Seeing Serena

by Gerald Marzorati, Kaleo Griffith (Read by)

Overview

A riveting chronicle of trailblazing tennis champion and cultural icon Serena Williams’s turbulent 2019 tour season and a revealing portrait of who she is, both on and off the court.

Serena Williams is an undisputed global sports celebrity. Ranked #12 on ESPN’s 2018 World Fame 100 list of popular athletes, thirty-seven-year-old Serena Williams is the only female in the top 20, and she’s one of the highest paid athletes in the world. The face of women’s tennis for the past two decades, Serena is now waging battles on multiple fronts—against age, injuries, and opponents almost twenty years her junior, all while juggling her responsibilities as a new mom.

Seeing Serena is an in-depth chronicle of Serena Williams’ return to tennis after giving birth to her daughter, and an insightful cultural analysis of the most consequential female athlete of her time. Author Gerald Marzorati shadows her through her 2019 season, from Melbourne and the Australian Open, to Roland-Garros and Wimbledon, and on to the US Open as she seeks her 24th Grand Slam singles title. He writers about her tennis and her forays into fashion, investing, and developing her personal brand on social media.

Seeing Serena illuminates Williams’s singular status as the greatest women’s tennis player of all time and—in a moment when race and gender are the most talked-about topics in America and beyond—a pop icon like no other. Marzorati is on the scene, observing her matches, and talking to her, her coach, her competitors, and former greats who have witnessed her for years.

He observes her, listens to her, studies her, explores her roles in society and history—sees Serena fully, in all the ways she has come to matter.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781797108582
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Audio
Publication date:	06/15/2021
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 5.60(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Gerald Marzorati was the editor of The New York Times Magazine from 2003 until 2010. He previously worked as an editor at Harper’s magazine and The New Yorker. He is the author of Seeing Serena, Late to the Ball, and A Painter of Darkness, which won the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for a first book of nonfiction. His writing about tennis has appeared in The New York Times and on NewYorker.com.

Kaleo Griffith is an Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator and classically trained actor. He graduated cum laude from Franklin Pierce University with a BA in theater, holds an MFA in acting from Rutgers University, and is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. He has appeared in such television series as Law & Order and Reggie’s Family & Friends, among others.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part 1 Melbourne 5

Part 2 Indian Wells 67

Part 3 Miami 95

Part 4 Rome 119

Part 5 Paris 131

Part 6 Wimbledon 157

Part 7 New York 193

Epilogue 235

Acknowledgments 245

Notes 247

Editorial Reviews

06/29/2020

Marzorati (Late to the Ball) delivers a serviceable book that follows tennis star Serena Williams throughout the 2019 tennis season in her unsuccessful attempt at a 24th Grand Slam title. Marzorati had no special access to Williams or to those closest to her, and his collage-like book, while well written, offers little new about Williams. He does, however, enthusiastically break down each game Williams played in 2019 and peppers in information about her personal life, covering her humble roots in Compton, Calif.; her marriage to Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian; and the birth of their daughter, Olympia, in 2017. Williams’s 2019 season was marked by injuries and losses, including a crusher at the U.S. Open that dashed her hopes of tying the record for most Grand Slam wins by a female player. The book features an interview with tennis legend Chris Evert, who discusses Williams’s impact on the sport, and, in noting Williams’s development of clothing and jewelry lines, highlights her savvy as a businesswoman. Win or lose, Marzorati writes, Williams remains a paragon: “Serena would not, could not, be extinguished.” This is a solidly reported book, but Marzorati doesn’t do quite enough to show what makes his subject tick. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

Thoughtful. . . . Marzorati has written a deep, satisfying meditation on Serena’s path.” —The New York Times

“What would a year spent watching every Serena Williams tennis match yield? A portrait both on and off the court of one of the greatest athletes of all time. New Yorker tennis writer Gerald Marzorati’s Seeing Serena captures Williams’ return to tennis following the birth of her daughter and her influence and presence as a cultural icon.” —Parade, “Books We Love” column

"With just enough backstory and supportive interviews, [Marzorati] effectively incorporates relevant history of Williams' previous Grand Slam tournaments while also examining her roles in challenging cultural norms and fighting for gender equality. Marzorati has an easy-to-read style and reveals the complexity of Williams' life, not just as an athlete, but also as a celebrity." —Booklist

