MELBOURNE: When
Serena Williams
clenches her fists and yells 'cooome ooooonnn', she's summoning her strengths, galvanizing her force. Back slightly bent, head unbowed, eyes sometimes closed, other times flashing fire. She's exhaling. She isn't showing attitude nor does she mean to intimidate.
It's not for her opponent or the crowd or her box. It's an expression. That was on the
Rod Laver Arena
in her opening round encounter, sporting a tunic-dress with geometrical prints, sleeves and ankle length shoes, against Swiss teen
Belinda Bencic
. The American had range to match the rage, not the least of which was a single-fisted, sliced backhand that kept low and forced the error out of Bencic, en route to her 6-4, 6-3 win.
“It's taken me 30 years,” she said of the shot with a laugh.
Then came the statement. Social, not political. The 35-year-old, a six-time Australian Open champion, who'll play Czech
Lucie Safarova
in the second round on Thursday, walked into her post-match media conference sporting a black tee with the words 'EQUALITY' printed across it, marking Martin Luther King Day.
“It's important to spread the message of equality, which is something he (Martin Luther King) talked about a lot. Equality and rights for everyone,” Serena said, refusing dwell on the political situation in her country. “Equality is a concern for everyone. We want to make sure we always continue to move forward and always have the opportunity to have equal rights for all.”
Serena, who said she'd think of the bigger picture, read planning a wedding and where she's going to live post February or the Australian Open, was quick to link her fiancé Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, 33, to the movement.“He's an incredibly nice person. I think definitely he treats everyone the same, which is really cool to see,” Serena said.
On the court, the second-seeded American's 1 hour 19 minute opening essay against the 19-year-old Bencic.
Stay updated with the latest from IPL Auction 2025, including the final squads of all 10 teams – MI, CSK, RCB, GT, RR, KKR, DC, PBKS, SRH, and LSG. Don't miss the latest updates on our Live Cricket Score page.