‘Wasn’t Always Popular to Root for Her’- Long-Time Agent Unmasks Stirring Moment in Serena Williams’ Career That Stamped Her Indomitable Legacy

Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York witnessed the one last dance of ‘The Queen of the Court’ last year. Oh, boy! What an environment!!! The decibels soared high as Serena Williams played the last tournament of her illustrious career. Emotions were high when she announced she would ‘evolve away’ after playing this tournament in her homeland. She came to this tournament after losing out to Belinda Bencic in the second round of the Canadian Open. Her fans were eager to see her back on the throne and here’s what her former agent said about the support for the legend. 

The 59-year-old American sports agent and a former pro tennis player had represented Serena Williams for over two decades. She has seen her through thicks and thins. While it was amazing to see the love of the fans for the former number one, she recalled the moments during the initial stages of Williams’ career. 

The long-time agent of Serena Williams shares the rollercoaster of 6 times US Open singles champion

The US Open 2022 saw the rise of the ‘Queen of Clay’, Iga Swiatek. But the abdication of ‘The Queen of Court’ took away all the limelight. The legendary American tennis player, Serena Williams has won 23 Grand Slam single titles in her astonishing career of almost 27 years. She ensured two thumping victories in the first and second rounds of the tournament where she defeated Danka Kovinic and Anett Kontaveit, respectively. But Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic beat her in the third round -7-5, 6-7(7-4), 6-1 in a thrilling encounter. It resulted in the end of her epic journey on court. But the cheer and support she got from the crowd were parallel to none. Here’s what Williams’ agent, Jill Smoller said about that.

Smoller was quite happy to see the love and support for one of the greatest in the sport. But she also remembered the initial days of Serena Williams’ career when she wasn’t popular enough. Smoller said, “Serena was in the forefront of every ism at that time, and it wasn’t always popular to root for her. And then, the world changed, she became a mom”. Smoller acknowledged the fact that even though Williams didn’t receive the support she deserved, her story paved the way for future generations to ask for help when needed. 

There were as many as 30,000 fans in the stadium during her matches. Arthur Ashe Stadium turned out to be probably the loudest court in tennis chanting for Williams. She was born out of struggles and then she conquered them. Williams has got her name etched on the hearts of true tennis fans forever. 

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A star-studded crowd showed up at Arthur Ashe Stadium to witness Williams’ last dance on the court

Serena Williams threw away all the worries in the later stage of her career and turned up in a sparkling jacket with a cape on her waist. The fans erupted in excitement to see their favorite star on the show. Among the fans were her daughter Olympia and her husband Alexis Ohanian along with movie stars, sports icons and even the former President of the USA. Tiger Woods, Rennae Stubbs, Gigi & Bella Hadid, ‘Euphoria’ actress Zendaya, ‘House of Gucci’ actor Jared Leto were some of the prominent figures in the star-studded crowd. Serena & Venus Wiliams‘ mother Oracene Price was also seen in the stands. She deserved an appreciation to a large extent for her contribution to US sports. The Queen got more than what she could have expected.

Fans even turned up to get a sneak peek at the legend during the practices. They were seen dressed up in T-shirts with ‘Gonna Miss You’, and ‘Still #1 To Me’ written on them. Truly a once in a lifetime moment for many of them. What was your memorable achievement from Serena Williams’ 27-year-old journey on court? Comment your thoughts below. 

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