Are We Really the Champions?
From Venus Williams to Roger Federer, number one athletes all have their due time. What happens after they lose that spot is the real question.
Competing for the number one spot in the sport and division is one of the greatest accomplishments for an athlete. In Elizabeth Weil’s Did Venus Williams Ever Get Her Due?, Williams’ career is described with immense detail. Not only her career, but her whole life leading up to the present day along with her parent’s relationship.
Venus Williams was the number one tennis player for 319 weeks, which ranks third in the Open Era among female players behind Graf and Martina Navratilova. Williams holds the most Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles combined among active players.
After losing her number one title, she began to fade into the background as her younger sister Serena Williams came into herself and became a powerhouse. Serena is no longer a champion, she is currently “ranked fifty-second in the world”. Williams is focusing more on her brand and properties.
Although Venus Williams is still a tremendous athlete, her time to shine has passed. Weil uses intricate language and description in her piece to convey this thought.
How old is too old to keep playing or calling games? In Champion Moves by Chloé Cooper Jones, the legendary Roger Federer is being forced to retire in 2016 but then had a miracle career in 2017. The goal of being number one is always at the forefront of athletes minds including those who were supposed to retire.
Jones’ piece from Racquet is intersecting the career of Federer with the journalist’s point of view and trying to be noticed in her field. She encompasses the challenge of excelling in a field that is new and thriving in an old field.
Although John Suks from Steve Politi’s He Told a Kid to Slide. Then He Got Sued. was not a champion, the kid who got hurt was going to be one. It is such a different piece than the other two, but still has the championship qualities that the others do.
Suks uses court stenography quotes to add to the overall feeling of this piece. It relates to the other two but has underlying themes that aren’t in the other ones.
All three of these stories relate to championship and in different ways all relate to one another. The amount of stress that an athlete receives over being number one is detrimental and this is portrayed in all three of these stories.
When it comes to a multi-platform presentation, the possibility is there, using video documenting the past and present performances of these athletes and game footage from the umpire.