“Readers who know more about Williams than her tennis career will learn about the game's intricacies while those already familiar with the game will benefit from subtler details.” —Kirkus Reviews

"The level of this analysis is quite impressive.” —Library Journal

"Well written. . . . This is a solidly reported book." —Publishers Weekly

“Seeing Serena is a masterful, multifocal portrait of an icon at the height of her power. But it is more than that. It illuminates, and complicates, not only Williams, but also those who watch her.” —Louisa Thomas, author of Louisa: The Extraordinary Life of Mrs. Adams

From the Publisher

04/16/2021

Marzorati's (Late to the Ball) newest book follows Serena Williams, arguably the top female athlete in the world, as she returned to competitive tennis after the birth of her daughter in September 2017. Marzorati, a tennis writer for the New Yorker and a contributing editor to Racquet, did not interview Williams for this book; instead, he focused on observing her and talking to the coaches and competitors around her. While it is helpful to get an outside perspective, it is obvious that Williams's voice is missing from the book, especially to counter Marzorati's often critical tone. This is particularly apparent in discussions her off-the-court pursuits or her use of social media. Tennis fans, especially, will be interested in the author's conversations with different professionals and coaches about the intricate details of Williams's game. The level of this analysis is quite impressive; the depth of detail may be too much for a casual observer of the sport. VERDICT At times, Mazorati's critical tone takes away from the reading experience. Readers might get a fuller picture of Williams's career by accompanying this book with the HBO series Being Serena, which is told in her own voice.—Pamela Calfo, Plum Borough Community Lib., PA

Library Journal

This biography of tennis great Serena Williams is written in a nonlinear format. Kaleo Griffith narrates with enthusiasm, reflecting the topics at hand and capturing Williams’s many facets. Marzorati covers Williams from multiple vantage points—assorted matches, comments on religion, criticism from officials, her personal life, and more. Griffith gives an especially delightful scene—the moment when Williams meets the man who is now her husband, Alexis Ohanian—the slightly flirty tone it merits. This is an audiobook for those who want to learn a bit more about one of tennis’s greatest players. Marzorati has done his research and keeps his personal opinion out of the way while Griffith’s narration responds with well-played volleys. M.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JULY 2021 - AudioFile

This biography of tennis great Serena Williams is written in a nonlinear format. Kaleo Griffith narrates with enthusiasm, reflecting the topics at hand and capturing Williams’s many facets. Marzorati covers Williams from multiple vantage points—assorted matches, comments on religion, criticism from officials, her personal life, and more. Griffith gives an especially delightful scene—the moment when Williams meets the man who is now her husband, Alexis Ohanian—the slightly flirty tone it merits. This is an audiobook for those who want to learn a bit more about one of tennis’s greatest players. Marzorati has done his research and keeps his personal opinion out of the way while Griffith’s narration responds with well-played volleys. M.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

JULY 2021 - AudioFile

2020-05-30
A year spent watching Serena Williams play tennis yields some provocative insights.

In his previous book, Late to the Ball, Marzorati, a former editor for the New York Times Magazine and the New Yorker,detailed his own attempts to become a competitive tennis player at the age of 60. In 2019, he followed Williams, who was attempting to make a comeback at the age of 37, two years after the birth of her daughter, by winning at least one Grand Slam tournament, thereby tying or exceeding the number of Grand Slam titles held by Australian Margaret Court. Though this is not an authorized biography—Marzorati spoke to Williams only as a typical member of the sports press—the author takes advantage of his detached position to meditate, objectively but not without compassion, on Williams as not just a tennis player, but a cultural figure and human being as well. The narrative moves chronologically, from the Australian Open in January through the other three Grand Slam tournaments, with stops along the way in Miami, Rome, and Indian Wells in California. The author shifts smoothly among observations of Williams' often less-than-impressive performances during the year, stories of her earlier life, memories of other matches he had seen her play over the years, and nuanced reflections on his subject matter—e.g., because she started tennis so young, Williams was “a personality before she could reasonably be expected to be a person.” Marzorati doesn’t laser-focus on Williams; he also glances around to take in players like Coco Gauff, who began her career when she was even younger than Williams and whose changing style of play the author discusses. Readers who know more about Williams than her tennis career will learn about the game's intricacies while those already familiar with the game will benefit from subtler details.

A scrupulous examination of the career twilight of “the most consequential athlete of her time.

Kirkus Reviews