What impeccable timing! The thought crossed my mind while I sat courtside at Arthur Ashe Stadium last week, witnessing Coco Gauff dominate with her backhand passing shot to secure the U.S. Open and her inaugural Grand Slam title. My musings extended beyond Gauff’s exceptional play to how perfectly this moment aligned for my column.
At just 19 years old, Gauff has emerged as a sensation, following in the footsteps of Venus and Serena Williams at the same age. With a major championship under her belt, she is poised to lead the women’s tennis tour and champion the new era of female empowerment in sports.
Her journey provides a satisfying conclusion for me as well. The Open served as my final event as the Sports of The Times columnist. I am transitioning to our National desk, where I will delve into feature stories about America’s marvels, complexities, challenges, and potential.
How fitting that the U.S. Open provided the backdrop for this transition, with a women’s sport delivering the tournament’s defining moment. Gauff’s thrilling victory over Aryna Sabalenka overshadowed the underwhelming men’s final, in which Novak Djokovic claimed his 24th consecutive major title with a straight-sets win over Daniil Medvedev. For me, the women have been the true story, not only at the U.S. Open but in sports overall.
I assumed this column in the late summer of 2020, a time when the worst of the pandemic cast a foggy haze over our collective consciousness. The sports world, like many other domains, was grappling with the closures and striving to find ways to resume amidst the loss of countless lives. We lived through a period characterized by the persistent plague of racism, ignited by the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of law enforcement officials, along with the horrifying killing of jogger Ahmaud Arbery by white racists.
Let us not forget the athletes, both prominent professionals and unknown amateurs, in the United States and worldwide, who voiced their opinions and took the lead. Let us also not forget that Donald Trump was president during this time, directing his verbal attacks towards them, particularly Black athletes who dared to raise their voices or protest peacefully by kneeling during the national anthem.
I tackled all of these topics and more, striving to demonstrate that I was not interested in contributing to the clamor that often pervades sports journalism. My aim was to convey thoughtful insights into how sports and athletes intersect with the social issues that challenge and perplex our culture. I endeavored to be a strong voice in this arena and incorporate compelling storytelling and the occasional touch of lighthearted humor. Above all, I sought to embody the most fundamental journalism ethos: to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable—or in my own words, to advocate for those on the fringes, the unconventional, the unseen, and the overlooked.
This brings me back to a theme that has recurred in my column, embodied by Gauff’s exquisite backhand passing shot and her triumph in the Grand Slam: the ascent of women in sports. Consider all that has transpired in this domain over the past three years.
Contemplate the W.N.B.A., a league that played a leading role in the protests of 2020 and continues to thrive as a collective of women unafraid to challenge the status quo. Recall the U.S. women’s national soccer team’s battle for equal pay, or the female soccer players across the globe and in the N.W.S.L. who stood up against harassment and abuse from coaches. Did you witness that volleyball game at the University of Nebraska with 92,000 fans in attendance? Or the record-breaking Women’s World Cup, attracting capacity crowds, including 75,000 spectators at the recent final in Australia?
Indeed, we are in a new era.
Imagine March Madness in 2023, a year when the women’s event overshadowed the men’s with its upsets, tension, and exceptional quality. Picture charismatic Angel Reese leading L.S.U. to victory over Iowa for the national title. Reese, a bold Black woman, sparked a conversation on race by taunting her white opponent, Caitlin Clark, the sharpshooting player of the year.
Yes, women can be just as fierce, challenging, competitive, and controversial as men, whether on the court, track, field, or any other battleground. This fact should be celebrated.
But where does it all lead? With a few exceptions, such as tennis, it is difficult to envision women’s sports receiving the recognition and support they truly deserve in the near future.
By and large, boys dominate when it comes to financial resources, attention, and praise in youth sports. Men largely govern teams and control the media outlets that broadcast and cover these games. The companies providing sponsorship money are primarily in the hands of men.
Change is on the horizon, but it will take time—perhaps a few more generations. The odds are still stacked in favor of men, but women continue to fight. And that, my friends, is the most significant story in sports right now—how women persevere, defy expectations, and make their mark.
How fitting it is that this year’s U.S. Open once again frames this narrative. Flushing Meadows hosted a two-week celebration marking the 50th anniversary of Billie Jean King’s successful campaign for equal prize money at the event—an audacious milestone in sports history that still shines brightly. It is only fitting, on this golden anniversary, with Serena Williams now retired and Billie Jean at the forefront of tributes throughout the tournament, that Gauff would secure her first Grand Slam victory, showcasing the poised demeanor that earmarks her as a successor to the throne.
Thank you, Coco and Serena. Thank you, Billie Jean, and all the other female and male athletes who have dared to challenge the norms, claimed victory, and continue to fight. And thank you, dear readers, for joining me on this journey as I championed the outsiders and attempted to make sense of it all.
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