova
once again.
1266
01:02:14,208 --> 01:02:16,950
The occasion was
momentous, the final
1267
01:02:17,037 --> 01:02:19,823
of the London Olympics,
with the victor set to receive
1268
01:02:19,910 --> 01:02:22,390
a coveted gold medal.
1269
01:02:22,477 --> 01:02:27,308
And Serena made sure that
there was only one winner.
1270
01:02:27,395 --> 01:02:30,747
Serena's most dominant
performance came against Maria
1271
01:02:30,834 --> 01:02:35,621
in the 2012 gold medal match
in the Olympics.
1272
01:02:35,708 --> 01:02:39,277
It was held at Wimbledon
that year on center court.
1273
01:02:39,364 --> 01:02:42,715
And Serena smoked
Maria 6-0, 6-1.
1274
01:02:47,851 --> 01:02:48,808
[Merlisa Lawrence Corbett]
It was just stunning,
1275
01:02:48,895 --> 01:02:50,679
that match.
1276
01:02:50,767 --> 01:02:54,553
Serena was better than her
in every aspect of the game.
1277
01:02:54,640 --> 01:02:59,514
I don't think she's ever played
cleaner, more decisive tennis.
1278
01:02:59,601 --> 01:03:01,038
[crowd cheers]
1279
01:03:01,125 --> 01:03:04,041
Serena was just teeing
off on her second serve.
1280
01:03:04,128 --> 01:03:05,433
It was like batting practice.
1281
01:03:08,306 --> 01:03:10,264
[screams]
1282
01:03:10,351 --> 01:03:11,700
[Cecil Harris] And there was
something about the image
1283
01:03:11,788 --> 01:03:13,964
of Serena
standing highest
1284
01:03:14,051 --> 01:03:16,140
on the podium
as the gold medal winner
1285
01:03:16,227 --> 01:03:17,924
and Maria below her
as a silver medalist,
1286
01:03:18,011 --> 01:03:19,883
and the look on Serena's face.
1287
01:03:19,970 --> 01:03:24,235
Like, the whole world sees this,
and this is the pecking order
1288
01:03:24,322 --> 01:03:27,891
as it should be.
[laughs]
1289
01:03:27,978 --> 01:03:31,546
[Narrator] The following year,
2013, Serena finally
1290
01:03:31,633 --> 01:03:34,636
made her way back
to the very top.
1291
01:03:34,723 --> 01:03:37,248
Becoming the oldest
female world number one
1292
01:03:37,335 --> 01:03:41,339
at nearly 32 years old, this
second chapter of her career
1293
01:03:41,426 --> 01:03:45,299
would prove even more
successful than the first.
1294
01:03:45,386 --> 01:03:47,519
Yet Serena had
also been looking
1295
01:03:47,606 --> 01:03:50,000
for new impetus
and inspiration,
1296
01:03:50,087 --> 01:03:53,046
and this drew her away
from her father Richard
1297
01:03:53,133 --> 01:03:56,397
toward French coach,
Patrick Mouratoglou.
1298
01:03:56,484 --> 01:03:58,356
[Merlisa Lawrence Corbett]
2013, that's the year
1299
01:03:58,443 --> 01:04:00,532
I think was Serena's best year.
1300
01:04:00,619 --> 01:04:04,275
And it was also her first full
year after teaming up
1301
01:04:04,362 --> 01:04:06,451
with the coach,
Patrick Mouratoglou.
1302
01:04:06,538 --> 01:04:10,498
Because in 2012 at Wimbledon,
that's the first time
1303
01:04:10,585 --> 01:04:11,978
he coached her.
1304
01:04:12,065 --> 01:04:15,025
That was also the last time
Richard Williams
1305
01:04:15,112 --> 01:04:18,855
was in the player's box
at a Grand Slam, 2012.
1306
01:04:18,942 --> 01:04:21,770
He never showed up
again in the player's box.
1307
01:04:21,858 --> 01:04:24,512
And it was almost
like that transition from
1308
01:04:24,599 --> 01:04:26,558
Serena's now her own person.
1309
01:04:26,645 --> 01:04:29,474
She became a lot more strategic
in how she approached
1310
01:04:29,561 --> 01:04:32,956
the matches and about
chasing records.
1311
01:04:33,043 --> 01:04:35,088
Before, I don't think she cared.
1312
01:04:35,175 --> 01:04:38,526
[Narrator] And those records
were soon within her sights.
