The US Open Women’s Final witnessed a huge upset as 19-year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu defeated the all-time great Tennis Champion, Serena Williams.
‘I know you wanted Serena to win, so I’m so sorry!’ 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu commented in reply to the interviewer’s question:
‘What was your biggest obstacle to overcome at that moment? (The second half of the match). Bianca thought it over for a moment and then turned to the 20,000 strong American crowds who had been rooting for Serena throughout the game.
She smiled and looked up at the now expectant sea of faces (predominantly American), and said:
Image Credit: Time Magazine
‘Definitely the crowd!”. ‘I know you wanted Serena to win, so I’m so sorry!’
Bianca Andreescu, on what was her biggest obstacle in the second half of the US Open final against Serena Williams.
The crowd roared with laughter, and at that moment, Bianca not only won American hearts but ensured that Twitter goes viral with her spontaneous and oh, so innocent 19-year-old response!
Canadians, needless to say, are proudly retweeting the moment with an additive – ‘Let’s all drink some maple syrup and ride a polar bear or a moose!’
But more than that, this reply evoked a sportsman/woman-ship like spirit that denotes what we have lost to our competitive sporting spirit over the years. Sports is about competition, but it is also about having fun, generating healthy competition and recognizing that when one side wins, the other loses.
And if that wasn’t all, Serena Williams, the tennis champ who has 23 Grand Slam wins under her racket, and lost to a 19-year-old, had this to say about her young opponent:
‘Bianca played an unbelievable match. Congratulations. So proud for you. It was incredible tennis out there. I wish I could have played better but if anyone could win it – outside of Venus – I’m happy.’
Serena Williams on her defeat at the US Open
There Are Lessons To Be Learnt Here
(Image Credit: Google photos)
- Two Women supporting each other and respecting each other’s prowess.
- An exemplary display of sportsmanship by a world tennis champion.
- And a young sportswoman who stayed humble, even in the face of astounding victory!
So let’s be genuinely supportive of each other, and let’s always remember, that a game, is a game, is a game! It’s not a war! A young Canadian and an American champion just showed us how it’s done. And the Twitter community is loving her for it!
