Seeing Serena
by
4/99
Critics' Rating Index
36/99
Readers' Rating Index
n/a
Scholars' Citation Index
77/99
Volume of Reviews
16/99
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About This Book
A riveting chronicle of trailblazing tennis champion and cultural icon Serena Williams's turbulent 2019 tour season and a revealing portrait of who she is, both on and off the court.Serena Williams is an undisputed global sports celebrity. Ranked #12 on ESPN's 2018 World Fame 100 list of popular athletes, thirty-seven-year-old Serena Williams is the only female in the top 20, and she's one of the highest paid athletes in the world. The face of women's tennis for the past two decades, Serena is now waging battles on multiple fronts—against age, injuries, and opponents almost twenty years her junior, all while juggling her responsibilities as a new mom. Seeing Serena is an in-depth chronicle of Serena Williams' return to tennis after giving birth to her daughter, and an insightful cultural analysis of the most consequential female athlete of her time. Author Gerald Marzorati shadows her through her 2019 season, from Melbourne and the Australian Open, to Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, and on to the US Open as she seeks her 24th Grand Slam singles title. He writers about her tennis and her forays into fashion, investing, and developing her personal brand on social media. Seeing Serena illuminates Williams's singular status as the greatest women's tennis player of all time and—in a moment when race and gender are the most talked-about topics in America and beyond—a pop icon like no other. Marzorati is on the scene, observing her matches, and talking to her, her coach, her competitors, and former greats who have witnessed her for years. He observes her, listens to her, studies her, explores her roles in society and history—sees Serena fully, in all the ways she has come to matter.
Reviews
"He does, however, enthusiastically break down each game Williams played in 2019 and peppers in information about her personal life ..."
"The level of this analysis is quite impressive; the depth of detail may be too much for a casual observer of the sport ..."
"This racial reductiveness is a pity, because the story of Ms."
"With just enough backstory and supportive interviews, he effectively incorporates relevant history of Williams' previous Grand Slam tournaments while also examining her roles in challenging cultural norms and fighting for gender equality."
"the author takes advantage of his detached position to meditate, objectively but not without compassion, on Williams as not just a tennis player, but a cultural figure and human being as well ..."
"In the latter third, Marzorati's wide-ranging approach blends well with his keen analysis as he covers everything from Williams's aggressive play to her locker room evolution, from isolation (in no small part because of racism and because of how the Williams sisters' dominance intimidated other players) to finding close friends to becoming a revered elder."
"There's plenty of insight and detail in this book to please tennis nerds, but this is also a travelogue covering Marzorati's year following Williams from Melbourne to Paris to London to New York."
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