Serena Williams was on the verge of making history. Sure,
she has already made history before. There is no need for me to elaborate on
those achievements. If she had retired before this semi-final against Roberta
Vinci, without picking up her racquet ever again, she would still be considered
the best of this generation and in the Top 5 tennis players of all time. But
this US Open was different. She is already one of the greatest. But we are
talking a level above. Winning this US Open would have elevated her to the
levels of Pele, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali and Don Bradman. ‘The Greatest’
club. At least to me.
Better than Roger Federer and Steffi Graf, better than
Sachin and Schumacher, better than Tiger Woods and Usain Bolt and Michael
Phelps. That’s how remarkable her achievement would be. At least to me.
But sport, and life in general, has always had some
fundamental realities. Every time we forget, they are reinforced – in various
manifestations. One of them was reinforced today. Serena lost. It was an upset
for the ages.
Sport is cruel. Very cruel.
Ask Sachin Tendulkar, who after a surge of centuries, got stuck
at 99 for an embarrassingly long time. His legacy was secure, but the disastrous
wait for the grand event is also part of it now.
Ask Tiger Woods, who in 2008 won his 14th Major
but is still stranded at the same exact spot.
Ask Rafael Nadal, who is also stuck at 14, his odds of
overtaking Federer considerably low now.
Ask Steven Gerrard, who seemed destined for Liverpool’s
first EPL title and lost at the final hurdle. It got worse when he captained
the England team in a horrible World Cup and finished his career with
embarrassing losses to mediocre teams.
Ask Liverpool, who have been waiting for No.19 forever and
seem to live more in history than reality.
Ask Badrinath, whose brilliant domestic cricket career
overlapped with the careers of the Fab Four and is now lost in oblivion.
Ask those unlucky unknown sportsmen and women who lost their
career to injuries, poverty and lack of opportunities.
Ask Serena herself, who stepped on glass after winning
Wimbledon and lost a year when on top of the world. And has to defeat her own
sister in nearly half her Slam wins. I am not even bringing up the prejudice
and the intended/unintended racist views that she has to withstand. That needs
a separate post of its own.
I agree, sport also has its own fairy tales – Ivanesevic and
Sachin winning World Cup immediately spring into mind – but, in general, sport
is cruel. Very cruel.
But, come to think of it, the romance and beauty of sport is
derived out of this cruelty only. This is what we watch sport for. For these
moments when fairy tales don’t happen. This is what makes sportstars human.
This is what connects them with us mere mortals, who couldn’t play beyond
street/school/college.
It is only when we
recognize defeats, we truly appreciate victories.
Successes don’t create fairy tales, failures and adversities do. Success
only completes them.
