Seeing Serena

June 15, 2020
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."

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 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.

April 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

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 19, 2021
What is it about Serena Williams that commands the world's attention? It's a question that Marzorati, who writes about tennis for The New York Times and newyorker.com, found himself pondering after watching an SNL skit about Williams' controversial loss to Naomi Osakda in the finals of the 2018 U.S. Open. He follows her throughout the 2019 season, a tough comeback year for Williams, who, after giving birth to her daughter in 2017 and overcoming life-threatening complications, was determined to win a major in her new role as a mom and, ultimately, to break Margaret Court's long-standing record of 24 Grand Slam titles (she remains one behind Court). With just enough backstory and supportive interviews, he 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. Williams may be nearing the end of her professional tennis career, but there's no doubt she will continue to be a force for change and inspiration.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.