Marking a historical time in the history of both Sports Illustrated and sports culture in general, renowned tennis player Serena Williams was named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year for 2015, featured on the cover of the acclaimed magazine’s December 2015 issue.
The tennis star is breaking boundaries as the first African American woman, as well as the first solo woman in general since 1983 to be named Sportsperson of the year, beating out, somewhat controversially, the popular people’s pick for the 2015 slot, racehorse American Pharaoh. While there is some bitterness about the horse seemingly being “snubbed” for the sport given the Sports Illustrated readers poll’s results, Williams is entirely qualified and well-deserving of this title. According to the Sports Illustrated article, “Williams, 34, won three major titles, went 53–3 and provided, at least, one new measure of her tyrannical three-year reign at No. 1. For six weeks this summer—and for the first time in the 40-year history of the WTA rankings—Williams amassed twice as many ranking points as the world No. 2; at one point that gap grew larger than the one between No. 2 and No. 1,000.” Not to mention the players’ infamous 21 Grand Slam titles.
Along with those impressive stats, Williams has proved time and time again that in the face of adversity she prevails. She has always faced public scrutiny for her body, her ethnicity, her powerhouse moves on the tennis court, a sport she self-described in her WIRED magazine essay as, “a sport that wasn't really meant for black people.” Just the controversy including American Pharaoh is a testament to the absurd notion that our culture still hasn’t fully overcome racial and gender-based prejudices. However, despite both physical and emotional restraints, controversy, bigotry, and even hatred aimed full-power at the 36-year-old woman, she stands staunchly and strongly, using her story as a movement and symbol towards progress and equality not only in the patriarchy prevailing sports realm but in a culture where women are discouraged to be anything other than weak, delicate, and feminine.
The dominating Serena Williams shines both on, and off the court, evident in the passion she seems to put forth in every aspect of her life, from tennis to racial justice, to the confidence to portray herself on the cover of Sports Illustrated’s issue as both sexy, feminine, and strong, a contrast most don’t identify her with or believe could possibly mix. Despite any of the pushback, Williams and this Sports Illustrated acclaim serve as a testimony to her personal progress as well as the progress made in our culture and society through this recognition. As First Lady Michelle Obama stated in a Tweet congratulating the player, "Congrats @SerenaWilliams on being named @SInow Sportsperson of the Year! Girls everywhere are dreaming bigger because of you."
