“The way she won her events; the fact that she’s done this for so many years at such a high level”, said Paul Fichtenbaum, editor of the Sports Illustrated Group.
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In 2015 Williams hit a rare spot where excotic became not only more attractive but it became the norm, and through this year Serena proved that she is more than that. “Her extraordinary accomplishments on and off the court this year made the most deserving candidate for this award and also brought about the flawless opportunity to officially designate it as the Sportsperson of the Year moving forward”.
Williams’ banner year included her second “Serena Slam” – winning all four major tournaments in a row.
By winning, Williams joins a list of past winners that includes Peyton Manning, LeBron James, Derek Jeter, Michael Phelps, Tom Brady, Tiger Woods, and Mary Decker – the last individual woman who won.
I know this is a shocking hot take from me, and one that will make people furious.
I keep emphasizing that because there is a bit of an uproar over Sports Illustrated’s decision to give the honor to Serena.
SI says the award recognizes “the athlete or team whose performance that year embodies the spirit of sportsmanship and achievement”. The victor of the magazine’s reader poll, however, was a racehorse: American Pharoah.
“This year was spectacular for me”, she wrote.
Serena Williams continues to excel at everything that she puts her mind to and it does not go unnoticed.
Serena Williams on the cover of Sports Illustrated, on newsstands on December 21.
According to Sports Illustrated, a cough and cold had her vomiting before and, for the first time, during a match: the Australian Open final, in January, which she won anyway.
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Williams didn’t get almost as much of the vote as American Pharoah, but it looks like popularity amongst Sports Illustrated readers was not the only thing taken into consideration in awarding the title. The first horse to win the Triple Crown in 37 years won that poll in a landslide, garnering almost half of the votes.
