“A Sad Day for All Athletes”: Tennis Megastar Serena Williams Was Especially Saddened by Lance Armstrong’s Permeating Confession in 2013

Lance Armstrong’s doping scandal shook the entire sports world. The impact of this news had major effects on almost every sporting event. Lance Armstrong became the topic of discussion and debate back then. While fans were in outbursts on social media platforms, various sporting personalities came up and expressed their views about the infamous incident. However, tennis legend, Serena Williams, outlined a different aspect of the tragedy.

Lance Armstrong was probably the biggest name in the sports industry during the 2000s. With seven ‘Tour De France’ titles, he was at the peak of his stardom. However, it all ended after his confession about consuming drugs to enhance his performance. This not only shattered his fan’s trust but also raised serious concerns about fair play. Tennis megastar Serena Williams was one of the first players to acknowledge this issue.

Serena feared that Lance Armstrong’s controversy would create problems for other athletes

Serena Williams expressed her concerns about how the drug scandal can impact the reputation of other athletes as well. She told that people became critical of other well-performing athletes as well. “I think a lot of people now look and are like, ‘OK, if somebody (is) that great, what about everyone else in every other sport?” she said. She felt that fans were suspicious of other players’ natural abilities.

The viewers started questioning the credibility of other sports games as well. Lance’s confession ignited the fire, which trapped other sports and athletes. Serena was concerned as the passionate sports player would also be watched from a prejudiced lens.

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This approach will have an adverse effect on a player’s mindset and dedication. She personally felt that such an attitude will take away the credit for the player’s hard work. “As an athlete, as someone that works really, really hard since I was 4 or 3, I think it’s a sad day for all athletes in general,” she told. 

The controversy of Lance Armstrong hampered his legacy

Following his termination, it wasn’t just the money he lost but his reputation as a social worker, too. Lance had to step down from the chairmanship of the ‘Livestrong’ foundation. Lance founded the Livestrong Foundation to help people suffering from cancer. Armstrong was the face of the trust and made it popular across the country. 

The organization raised almost 500 million dollars in funds and helped millions of cancer survivors. But his conviction overshadowed everything. He lost many endorsements worth 75 million dollars. Even Livestrong’s reputation collapsed and the organization lost huge investments.  

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Tour De France is one of the most difficult sporting events, and dominating it for seven consecutive years was extraordinary. In 2013, Lance Armstrong admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs during these events. This led to a series of questions raised against every other outstanding performer. Serena was concerned that other players would also be judged for not being fair.