Please get out of the woman’s way, LeBron. And take a seat, Tiger.
Here’s Serena Williams. And she roars louder than any of you guys.
Williams is the most dominant American athlete, male or female, of this generation.
But she is also somebody’s sister, which is what made Tuesday night of tennis at the U.S. Open so tough.
On the way to a date with history, when Williams can complete a calendar-year grand slam and earn a piece of sports immortality, she had to do something much harder. She had to keep her cool and crush her big sister, trying mightily not to break her older sibling’s heart in the process.
With a big, noisy crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium, in an emotional quarterfinal match.
When this exchange of 120 mph serves and 1,000-yard stares was finished, the siblings who have defined excellence in U.S. tennis for more than 15 years hugged at the net. Then Serena told an ESPN reporter a little fib: “When I’m playing her, I don’t think of her as my sister.”
They are sisters. First. And always.
They have won 28 major tournaments between them, but no trophy is bigger than the fondness Serena has for her big sis. I was privileged to be eyewitness to this love back in 2012, when Venus and Serena exchanged high fives on Centre Court at Wimbledon, as the audience chanted “U-S-A!” during the celebration of a gold medal in the women’s doubles at the Summer Olympics.
With Serena chasing a shot to match Steffi Graf’s brilliant achievement of 22 major championships, and the 35-year-old Venus taking her last best shot at winning another U.S. Open, the tennis world was glued to the siblings’ three-set showdown. But the Williams family was too nervous to watch in person, and during changes between games, Venus and Serena steadfastly refused to make eye contact, as if one look could turn a sister to stone.
Watching them pretend to be playing separate matches in parallel universes, I was reminded of the showdown between Peyton and Eli Manning in a very awkward NFL game staged across the Hudson River two years ago. It was called the Manning Bowl. The famous quarterbacks’ parents, Archie and Olivia, endured every second in grim-faced silence. After the Broncos beat New York 41-23, Peyton declared he wanted to retire from football’s most-hyped sibling rivalry: “I think this will be the end of it. I’ll be happy about that. And the family will be.”
At the outset, Serena seemed to be the same unstoppable force that has built an intimidating 52-2 record in 2015, and won the opening set in a quick 33 minutes. But it was Venus who changed the tempo of the match by serving quickly and ending rallies promptly, temporarily rattling her younger sibling in the second set.
Rather than collapse under pressure, however, Serena unleashed aces punctuated by primal screams, as she dominated the final set.
At age 33, four years removed from a pulmonary embolism that threatened her life, what makes Serena so compelling is that she shows vulnerability but refuses to lose with a will to win that could scare Michael Jordan.
Is there any male athlete in America tougher, that has been tougher than her in this young century? No. Oh, heck no.
Like LeBron James, Williams is bigger and more athletic than her competition. Unlike Tiger Woods, Williams did not burn so hot as to burn out. And New England quarterback Tom Brady is a great champion, but Williams wins alone, without teammates.
Let’s be honest. Although the calendar says 2015, the sports world is stuck in the past, run by men for the primary benefit of men. Williams, however, stands alone at the top of the heap, with all those richer and more famous guys beneath her feet.
Win the U.S. Open to complete the slam, and we can close the polls for sportsperson to the year in September.
Serena rules.
Mark Kiszla: , mkiszla@denverpost.com or twitter.com/markkiszla