If you follow me on Twitter, you probably saw that I was kind of broken up about the women’s singles final at Wimbledon on Saturday. Venus Williams lost. She lost to Spain’s Garbiñe Muguruza, who was the 2016 French Open winner, and a finalist at the 2015 Wimbledon, where she lost to Serena Williams. I went into this knowing that Muguruza seemed to be on fire in the matches leading up to the final. Some even compared her (favorably) to Serena, as in Muguruza suddenly started playing with freedom and ease and passion. I still thought that Venus had a good shot, especially considering that she’s won Wimbledon five times in singles, and that she was the sentimental favorite for most people, I feel certain. Plus, Venus had been on fire too – she dispatched with British favorite Johanna Konta emphatically in the semifinal, and I thought it was a preview of things to come. ‘Twas not to be.
What was particularly painful is that after a very tight and tense first set, Venus seemed to lose confidence right after she had – and lost – set point. Muguruza went on to break Venus’s serve, winning the first set, and then Venus literally didn’t win a game after that. In tennis terms, it’s called a “bagel.” As in, Venus lost the second set 6-0. The zero is the bagel. It felt like the second set went by in about five minutes, as Venus lost focus and Muguruza just started rolling over her. Muguruza is now the only player in history to beat Venus and Serena in Slam finals (she beat Serena at the French Open last year). Wimbledon even republished the two-year-old clip of Serena telling Garbine “you’ll be holding this trophy very, very soon – believe me” after Serena beat her in 2015. I doubt Serena knew how this would play out.
Again, I don’t dislike Muguruza at all – I started following her career after Wimbledon 2015, and I root for her every time she’s not playing against a Williams sister. She’s got a great game, she’s aggressive, she has a lot of power, she’s a great server. She’s the future of women’s tennis if she can keep her head on straight and stay focused. But still… it would have been nice if Venus had won. I’m just so sad about it. Some people wonder if the events of the past few months took more of a toll on Venus than she let on. Perhaps.
Some post-match interviews. Garbine couldn’t have been sweeter, and Venus couldn’t have been more graceful and gracious. But this one still stings.
Photos courtesy of Pacific Coast News.
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace……..Venus will always be a champion.
Yes, but unpopular opinion: I think she lost on purpose.
I don’t know why she would? But if she did, very good acting , seeming disappointed and a bit over it
I don’t think athletes of her caliber can lose on purpose. The timing of the accident and the match may have had her off her game a bit, but I truly believe she wanted to be the champ. By suggesting this takes away from Garbine’s victory, which should fought hard to achieve.
I’m not ashamed to say I wept a little bit when that second set started slipping. However Venus plays through an autoimmune disorder, its such an incredible feat that she is still even playing at this level. And thats before we even discuss her age. I know y’all love Serena and thats fine but to me, Venus will always be my GOAT.
Not everyone’s sad. How about some props for Garbiñe Muguruza?
I was happy for her. She is awesome. To be victorious over both of the Williams’ sisters is quite the feat. I root for the home team, I love when Americans win, but it can’t happen every year. Venus should hold her head up high, seriously a five time singles champ! It was a great match.
Agree.
This! I adore and love both the Williams, but Garbine deserved every bit of her triumph. She was faultless! Congrats and love to all.
In the post-match press conference, Venus was anything but gracious. Actually, rude and dismissive would be the best way to describe her attitude in that moment.
I hoped for a good match and the first set was great; I was happy for either to win. But Garbine had the better game on the day and deserved her win.
She just seems exhausted. I am sure the recent stress and up and down of the court case and her autoimmune disorder add to her fatigue. After you ride on adrenaline it wipes a person out when they come down. I didn’t see rude at all.
Yes absolutely!!!! well done Garbiñe you are amazing!
Not sad here. Happy for the winner. Congrats.
I didn’t mind who won and the first set was great. Sad it all went with a bagel though and on disputed shots right at the end.
Don’t mind who wins the men’s either but think am going for Murray/Hingis in the mixed doubles. Then the new doctor!
