"Coverage of Serena Williams has always been misogynoir” "She was also f**king smart on court": Fans debate American's game being reduced to her power

Fans recently engaged in a debate about Serena Williams' game not receiving the credit it deserved. They felt that despite her overall game sense and skills, she was only reduced to a 'power' player whenever her game was talked about.

Williams is among the greatest players of all time, having won 23 Grand Slams. She completed the career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles (the only player to achieve this), and held the World No. 1 position for 319 weeks, among other achievements.

She bid tennis adieu in 2022 at the US Open when she lost to Ajla Tomljanovic in a topsy-turvy three-setter in the third round.

A fan on X (formerly Twitter) mentioned how they felt that Serena Williams' game was being reduced to just 'power' in recent times and the variety in her skills and tennis IQ weren't being given enough credit.

Many fans agreed with the take as they shared their opinions on the topic. One fan claimed that Williams had to deal with misogyny throughout her career.

"Coverage of Serena has always been misogynoir, full stop."

Some fans also talked about Serena Williams' genius at reading the court, being able to make the correct decision, and psychologically destroying her opponents.

"She was also really fucking smart on court. She knew what to do, what adjustments to make, just had an innate sense." a fan said.

"She was a genius at reading the court, solving problems, and psychologically destroying her opponents." another fan said.

Some other fans expressed their irritation with the lack of respect her overall game received, whereas, her power was the only thing being appreciated.

"One of my greatest irritations with the tribute articles she got when she evolved. The journalists and tennis establishment refused to see past her power." a fan said

"Couldn’t agree more! Her decision making especially in key moments is also incredibly overlooked. It wasn’t just big serves in those moments, it was knowing when to go down the line, use the kicker etc. Her variety and tennis IQ def deserve way more respect!" a fan opined.

"For Serena’s game to sustain 20 years of excellence, despite all her injuries, takes more than just power. Plenty of girls out here with power. Where’s their 20+ slams?" a fan questioned

Some other fan reactions engaging in the debate.

"Unfortunately, she’s always been made to be a one-dimensional player that she’s never really been. The tributes from commentators/analysts/journalists two years ago were so cringe." another fan opined

"Serena’s timing was also 1 of 1, and people tend to mistake that for “power” because of the cleanliness of her ballstriking." a fan mentioned

"It was a grind" - Serena Williams opens up about her initial days on the tour as a professional

Serena Williams

At the premiere of her docuseries 'In The Arena: Serena Williams', which took place at the Tribeca Festival, the American mentioned how as a 14-year-old, she had to face media attention and travel all the time and needed to be guarded constantly just in order to stay sane.

“In my position and growing up as a teenager and 14, I kind of had to be guarded to just kind of stay sane, and just being in so much press and just doing, everything that I was doing traveling the globe every year," Serena Williams said.

The 23-time Major champion also looked back on her initial days as a professional on tour calling the experience a constant 'grind'. She shared her excitement for her upcoming series and said that it delved into the true side of the things that went on behind the scenes. Williams later said that was ready to binge the entire series again.

"It wasn't like you are on tour and you took a break and you had a couple of years off. It was every week. So it was a grind and it's really cool to see a different side or not a different side, a true side of what happened behind the scenes. I have seen those eight episodes in the docuseries but I am just excited to see it tonight all over again," she added.

Serena Williams turned pro in 1995 at the young age of 14. And though she won her first title sometime later in February 1999, the American went on to win 73 titles in her memorable career.

Her most successful singles Grand Slams were the Australian Open and Wimbledon, which she won seven times each. The American triumphed six times at the US Open, which is an Open Era record she holds with Chris Evert. She won the New York Major three years in a row from 2012-2014.

The French Open is Serena Williams' least successful Major, having won it thrice in 2002, 2013 and 2015.