Champagne Supernova

I was just about to post on champagne buying, Henin-Hardenne loving, split doing injury queen Kim Clijster’s latest peek-a-boo stratagem when this very terse press release regarding Serena Williams came my way, via WTA communication’s VP Andrew Walker.

It’s highly unusual for the WTA to simply pass along something as blunt and simple as this; usually the tour gets a statement or has some newsworthy communication from a player. The WTA then massages the contents into an overall press release issued on its own stationery, containing its own transparent but sometimes helpful spin.It's all an effort to show a united front and to act in a professional manner.

Anyway, I am pasting in the entire contents of the email (but for private elements of the contact info)I received below, so you can see exactly what I mean. The WTA contributed only the first 9 words, which I highlighted in purple:

So there it is. I find the content of the message anything but surprising, and as I don’t have my nose under Serena’s knee cap, I have no idea what’s really going on with this injury. I’ve kind of written Serena (and Venus) off for the time being, because the girls seem to be in something I call celebrity free-fall, which is what happens when fame and wealth crash over you like a huge wave and you forget every important thing about yourself and every lesson you learned – or should have learned – on your way to your exalted position.

Good luck girls, I hope you land safely.

Beyond that, it’s amazing that the WTA would just move this along like it was a routine message inadvertently left at the wrong person’s desk:

Interoffice Memo: Larry. Serena called. Back at 2:30. Andy.

It’s almost like the WTA staffers got word about this from Serena’s personal PR people and collectively said, “Yeah, whatever. . .”

It looks like they just didn’t want to deal. Or they’re tired of the whole charade of trying to pretend that they have some kind of control over – not even control over, but access to – Serena.

That is, the way the WTA passed on this message told me a lot more about where Serena stands vis a vis the WTA than it does about Serena’s injury - or future plans. What an extraordinary situation and state-of-affairs for pro tennis: the game's greatest star and its official player organization seem utter strangers to each other!