1313
01:04:38,613 --> 01:04:43,357
Serena entered the 2013 season
with 16 major singles titles
1314
01:04:43,444 --> 01:04:46,230
to her name,
two behind Chris Evert
1315
01:04:46,317 --> 01:04:50,234
and Martina Navratilova,
and four behind Steffi Graf,
1316
01:04:50,321 --> 01:04:54,629
the record holder in
the open era with 22 titles.
1317
01:04:54,716 --> 01:04:58,546
Back on form and once again
dominating the field,
1318
01:04:58,633 --> 01:05:03,116
Serena won the US and French
Opens, and then in 2014
1319
01:05:03,203 --> 01:05:06,293
completed a record-equaling
third US Open
1320
01:05:06,380 --> 01:05:09,993
win-in-a-row to draw level
with fellow Americans Evert
1321
01:05:10,080 --> 01:05:11,733
and Navratilova.
1322
01:05:11,820 --> 01:05:14,954
And with this victory,
she also earned the highest
1323
01:05:15,041 --> 01:05:18,044
single paycheck in the history
of tennis for winning
1324
01:05:18,131 --> 01:05:22,266
the US series of titles
within a single calendar year.
1325
01:05:22,353 --> 01:05:25,008
Where once Serena had been
viewed with skepticism
1326
01:05:25,095 --> 01:05:27,227
by the American
tennis establishment,
1327
01:05:27,314 --> 01:05:30,752
now she was its greatest asset.
1328
01:05:30,839 --> 01:05:34,017
For what Serena was being
rewarded with in 2014,
1329
01:05:34,104 --> 01:05:38,630
I think that was a pivotal
moment in shifting the tide.
1330
01:05:38,717 --> 01:05:42,025
Serena and her sister carried
the banner for American tennis,
1331
01:05:42,112 --> 01:05:44,331
and they did it for decades.
1332
01:05:44,418 --> 01:05:48,857
Because, still, no American man
has won a major tennis title
1333
01:05:48,945 --> 01:05:51,382
since Andy Roddick in 2003.
1334
01:05:51,469 --> 01:05:55,342
That means an entire generation
of tennis fans has not seen
1335
01:05:55,429 --> 01:05:58,867
any American man hold up
a major tennis trophy.
1336
01:05:58,955 --> 01:06:01,827
But they've seen Serena
do it many times.
1337
01:06:01,914 --> 01:06:04,177
The Williams sisters
really didn't change.
1338
01:06:04,264 --> 01:06:06,049
America changed.
1339
01:06:06,136 --> 01:06:08,834
After a while, American
tennis fans said,
1340
01:06:08,921 --> 01:06:11,706
"We don't have any reason
to dislike them.
1341
01:06:11,793 --> 01:06:14,013
Why don't we root for Serena?"
1342
01:06:14,100 --> 01:06:17,103
Now, we were hearing Serena
mentioned in the conversation
1343
01:06:17,190 --> 01:06:20,759
about the GOATs of sports,
the greatest of all time:
1344
01:06:20,846 --> 01:06:26,721
Muhammad Ali, Michael Jordan,
Pele, Wayne Gretzky, Tom Brady.
1345
01:06:26,808 --> 01:06:30,421
Serena's name was being
included, and it was
1346
01:06:30,508 --> 01:06:33,250
the first time that
a great female athlete
1347
01:06:33,337 --> 01:06:36,557
was getting that
kind of respect.
1348
01:06:36,644 --> 01:06:39,343
[Narrator] And while Serena
was commanding that respect
1349
01:06:39,430 --> 01:06:42,476
and breaking records in
the tennis world, her schedule
1350
01:06:42,563 --> 01:06:44,913
was not limited to sport.
1351
01:06:45,001 --> 01:06:46,959
Two days after
winning the US Open,
1352
01:06:47,046 --> 01:06:48,656
she took to the stage
1353
01:06:48,743 --> 01:06:52,269
at another New York tradition,
New York Fashion Week,
1354
01:06:52,356 --> 01:06:55,228
debuting her Serena Williams
runway collection
1355
01:06:55,315 --> 01:06:58,884
in front of
a star-studded crowd.
1356
01:06:58,971 --> 01:07:01,321
Where critics had once doubted
that she could juggle
1357
01:07:01,408 --> 01:07:03,584
her on- and off-court
activities,
1358
01:07:03,671 --> 01:07:05,151
now Serena was proving
1359
01:07:05,238 --> 01:07:08,589
that she could excel at both.
1360
01:07:08,676 --> 01:07:11,418
[Analis Bailey] 2014, you have
this runway collection
1361
01:07:11,505 --> 01:07:13,333
by Serena Williams.
