To thine own self be true.
Of all the truly iconic athletes I’ve watched throughout my 39 years as a sports writer, none may more perfectly mirror those words from Shakespeare’s Hamlet than retiring tennis star Serena Williams.
You can loathe her or love her, but you can’t change her. She’s not going to bend to your wishes. She’s going to wear her beliefs and her emotions on her sleeve for all to see. For 27 years she has given the world as remarkable an example of self-confidence, courage, pride and individuality as we’ve ever seen in a world-class athlete.
The one and only Mohammad Ali might have reasonably eclipsed her in those areas. The recently deceased Bill Russell might equal her, but no other athlete has seemed so refreshingly determined to live life on their terms and their terms only. Sometimes talent, especially talent as rare as hers, has its privilege.