Serena Williams named SI’s Sportsperson of Year

The magazine said it was honouring the 34-year-old icon both for her positively stunning numbers and her pluck in achieving what it called one of the greatest late-career runs in the history of any sport.

She is first woman to be named Sportsperson of the Year since former Tennessee Volunteers women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt shared the honor with Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski in 2011. “Serena has been such a driving force with so many people that she’s just powerful in her own way and so inspirational to people”.

SI says the award recognizes “the athlete or team whose performance that year embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement”.

For the cover of the issue, which hits newsstands on December 21, the world’s No.1-ranked tennis player isn’t wearing wearing one of her sporty-chic ensembles with NikeCourt sneakers. This was also the year she returned to Indian Wells, a tournament that stigmatized Williams’ race back in 2001. He also won the Sports Illustrated web poll for the publication’s Sportsman of the Year Award.

Track and Field star Mary Decker was the last female athlete to win the award outright, doing so in 1983. “This is not just an accomplishment for me, but for my whole team, I am beyond honoured”.

Much of the online outrage centered on the fact that Sports Illustrated had polled readers about who they thought deserved the award, and American Pharoah received the most votes.

Williams thanked Sports Illustrated for the honor in an Instagram post.

But not everyone is happy with Serena earning the above cover, despite her record-breaking year. Meanwhile, fans voting in the competition this year were eager to give the title to American Pharoah, who is a horse. “He deserves the award!”

However, some folks are apparently mad that she beat a horse: American Pharoah, the first Triple Crown victor since 1978. A quick scroll through Sports Illustrated’s mentions on Twitter will leave you shaking your head.