1362
01:07:13,420 --> 01:07:16,554
Lots of bold colors,
lots of leopard prints
1363
01:07:16,641 --> 01:07:19,644
and blazers and leather.
1364
01:07:19,731 --> 01:07:22,603
It was fun, it was different,
it was unique.
1365
01:07:22,690 --> 01:07:27,347
This era, and it's still going
on today, of celebrity athletes
1366
01:07:27,434 --> 01:07:31,786
building their brand
is something that Serena
1367
01:07:31,873 --> 01:07:34,441
kind of fell into so well.
1368
01:07:34,528 --> 01:07:38,967
[Narrator] And having ended
2014 on a high, in 2015,
1369
01:07:39,055 --> 01:07:41,840
Serena's winning streak
continued, with victories
1370
01:07:41,927 --> 01:07:45,191
at both the Australian Open
and the French Open.
1371
01:07:45,278 --> 01:07:47,454
In July, she
traveled to Wimbledon.
1372
01:07:47,541 --> 01:07:50,936
Here, the tennis world
was buzzing once again
1373
01:07:51,023 --> 01:07:53,895
as the prospect of a victory
in the singles competition
1374
01:07:53,982 --> 01:07:58,987
would see her complete
a second historic Serena Slam.
1375
01:07:59,075 --> 01:08:01,512
It is a huge incentive for me.
1376
01:08:01,599 --> 01:08:04,080
I did it before in Australia,
which was pretty cool,
1377
01:08:04,167 --> 01:08:05,820
so I've held all four in a row.
1378
01:08:05,907 --> 01:08:07,474
So I keep thinking about that.
1379
01:08:07,561 --> 01:08:08,867
"Serena, if it doesn't happen,
you've already done it,
1380
01:08:08,954 --> 01:08:10,912
so don't be
disappointed in yourself."
1381
01:08:10,999 --> 01:08:13,219
But at the same time,
I'm here to win Wimbledon,
1382
01:08:13,306 --> 01:08:14,916
I'm not here
to win the Serena Slam.
1383
01:08:15,003 --> 01:08:16,788
I'm not here to focus
on winning the Grand Slam.
1384
01:08:16,875 --> 01:08:19,660
I'm just here to win Wimbledon
or do the best I can
1385
01:08:19,747 --> 01:08:21,793
at Wimbledon and see
what happens after that.
1386
01:08:21,880 --> 01:08:23,577
That's all I can do.
1387
01:08:23,664 --> 01:08:25,797
[Narrator] And Serena's
best proved enough
1388
01:08:25,884 --> 01:08:28,974
to secure her a victory
in the final.
1389
01:08:29,061 --> 01:08:30,280
With this win,
she not only achieved
1390
01:08:30,367 --> 01:08:32,891
her second Serena Slam,
1391
01:08:32,978 --> 01:08:36,373
but she also became the oldest
female in the open era
1392
01:08:36,460 --> 01:08:38,853
to win a major singles title.
1393
01:08:38,940 --> 01:08:42,118
And she was now only one behind
Steffi Graf's record
1394
01:08:42,205 --> 01:08:45,382
of 22 Grand Slams.
1395
01:08:45,469 --> 01:08:47,427
[Cecil Harris]
The comeback was complete.
1396
01:08:47,514 --> 01:08:49,864
She had lost her way for a few
years, she was determined
1397
01:08:49,951 --> 01:08:51,127
to get it back.
1398
01:08:51,214 --> 01:08:53,346
And she got her groove back.
1399
01:08:53,433 --> 01:08:57,045
[Rick Macci] It just shows
how she loves to play.
1400
01:08:57,133 --> 01:08:59,352
She loves to kick butt
and take names.
1401
01:08:59,439 --> 01:09:01,137
This is a competitor.
1402
01:09:01,224 --> 01:09:02,747
It wasn't about the money.
1403
01:09:02,834 --> 01:09:04,488
I mean, she had all the money.
1404
01:09:04,575 --> 01:09:06,446
She had all
the fame and fortune.
1405
01:09:06,533 --> 01:09:09,710
It was about:
she loved to compete.
1406
01:09:09,797 --> 01:09:11,756
To me, this is like
legacy building stuff.
1407
01:09:11,843 --> 01:09:15,716
All rivals have pretty much
fallen out of contention.
1408
01:09:15,803 --> 01:09:19,720
She's winning as much as she
can, as much as she wants to.
1409
01:09:19,807 --> 01:09:22,984
You start looking at
the Steffi Graf record.