It just came on as I was reading your post. So the doctor’s a woman at last!!! Jodie Whittaker. She’s blonde now. I don’t know her her outside of Broadchurch so can’t comment too much. I just really hope she does well.
Good actor but not someone I can imagine in the role – quite looking forward to seeing what she does with it!
ETA – Mr Sixer said, “Wot? It’s not Rog? I thought that’s what they were playing for.”
Wait, wait. She’s played amazingly well, well enough to be in the finals, and people want to chalk her loss up to recent events? Those are stressful no doubt, but the stress of those events would have had an impact throughout right? She simply got outplayed. It happens. Let’s not take anything away from the person who did win.
@Goats on the Roof
That was my point.
This! The best player won, congrats to Garbine!
We should start a petition for female and male players receive same throphy. Why women receive that sad plate?
Exactly. In pretty much every game, someone has to win and someone has to lose, and they know that going in. Proud of both of them; neither has anything to be ashamed of.
No one wins them all-trite but true. I admit I was surprised by the 6-0 score in the second set. Venus to me was also a bit of a surprise finalist, her storied history at Wimbledon notwithstanding. Anyway, it’s possible to acknowledge being sad/wistful over Venus’ loss, and at the same time acknowledging what a great match played by Garbine.
True, how dare she win against Venus?
Only Venus and Serena are allowed to win. It doesn’t matter if someone else is actually better.
Everyone wins sometimes. Its the nature of the game. You win. You lose. And we all have our favourites.
Congrats to Garbine. But after her French open win in 2016, she spent a year losing -badly. She’s back, for now, and I am happy for the pay off of all her hard work.
Sorry to see Venus lose. Was rooting for her. But nothing takes away that she was Wimbledon champion FIVE times. Five.
She is a legend.
Of course Americans like to see Americans win. It is only natural.
Comments like this prove to me that @lynnie wasn’t overreacting in the beyonce thread….
Anyway, it’s not that no one is a allowed to beat Venus and Serena. A lot of people were rooting for Venus because this might be her last chance to win a major. Hell, it may be her last year on tour considering her age and illness.
But nice little story you’ve told yourself there anya.
Props to Muguruza! Congrats! She played and was aggressive, eyes on the prize. That being said I really felt sad for Venus. She lost her focus in the second set and that was it. Even you could feel the sad vibe at the court. The newspaper here in England came sad too today. The Queen is dead, long live the Queen!
Aww, it is bittersweet, for sure. Both women are amazing players, and the grace and sincerity they show in their interviews is so refreshing. To see heartfelt respect between opponents is even more meaningful these days, when public dignity is in short supply.
I always root for the underdog especially if that person has never won before. Hard to feel sorry for someone who had won so many times before and I certainly don’t like to hear people make excuses for that loss. It diminishes the accomplishment of the winner. So, no, definitely no sads here.
Lmao. Venus has Sjogren Syndrom which is incurable and causes her joint pain and fatigue that obviously interferes with her training and her game but how many times have you heard her even mention it? Besides you really think the racist prejudging of the accident didnt affect her training? Did you hear her mention it? Take your analysis to Breitbart, you’ll be right at home there.
I don’t see anything right wing in that post. A sportsperson has to decide if they are fit to play, and if Venus’ condition is interfering with her abilities she has to factor that in to her decision to continue to play at 37. It is a real shame that she has that condition, but it shouldn’t be wheeled out when she loses. Venus herself, as you say, doesn’t do that, and others shouldn’t either.
Wow…It’s not ok to even celebrate the wins of a white person now, if the person that lost was colored????
Holy Overreaction Batman!
Breitbart?! Why didn’t you just call Renee a Nazi and be done with it?
Jodie Whitaker was in Attack The Block! I love that movie; I think she’ll make a great doctor. I just hope the writing and directing give her justice and give her something to work with.
Some of the fans are not happy – many were hoping that River Song was coming back or that Missy would take over. Am pleased for her and will def tune into the new series.
Garbiñe deserved it so much