The Queen

Late Monday afternoon I turned the channel to ESPN. It was 7:00 p.m. in New York. And I, like millions of other viewers, watched as Serena Williams entered center court of Arthur Ashe Stadium, perhaps for the final time as a professional tennis player.

Chrissie Evert and Martina Navratilova, the titans of my youth, were both in attendance. Chrissie in the booth. Martina in the stands. Both had long ago passed the torch to Serena. But somehow, inexplicably, the years tumbled by and now she too was on the cusp of calling it a career. Much to my chagrin. 

There is no debate. Serena leaves the game as the greatest of all time. But her legacy is far larger than her pile of trophies. She changed the face, the fashion, and the fortune of the game I love. 

All hail the queen. 

"Since I don't look like every other girl, it takes a while to be okay with that. To be different. But different is good." - Serena Williams