1410
01:09:23,071 --> 01:09:25,639
Oh, wow, Steffi Graf was so
dominant, she got 22 slams,
1411
01:09:25,726 --> 01:09:27,424
but nobody will ever get that.
1412
01:09:27,511 --> 01:09:30,992
And then all of a sudden in the
mid-teens, it just becomes
1413
01:09:31,079 --> 01:09:36,041
another goal or record that
Serena can get in her sights.
1414
01:09:36,128 --> 01:09:38,217
And you start thinking, oh,
she's going to end up
1415
01:09:38,304 --> 01:09:40,393
with more than
Steffi Graf, isn't she?
1416
01:09:40,480 --> 01:09:43,048
[Narrator] Yet there would
be obstacles in her path.
1417
01:09:43,135 --> 01:09:46,051
A new generation of players
were emerging who would offer
1418
01:09:46,138 --> 01:09:47,792
fresh challenges.
1419
01:09:47,879 --> 01:09:51,535
And in 2016, Serena was
defeated in the finals of both
1420
01:09:51,622 --> 01:09:54,929
the Australian Open and the
French Open, the first time
1421
01:09:55,016 --> 01:09:56,714
she had suffered
back-to-back losses
1422
01:09:56,801 --> 01:09:58,846
in Grand Slam finals.
1423
01:09:58,933 --> 01:10:01,588
Once again, this brought
the drama to Wimbledon
1424
01:10:01,675 --> 01:10:05,113
in July, 2016, where she
was reigning champion
1425
01:10:05,201 --> 01:10:07,377
and the number one seed.
1426
01:10:07,464 --> 01:10:09,944
Here she progressed to
the final where she faced
1427
01:10:10,031 --> 01:10:15,036
Angelique Kerber, a German
player very much in form.
1428
01:10:15,123 --> 01:10:16,124
[Merlisa Lawrence Corbett]
She was playing Kerber
1429
01:10:16,212 --> 01:10:17,561
who had just beat her
1430
01:10:17,648 --> 01:10:20,085
at the Australian Open,
and Kerber was probably
1431
01:10:20,172 --> 01:10:22,783
one of her better
competitors at the time.
1432
01:10:22,870 --> 01:10:26,352
And Serena, sometimes when she's
trying to reach a milestone,
1433
01:10:26,439 --> 01:10:31,705
she gets tight and she
would get nervous in knowing
1434
01:10:31,792 --> 01:10:33,707
time is running out.
1435
01:10:33,794 --> 01:10:35,100
That was a great match.
1436
01:10:35,187 --> 01:10:37,755
Kerber did not cower.
1437
01:10:37,842 --> 01:10:39,365
Serena had to beat her.
1438
01:10:39,452 --> 01:10:44,152
[both grunting]
1439
01:10:44,240 --> 01:10:49,114
[Announcer] Game, set, match.
Serena Williams.
1440
01:10:49,201 --> 01:10:51,769
14 years after that
first victory here,
1441
01:10:51,856 --> 01:10:54,554
Grand Slam number 22.
1442
01:10:54,641 --> 01:10:59,472
Irresistible, majestic.
1443
01:10:59,559 --> 01:11:01,953
And the judgment of history
will surely be that she was
1444
01:11:02,040 --> 01:11:05,304
in a class of her own.
1445
01:11:05,391 --> 01:11:08,133
I think it was significant
because it's like now
1446
01:11:08,220 --> 01:11:10,396
you're at 22,
that's off my back.
1447
01:11:10,483 --> 01:11:12,703
I am trying to tie Graf.
1448
01:11:12,790 --> 01:11:17,011
And it's like, now I'm
in that GOAT discussion.
1449
01:11:17,098 --> 01:11:19,013
And they would put Margaret
Court up there, but everybody
1450
01:11:19,100 --> 01:11:21,451
knew Graf was really the target.
1451
01:11:21,538 --> 01:11:24,715
So it's like
now I can best Graf.
1452
01:11:24,802 --> 01:11:26,934
That was a big deal.
1453
01:11:27,021 --> 01:11:29,676
[Narrator] Having equaled
graph's open era record,
1454
01:11:29,763 --> 01:11:32,026
some tennis insiders
did start to raise
1455
01:11:32,113 --> 01:11:35,247
the 24 Grand Slam wins
of Australian champion
1456
01:11:35,334 --> 01:11:37,858
Margaret Court, who had
dominated the sport
1457
01:11:37,945 --> 01:11:39,947
in the 1960s.
