Serena Williams is, in a word, amazing.
The 33-year-old just captured her 21st Grand Slam title at Wimbledon by defeating Garbine Muguruza of Spain. Now, people are criticizing Williams and accusing her of using performance-enhancing drugs.
Just one day before Williams won her 28th straight Grand Slam match, the New York Times published an article, saying that other female tennis players do not want to look like Williams and have her physique. This controversy has been persistent throughout Williams career.
Here we go again with the same old theory. An athlete continues to succeed and is the greatest athlete of the sport; they must be using performance-enhancing drugs or PEDs. But now we are switching up our focus to women. I’m all for gender equality, but do we really have to take it as far as women should stimulate controversies as men do? The fact that Serena Williams has been put under scrutiny such as this is “absolutely ridiculous," according to Zina Garrison onNewsOne Now.
I will say this again. Anytime someone has a chance to max out at the top of the sports world or has a chance to break records that have withstood many athletes, the world must create a controversy about said athlete.
I wish that there were one moment where the sports nation could allow one athlete to become the greatest of their sport without a controversy looming over their heads.
The whole thing here is to praise Williams for her accomplishments. In the 20 years of her professional career, Williams has secured 35 Grand Slam titles, with 21 in singles, 13 in doubles and two in mixed doubles. Her 21 individual Grand Slam titles is four more than 17-time Grand Slam winner, Roger Federer, the number two male tennis athlete.
Garrison also pointed out that next to the Olympics, the Women’s Tennis Association has one of the strongest if not the strongest rules on PEDs. If these accusations are true (which I believe that they are not) then Williams is taking a huge risk with her career.
It is one thing to use PEDs at the beginning of one’s career in order to compete with the competition, but why would anyone use PEDs under the shadow of one of the strictest PED policies at the peak of a momentous career such as Williams’?
I also do not understand why women are ridiculing Williams because of her physique. Williams works out like any other athlete and it seems to be working based on her winning record. Who cares about her physique?
Williams subdued the controversy by appearing at the Wimbledon champions’ dinner with Novak Djokovic, the male singles champion. Williams showed off her arms in a sleeveless dress while she and Djokovic danced at the dinner. One day later, Williams posted a bikini picture of herself and laughing about the controversy alongside #RenasArmy followers.
The accusations made about Williams are ludicrous and raw talent is ignored by anyone who believes these claims. Let’s just go back to watching her win another title.