Serena Williams’ Crushing Defeat

Serena Williams suffered one of the greatest losses in her tennis career against Italian player Roberta Vinci during the 2015 U.S. Open Semifinals.
In a close three set match, Serena Williams, currently ranked the number one player in women’s singles tennis, squared off against the Italian player Roberta Vinci, ranked at number nineteen, for a shot in competing in this year’s U.S. Open Final. Williams started off strong in the first set, securing a win with a score of 6-2. However, things slowly went downhill by the second set. Williams and Vinci played a close second set, but Williams eventually lost with a score of 4-6. The third and final set leapt back and forth between Williams’ and Vinci’s favor. The two players were neck and neck throughout the third set, until Vinci scored the final point and won the match with the overall scores of 2-6, 6-4, 6-4. After expressing her disbelief over winning the match against the number one ranked player, an emotional Vinci faced the crowd. “I think it’s the best moment of my life,” she beamed, according to The Guardian.
While this was a joyful win for Vinci, Williams had a lot more to lose than just the match. Serena Williams was in pursuit of a calendar Grand Slam, and would have been the first to win all four majors (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open) in the same year since 1988 champ, Steffi Graf.
“I don’t want to talk about how disappointing it is for me,” Serena Williams quietly replied in a post-match interview on The Washington Post, “I thought [Vinci] played the best tennis in her career.” Williams later added, “She did not want to lose today and neither did I, incidentally, but she really didn’t either.” Williams kept her interview brief and short before escaping the eyes of the media.
Serena Williams’ loss was shocking, especially considering that she had recently defeated Vinci in a match last month in Toronto. Many have formed their own speculations as to what could have contributed to her loss. Commentators analyzed Williams’ plays and shots, while many took to the internet to express their opinions. Some have even blamed Williams’ rumored boyfriend and famous musical artist Drake for bringing her “bad luck” while watching the match in the stands, according to the Business Insider.
Serena Williams has had no problem in the past securing a wide range of victories, but just could not seem to secure this win. While the loss was a devastating one, Williams seemed to be in higher spirits during her fashion show event just days after the match. Hopefully the player will return to the courts soon and serve up a storm.