1458
01:11:40,034 --> 01:11:42,472
Yet Court had played
before the open era,
1459
01:11:42,559 --> 01:11:45,736
when tennis tournaments
were amateur-only events.
1460
01:11:45,823 --> 01:11:49,130
And many of her wins were at
the Australian Open itself,
1461
01:11:49,217 --> 01:11:51,698
which failed to attract
the world's top players
1462
01:11:51,785 --> 01:11:54,788
as it was so expensive
to travel to.
1463
01:11:54,875 --> 01:11:58,792
Yet ironically, it was at
the Australian Open in 2017
1464
01:11:58,879 --> 01:12:01,317
that Serena finally
passed Steffi Graf's
1465
01:12:01,404 --> 01:12:03,971
Grand Slam record.
1466
01:12:04,058 --> 01:12:06,496
The final itself was historic.
1467
01:12:06,583 --> 01:12:08,367
When both of the Williams
sisters stepped
1468
01:12:08,454 --> 01:12:12,240
onto center court at the
Rod Laver Arena to do battle,
1469
01:12:12,328 --> 01:12:14,721
it was their first meeting
at a Grand Slam final
1470
01:12:14,808 --> 01:12:20,248
since 2009, and their first
in Australia since 2003.
1471
01:12:20,336 --> 01:12:23,948
Venus, now 36, was
the oldest woman finalist
1472
01:12:24,035 --> 01:12:26,951
at the Australian Open ever,
and the contest
1473
01:12:27,038 --> 01:12:29,649
took their story full circle.
1474
01:12:29,736 --> 01:12:33,523
20 years after they had first
emerged, the Williams sisters
1475
01:12:33,610 --> 01:12:37,440
were still competing at the top
level of their sport.
1476
01:12:37,527 --> 01:12:40,138
Serena's eventual victory
saw her crowned
1477
01:12:40,225 --> 01:12:42,793
world number one yet again.
1478
01:12:42,880 --> 01:12:45,230
And unbeknownst to
the spectators, she had
1479
01:12:45,317 --> 01:12:49,452
achieved this win while
eight weeks pregnant.
1480
01:12:49,539 --> 01:12:52,977
The significance of passing
Graf, it's like
1481
01:12:53,064 --> 01:12:55,371
now there's no question.
1482
01:12:55,458 --> 01:12:57,808
The whole point
of Margaret Court
1483
01:12:57,895 --> 01:13:01,377
didn't become a thing
until after Serena passed Graf.
1484
01:13:01,464 --> 01:13:05,293
I'm like, nobody really thinks
that she's the greatest.
1485
01:13:05,381 --> 01:13:09,254
I think that was just this
barrier that people put in place
1486
01:13:09,341 --> 01:13:12,213
to put another hurdle over
Serena, but Graf was really
1487
01:13:12,300 --> 01:13:14,085
the standard to beat.
1488
01:13:14,172 --> 01:13:17,784
And I think that winning that,
I felt like Serena, not only
1489
01:13:17,871 --> 01:13:21,484
was she pregnant, but felt like,
hey, I can leave the game now.
1490
01:13:21,571 --> 01:13:24,617
I got 23.
I got 23, that's the one.
1491
01:13:24,704 --> 01:13:26,967
Not that she didn't want to get
Margaret Court, but I think
1492
01:13:27,054 --> 01:13:30,014
that 23, that's
the one she wanted.
1493
01:13:30,101 --> 01:13:33,365
It was about passing Graf.
1494
01:13:33,452 --> 01:13:36,977
[Narrator] In April 2017,
Serena publicly announced
1495
01:13:37,064 --> 01:13:38,892
her pregnancy
with her partner,
1496
01:13:38,979 --> 01:13:42,026
the entrepreneur,
Alexis Ohanian.
1497
01:13:42,113 --> 01:13:44,376
Stepping back from
the limelight and resting
1498
01:13:44,463 --> 01:13:46,204
at her home in
West Palm Beach, Florida,
1499
01:13:46,291 --> 01:13:47,945
for the rest of the year
1500
01:13:48,032 --> 01:13:51,252
she disappeared from
the professional circuit.
1501
01:13:51,339 --> 01:13:54,168
Following a difficult labor
that saw Serena suffer
1502
01:13:54,255 --> 01:13:56,823
another life-threatening
pulmonary embolism,
1503
01:13:56,910 --> 01:13:59,826
on September 1st,
the couple's daughter,
1504
01:13:59,913 --> 01:14:03,047
Alexis Olympia, was born.
