“Distasteful”: Serena Williams’ 25-Year-Old Celebratory US Open Throwback Triggers Wild Reactions Over Its Questionable Timing

Throwbacks are indeed a fun way to reminisce about the good times of the past, right? Serena Williams certainly has a few volleys she misses. The tennis star frequently shares how she longs to be back on the court playing tennis. Whether she’s celebrating her first title win in Miami in 1999 or her first-ever Grand Slam win at the US Open that same year, at just 17 years old, these moments are special. Over her career, she went on to win 22 more Grand Slams, cementing her legend status. Her name still pops up today, which can be a good thing, but sometimes? Well, let’s just say Serena should be careful with her timing for nostalgia.

It all began with a moment of inspiration in 1979 when her father, Richard Williams, witnessed Romanian tennis legend Virginia Ruzici win a substantial prize. This moment ignited a dream in Richard: his future children would dominate the sport, despite his limited knowledge of it at the time.

Fast-forward to the emergence of Venus and Serena Williams, two tennis titans who would leave an indelible mark on the sport. Serena, in particular, was destined for greatness, as her father predicted she would outshine all others.

Serena’s journey to stardom began at the 1999 US Open, where she made history by becoming the first Black American woman to win a Grand Slam singles title since Althea Gibson in 1958. At just 17 years old, she defeated some of the biggest names in tennis, including Kim Clijsters, Conchita Martinez, Monica Seles, and Lindsay Davenport. The final against Martina Hingis was a defining moment, with Serena showcasing her power and determination to secure a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) victory. This triumph not only validated her father’s faith, but, it also marked the beginning of a legendary career.

Earlier this week, Serena took to Instagram to reminisce about this groundbreaking achievement. She participated in the “It Girl” trend, which is captioned with the words: “You at 17 without cheating!” To this she posted a throwback photo of herself at 17, proudly holding her first Grand Slam trophy at the US Open. The post was meant to highlight her remarkable journey and the history she made.

While the IG post has left her profile, a tennis news outlet on X called Z Kortu shared a screenshot of the story. They explained under the post writing that the post itself is from a template by Instagram that reads “You at 17 without cheating” showing that Serena Williams meant no harm to anyone else with her post.

However, some fans interpreted the move differently, suggesting it came across as petty.

Fans express their unfiltered thoughts to Serena Williams’s throwback post

Following the tweet, one fan wrote, “Shade on Sharapova?” This comment highlights the complicated history between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. Their rivalry was intense, with the two meeting 22 times from 2004 to 2019. Serena dominated with a head-to-head record of 20-2, winning 19 consecutive matches after losing their first encounter.

The tension escalated further in 2013 when Serena made a snide remark in Rolling Stone about Sharapova’s relationship with Grigor Dimitrov, stating, “There are people who live, breathe and dress tennis. I mean, seriously, give it a rest.”

However, coming to the present, fans have noted the timing of Serena’s recent post seems a bit too coincidental.

Another fan pointed out, “[Translated from Polish] I get that it’s a stupid trend and she probably didn’t mean it badly, but the timing is telling: ‘Phi, a 17-year-old won a thousand-event? I won a grand slam at her age…’” Suggesting that Serena’s post could be seen as a dig at Mirra Andreeva, the 17-year-old who just won her first WTA 1000 event at the Dubai Duty-Free Championship against Clara Tauson on February 22.

With Serena posting just a day later, some fans felt it was an attempt to overshadow Andreeva’s achievement. The skepticism about Serena’s intentions continued with another fan stating, “[Translated from Polish] Even if it’s a template, I don’t believe she accidentally posted it at that moment. To me, it’s a dig at her. Distasteful.”

One fan lamented a pattern of Serena’s actions, “[Translated from Polish] She was never the sharpest pencil in the pencil case, but it is really sad that a tennis player who has achieved so much still has to boost her self-esteem by hitting others… Sharapova, Halep, Mirra.”

Interestingly, this isn’t the first time Serena has stirred controversy regarding other players. In September 2023, during Simona Halep‘s doping scandal, Serena cryptically tweeted “8 is a better number,” which many interpreted as a dig at Halep after her four-year ban for breaching anti-doping regulations. This tweet followed Halep’s loss to Williams in the 2019 Wimbledon final, where she could have aimed for an eighth title.

In the end, one fan noted that perhaps, “[Translated from Polish] I don’t think Serena even knows who won in Dubai 🤷‍♀️.” This raises questions about whether Williams has followed the sport closely since her retirement two years ago. While she occasionally attends matches and supports fellow players, she mainly shares updates about her life and her beauty brand, WYN.

Whether her recent post was merely coincidental remains unclear, as Serena has yet to address the matter publicly. What are your thoughts on this? Share them in the comments below!