Athletics Legend Michael Johnson Compared How Serena Williams and Venus Williams Were Treated Differently Than John McEnroe and Andre Agassi in America

Tennis legend, Serena Williams, has inspired countless stars like Naomi Osaka, Coco Gauff, and Sloane Stephens. The legendary American, along with her sister, has shown the younger generation, especially women, the way to chase their dreams. They have changed the face of the sport. Almost a month ago, a popular American sprinter talked about how their impact on the sport was greater than the ones in the 90s, but it was rarely appreciated.

The Williams sisters have overcome several hardships over the years and achieved their goal of becoming two of the best players on the tour. Especially, the younger sister, Serena, has marked her name in the annals of the sport by securing 23 Grand Slam titles, the highest of any player, male or female, in the Open Era.

Michael Johnson once drew parallels between two iconic duos

Michael Johnson is a retired Olympic sprinter and a former world record holder in 200m, 400m and indoor 400m sprints. He is one of the most decorated Olympians in the United States, having won four Olympic gold medals and eight World Championships.

Johnson, who has been a role model for various athletes worldwide, believes that tennis stars Venus and Serena Williams weren’t given enough credit when compared to tennis giants like Andre Agassi and John McEnroe.

He said, “I think they’ve done a great job of helping to highlight some of the inequities in tennis and the hypocrisy out there. When Andre Agassi was doing what he was doing in tenants or John McEnroe, it was celebrated.” Johnson, while praising the Williams sisters for highlighting the problems that were prevalent in tennis, also pointed out the preferential treatment meted out by media houses at the time.

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He further added, “When Venus and Serena started to do it, it was all you’re not supposed to do that and do this or they’re different. So I think they highlighted that and made a great contribution in righting some of those wrongs.”

Serena Williams being the non-apologetic African-American athlete 

In the same conversation, the sprinter continued by talking about the 23-time Grand Slam champion, Serena Williams. According to him, the former world number one was trying to be herself. And as an African-American woman, she displayed her playing style in a unique way. However, he also believes that he understands how the tennis player has reacted to certain things. 

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Notably, the American tennis star has stopped competing but continues to play a significant role in the sport. The way she has presented herself in the sport continues to be an inspiration to many young athletes.