1505
01:14:03,134 --> 01:14:06,833
And despite being hospitalized
for six weeks after the birth,
1506
01:14:06,920 --> 01:14:09,314
by the end of the year,
Serena was back
1507
01:14:09,401 --> 01:14:11,142
in training once again.
1508
01:14:11,229 --> 01:14:15,189
And in 2018, she returned
to competitive tennis.
1509
01:14:15,276 --> 01:14:16,843
[Julie Cart]
You can't pin Serena down.
1510
01:14:16,930 --> 01:14:21,152
There's no narrative that
stays static with her.
1511
01:14:21,239 --> 01:14:24,329
So...African American,
oh, how different.
1512
01:14:24,416 --> 01:14:27,114
She plays differently,
she's really tough and strong.
1513
01:14:27,201 --> 01:14:28,899
Look what she's wearing.
1514
01:14:28,986 --> 01:14:32,642
And now she's a mom, she's
married, she has a little kid
1515
01:14:32,729 --> 01:14:35,819
and she almost
died during childbirth.
1516
01:14:35,906 --> 01:14:41,172
It's yet another part of her
story, and she's let people in
1517
01:14:41,259 --> 01:14:45,132
under her own terms, and she has
a kind of integrity and I think
1518
01:14:45,219 --> 01:14:47,526
it's really, really compelling.
1519
01:14:47,613 --> 01:14:49,572
[Analis Bailey] Again, if you
see her, you can be her
1520
01:14:49,659 --> 01:14:51,487
and it's like, yeah,
1521
01:14:51,574 --> 01:14:54,664
I can be a mother
and I can have a career.
1522
01:14:54,751 --> 01:14:57,318
I can be a mother and I could
still be a role model.
1523
01:14:57,405 --> 01:15:00,974
I can be a mother and I can
still excel and be the best
1524
01:15:01,061 --> 01:15:04,282
at whatever I'm doing
in my career or otherwise.
1525
01:15:04,369 --> 01:15:06,458
Her becoming a mother,
her having her daughter
1526
01:15:06,545 --> 01:15:08,547
just made her that
much more relatable,
1527
01:15:08,634 --> 01:15:11,158
that much more inspirational.
1528
01:15:11,245 --> 01:15:13,421
[Narrator] Serena was back
in the spotlight
1529
01:15:13,509 --> 01:15:16,947
with motherhood boosting
her profile even further.
1530
01:15:17,034 --> 01:15:20,298
In May 2018, she
and her husband, Alexis,
1531
01:15:20,385 --> 01:15:22,518
were prominent guests at her
friend Meghan Markle's wedding
1532
01:15:22,605 --> 01:15:24,520
to Prince Harry.
1533
01:15:24,607 --> 01:15:28,567
And the following year, she was
a co-host at the Met Gala,
1534
01:15:28,654 --> 01:15:32,745
the fashion world's most
prestigious annual event.
1535
01:15:32,832 --> 01:15:35,313
And while the celebrity world
enthusiastically embraced
1536
01:15:35,400 --> 01:15:38,708
her return, the tennis world
was even keener to see her
1537
01:15:38,795 --> 01:15:40,666
back in the draw.
1538
01:15:40,753 --> 01:15:44,931
And while she withdrew from the
2018 French Open due to injury,
1539
01:15:45,018 --> 01:15:47,760
in July, she made
her highly anticipated
1540
01:15:47,847 --> 01:15:50,154
return to Wimbledon.
1541
01:15:50,241 --> 01:15:53,810
Only 10 months after she had
given birth, in a remarkable
1542
01:15:53,897 --> 01:15:59,206
series of matches, Serena had
soon made her way to the final.
1543
01:15:59,293 --> 01:16:02,427
When Serena came back, I think
her being away from the game
1544
01:16:02,514 --> 01:16:05,343
made people realize
how much they missed her.
1545
01:16:05,430 --> 01:16:08,825
To me, it was like
foreshadowing what that game
1546
01:16:08,912 --> 01:16:11,915
would be like without her.
1547
01:16:12,002 --> 01:16:15,092
People were starting to
appreciate how much excitement
1548
01:16:15,179 --> 01:16:20,401
having her in the draw, how much
people wanted to see her play,
1549
01:16:20,488 --> 01:16:22,403
that her game was unique.
1550
01:16:22,490 --> 01:16:25,319
It wasn't just about power, that
she brought something different
1551
01:16:25,406 --> 01:16:26,973
to the game.
1552
01:16:27,060 --> 01:16:29,889
It was like a buzz
around the place when Serena's
1553
01:16:29,976 --> 01:16:32,413
in the field.
