Serena Williams is Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year 2015
Former Tennessee women’s basketball coach Pat Summitt was the most recent woman to win when she shared the award with Duke Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski in 2011.
This is possibly one of the most outstanding years for 32-year-old, North American tennis champion, Serena Williams. She also improved her overall Grand Slam tally to 21.
In a press release from Sports Illustrated, the publication lauded Williams’ dominance on the court – holding all four Grand Slam titles at the same time (and narrowly missing out on holding all four in a calendar year) – to her legacy and hard charge at Steffi Graf’s record for majors.
She is also the only tennis player to have won 10 Grand Slam singles titles in two separate decades. However, many Twitter users felt disillusioned by Williams’ cover on the annual Sports Illustrated issue magazine and claimed that the athlete’s legs were edited to make them appear thinner.
“As I always say, it takes a village it’s not just one person“, she said.
To wit: a cough and cold that had her vomiting during a match at the Australian Open, which she won anyway; bone bruises in both knees – “the residue of 20 years of pounding” – a right elbow strain and nasty flu at the French Open (again, she won). “This is not just an accomplishment for me, but for my whole team, I am beyond honoured”.
Who is more deserving of the award? “I am beyond honored”.
American Pharoah, the first horse in 37 years to win the Triple Crown, was the overwhelming choice in the magazine’s online poll, with 47 percent of the votes.
Williams was selected over athletes, a team, and even a horse, as Simone Biles, Usain Bolt, Steph Curry, Thomas Davis, Novak Djokovic, Carli Lloyd, Lionel Messi, American Pharoah, Ronda Rousey, the Kansas City Royals, and Jordan Spieth were all candidates to land the honor.