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Time to grow up Serena Williams can't have it both ways
Is it just me, or is Serena Williams in danger of developing a reputation as a sore loser? The day after getting blown off court by Lindsay Davenport in the US Open quarterfinals, thus losing her coveted title, Williams the younger withdrew from the women's doubles. The reason? Inflammation of the small bone in a big toe. It's an injury which forced her to retire during the third set of a recent final against Martina Hingis ... when Serena was losing. Williams won the Wimbledon doubles with her big sister, but the withdrawal from the U.S. Open doubles left Venus to concentrate on her singles quest. It was Venus who ended Serena's Wimbledon singles dream at the semifinal stage, after which the younger sibling was understandably distraught. She made no attempt to hide her misery. She was surly and curt in the press conference and refused to do television interviews. Wimbledon broadcasting hosts, the BBC, have a right to an interview with any player they request. Serena was told she had to comply or face a fine. She obliged, but grimly insisted: "Only two questions." She gave me a similar response the next day when she sat alongside Venus in the interview room after a doubles triumph.
This was quite a contrast to the vivacious, funny and altogether likeable Serena we'd witnessed as she breezed through the earlier rounds. I'm not suggesting she should be all smiles, sweetness and light after such a devastating loss -- just somewhat more professional. She can't be a media darling when she's winning and make the press pariahs when she's not. Now comes another major defeat and another curious withdrawal because of an injury which hadn't been worthy of mention until the Davenport defeat. Serena is a wonderful player with a personality to match. But the pouting? We could do without that, thank you very much. She has to realize that as much as she thinks she (or Venus) can win 'em all, it just doesn't happen that way in the real world. Serena will be loved more by tennis followers if she can be as magnanimous in defeat as she is delighted in victory. There's a board above a doorway at Wimbledon which reminds players, in the words of Rudyard Kipling , to take victory and defeat and treat both impostors the same. It's a line Serena Williams would do well to heed.
Phil Jones is co-host of World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
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