1554
01:16:32,500 --> 01:16:35,678
[Narrator] Yet Serena was unable
to claim victory in the final
1555
01:16:35,765 --> 01:16:38,768
against old sparring partner,
Angelique Kerber.
1556
01:16:38,855 --> 01:16:43,120
And at the 2018 US Open,
she was also the runner up.
1557
01:16:43,207 --> 01:16:46,210
The field had grown since
her last Grand Slam wins
1558
01:16:46,297 --> 01:16:48,604
and new stars were rising
who were presenting
1559
01:16:48,691 --> 01:16:50,867
fresh challenges.
1560
01:16:50,954 --> 01:16:53,696
Across the next four years,
she would reach two more
1561
01:16:53,783 --> 01:16:59,353
major finals, but another Grand
Slam victory proved elusive.
1562
01:16:59,440 --> 01:17:02,661
She may have been the greatest
player of the modern era,
1563
01:17:02,748 --> 01:17:07,710
but now her remarkable reign
had come to a natural end.
1564
01:17:07,797 --> 01:17:10,713
[Cecil Harris] By coming
back now as a mother
1565
01:17:10,800 --> 01:17:12,889
trying to win a major title
1566
01:17:12,976 --> 01:17:16,806
and tie a coveted record,
Margaret Court's 24
1567
01:17:16,893 --> 01:17:21,854
major titles, Serena
has 23, and she gamely went
1568
01:17:21,941 --> 01:17:23,900
out there to try
to achieve that.
1569
01:17:23,987 --> 01:17:27,599
Made two US Open finals,
two Wimbledon finals.
1570
01:17:27,686 --> 01:17:31,821
Unfortunately, she did not win
them, but in a strange way,
1571
01:17:31,908 --> 01:17:35,259
she became more and more popular
as she tried to do that
1572
01:17:35,346 --> 01:17:37,043
because it would've
been so easy for her
1573
01:17:37,130 --> 01:17:40,656
to retire after
the 2017 Australian Open.
1574
01:17:40,743 --> 01:17:43,963
And rather than say, oh,
Serena failed because she lost
1575
01:17:44,050 --> 01:17:48,141
those four finals,
Serena made those four finals.
1576
01:17:48,228 --> 01:17:50,230
[Caitlin Thompson] To be clear,
after she had Olympia,
1577
01:17:50,317 --> 01:17:52,363
her daughter, she made plenty
of Grand Slam finals.
1578
01:17:52,450 --> 01:17:54,452
She had great tournaments,
she was able to compete.
1579
01:17:54,539 --> 01:17:57,194
She wasn't quite able to get
over the hump, and I think
1580
01:17:57,281 --> 01:17:59,413
part of this is probably
the external pressure,
1581
01:17:59,500 --> 01:18:02,155
but in the end it doesn't
matter so much because
1582
01:18:02,242 --> 01:18:05,158
winning even more tennis
matches or even more titles
1583
01:18:05,245 --> 01:18:08,466
wouldn't have changed the amount
of greatness we associated
1584
01:18:08,553 --> 01:18:10,337
with her, the amount
of change
1585
01:18:10,424 --> 01:18:15,734
both within the game, but also
societally she has left us with.
1586
01:18:15,821 --> 01:18:18,955
And I think the fact that we got
to see her really struggle
1587
01:18:19,042 --> 01:18:22,088
and ultimately conquer her
vulnerability, I think
1588
01:18:22,175 --> 01:18:25,265
the fact that we got to see her
as a working parent,
1589
01:18:25,352 --> 01:18:29,052
just this idea that she brought
herself to the moment
1590
01:18:29,139 --> 01:18:32,751
and therefore changed the
moment, is the greatest
1591
01:18:32,838 --> 01:18:35,928
possible impact that
she could have had.
1592
01:18:36,015 --> 01:18:40,106
[Narrator] And on September 2nd,
2022, at the US Open,
1593
01:18:40,193 --> 01:18:44,807
Serena Williams played her
final competitive match and bid
1594
01:18:44,894 --> 01:18:47,244
an emotional farewell
to a sport that she had
1595
01:18:47,331 --> 01:18:50,638
dominated for two decades.
1596
01:18:50,726 --> 01:18:52,902
Although her career
as a fashion entrepreneur
1597
01:18:52,989 --> 01:18:54,686
and celebrity would endure,
1598
01:18:54,773 --> 01:18:57,733
her departure would
bring to an end perhaps
1599
01:18:57,820 --> 01:19:02,085
the most astonishing
tennis journey of all time,
1600
01:19:02,172 --> 01:19:05,479
and leave the game without
its most famous face.
