Five Wimbledon Ladies' Championship Titles

I am a huge tennis fan. Huge! Today is the Ladies’ Singles Final, and—as has been so many times in the past, it’s a battle between the Williams sisters—Venus and Serena for the title. I, for one will be a sad camper when the Williams sisters are no longer a part of the tennis scene. They, like Tiger Woods, have distinguished themselves in a sport that has been dominated in the past by caucasian players. They are living out not only the American dream, but their own personal dream, as well as their parents’ vision. I marvel at their extraordinary athleticism, and their unprecedented skill and power. Sometimes they can be error-prone, particularly Venus, but they usually make up for it in sheer prowess. They have raised the bar in every way on the tennis court—particularly how hard and fast they hit the ball. Their game intimidates, and was one of the factors in the early retirement of Martina Hingis. She saw the writing on the wall, as did other tennis players. No longer was women's tennis to be only a "thinking" person's game--it was to become a power game as well. The Williams sisters’ game has lifted the game of all women’s tennis players. It’s incredibly rewarding for me to see two young women, who grew up in the projects of Compton, California, being trained and mentored by their parents into not only world-class athletes, but also world-class young women. They have grown up in the glare of the spotlight--their every move and word scrutinized and replayed countless times, and they have done so with amazing grace. Not unlike their early life, I imagine, they fight to the bitter end to achieve their dream (who will ever forget the 2005 Lindsay Davenport/Venus Williams final?) I wish them every success that can possibly come their way. They are living proof that dreams do come true.