1601
01:19:05,566 --> 01:19:09,222
Yet her impact on the sport
would prove lasting.
1602
01:19:09,309 --> 01:19:13,661
The greatest female player of
all time began as an outsider,
1603
01:19:13,749 --> 01:19:16,664
and through her success,
she opened the doors
1604
01:19:16,752 --> 01:19:20,059
for new generations
to follow her.
1605
01:19:20,146 --> 01:19:23,671
Most of the international
tennis associations
1606
01:19:23,759 --> 01:19:27,414
for different countries have
tried to reach into communities
1607
01:19:27,501 --> 01:19:29,895
where tennis isn't played.
1608
01:19:29,982 --> 01:19:32,158
You go into that
community, and you say,
1609
01:19:32,245 --> 01:19:34,639
"Hey kids, let's
be a tennis player,"
1610
01:19:34,726 --> 01:19:36,859
they look around at the sport
and they don't see anyone
1611
01:19:36,946 --> 01:19:38,556
who looks like them.
1612
01:19:38,643 --> 01:19:41,820
So that's the value
of diversity, that's the value
1613
01:19:41,907 --> 01:19:43,909
of having someone like Serena.
1614
01:19:43,996 --> 01:19:45,476
"“I see her now."
1615
01:19:45,563 --> 01:19:46,782
"I see myself."
1616
01:19:46,869 --> 01:19:48,435
"I am reflected."
1617
01:19:48,522 --> 01:19:51,482
So therefore,
"Okay, I can do that"”.
1618
01:19:51,569 --> 01:19:54,659
It's immeasurable,
and that is a legacy.
1619
01:19:54,746 --> 01:19:58,576
And these are big overblown
things... it's true.
1620
01:19:58,663 --> 01:20:00,317
It's not even a conversation.
1621
01:20:00,404 --> 01:20:03,973
When she announced her
retirement in Toronto,
1622
01:20:04,060 --> 01:20:07,106
there were seven
black women in the main draw,
1623
01:20:07,193 --> 01:20:08,586
and that was not news.
1624
01:20:08,673 --> 01:20:11,067
It's just now a constant
on the tour.
1625
01:20:11,154 --> 01:20:14,461
You see that many in the main
draw, more black women
1626
01:20:14,548 --> 01:20:16,942
in the main draw
of the US Open than
1627
01:20:17,029 --> 01:20:21,599
in the Major League
Baseball World Series.
1628
01:20:21,686 --> 01:20:24,254
[Cecil Harris] Serena did more
to change women's tennis
1629
01:20:24,341 --> 01:20:25,864
than anyone else,
1630
01:20:25,951 --> 01:20:28,519
and the young players
who are emerging today
1631
01:20:28,606 --> 01:20:31,043
are part of that legacy,
because many of them
1632
01:20:31,130 --> 01:20:33,263
will tell you they're
only playing tennis
1633
01:20:33,350 --> 01:20:35,700
because they saw
Serena Williams.
1634
01:20:35,787 --> 01:20:38,398
Coco Gauff has said, "It was
easy for me to pursue
1635
01:20:38,485 --> 01:20:40,487
"a tennis career, to tell my
parents I want to be
1636
01:20:40,574 --> 01:20:42,359
"a tennis player because
the number one player
1637
01:20:42,446 --> 01:20:44,491
in the world looked like me."
1638
01:20:44,578 --> 01:20:48,365
In the case of Naomi Osaka,
she was given a class assignment
1639
01:20:48,452 --> 01:20:52,064
to write about the person
you admired most,
1640
01:20:52,151 --> 01:20:54,501
and she wrote about Serena.
1641
01:20:54,588 --> 01:20:58,549
And there's Taylor Townsend and
Sloan Stevens and Madison Keys,
1642
01:20:58,636 --> 01:21:01,291
and Alicia Parks,
who won her first
1643
01:21:01,378 --> 01:21:04,772
professional title in 2023.
1644
01:21:04,860 --> 01:21:08,211
Alicia Parks was actually
a body double for Serena
1645
01:21:08,298 --> 01:21:10,169
in a Gatorade commercial.
1646
01:21:10,256 --> 01:21:15,174
She's that iconic, that a
generation later we're seeing
1647
01:21:15,261 --> 01:21:18,134
champions who wouldn't be in
tennis, who would not have
1648
01:21:18,221 --> 01:21:21,224
tennis on their radar,
if not for Serena.
1649
01:21:22,747 --> 01:21:25,054
♪