FitSugar

Serena Williams Named Woman of the Year

FitSugar — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:30:37 -0800

Looks like having a potty mouth won't hurt you too much. Serena Williams is one of 11 outstanding ladies Glamour magazine has chosen for its Women of the Year issue.

Glamour cites Williams's competitive spirit and drive as a testament to her success, even in the face of hardships like the tragic murder of her sister Yetunde and her rise through the rankings after suffering injuries in 2006. This year it all came full circle for Williams when she captured the Wimbledon victory against her sister, Venus - whom she credits as being a major force in motivating her to work the hardest and become the best.

Besides her Wimbledon victory, Williams has 11 Grand Slam titles, two Olympic gold medals, and has earned more prize money than any female athlete in history. But her trophies and bank account aren't the only reason Glamour thinks Williams is tops. Between winning matches, she's managed to start her own clothing line, pen an autobiography, and open a school in Kenya through her Serena Williams Foundation.

Who else did Glamour name as Women of the Year? Some of the other notables Williams holds court with are Michelle Obama, Maria Shriver, Rihanna, and poet Maya Angelou.

Unranked Mommy Kim Clijsters Wins US Open

FitSugar — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:08:05 -0700

Just like Paula Radcliffe illustrated that motherhood and winning marathons are not mutually exclusive, and just like Dara Torres proved you can come back after childbirth and win Olympic medals, tennis pro Kim Clijsters shows that you can come back and be a champion as well.

Clijsters retired from tennis in 2007 and gave birth to daughter Jada Ellie at the end of February 2008 after a tennis career winning the US Open in 2005, and making it to the finals in the Australian Open and the French Open. By no means a shabby career. Unranked going into the finals of the US Open, she beat Caroline Wozniacki, ranked ninth, in straight sets 7-5, 6-3. I would say her comeback career is on! Unfortunately, her semifinal match against Serena Williams is probably more memorable than her winning match. To see how much Serena has been fined for her display of unsportsmanlike behavior read more.

Serena, whose temper has flared at the Open before, will be fined $10,000 for "unsportsmanlike conduct." She will be fined an additional $500 for "racquet abuse" - she threw her racquet at the end of the first set. Her outburst began when a line judge called a foot fault on match point, after she missed her first serve. According to CBS Sports, Serena told the line judge: "I'm going to shove this [expletive] ball down your [expletive] throat." This was accompanied by some finger jabbing toward the line judge and a swat with her racquet at the woman's general direction. What is truly unfortunate is that upon viewing tape, the foot fault call was a bad one. But due to her antics and language, Serena lost the semifinal match not so much because of a bad call but because of her behavior. The controversy didn't keep her from looking gorgeous at the VMAs though.

Wimbledon Finals

FitSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 02:28:25 -0700

Always exciting, the Wimbledon championship matches seemed liked history repeating itself, but with the opposite outcomes. The Williams sisters battled it in the finals again this year, but with Serena coming out on top beating her older sister. This was Serena's third time winning Wimbledon, and by beating her sister she stopped Venus from winning the title for three years in a row. The sisters put any sibling rivalry behind them and ripped it up in the women's doubles finals, winning the title for the fourth time.

Check out some pics from the finals and read about the men's final.

Get Ready For Wimbledon

FitSugar — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 03:00:00 -0700

Last year the women's Wimbledon finals brought the Williams sisters to center court rallying through two sets of sibling rivalry, with Venus coming out the champ. The men's final was super exciting with Federer and Nadal battling for five long sets. In fact it was the longest men's final match in the history of Wimbledon. The world renowned tennis match opened today, but unfortunately Rafael Nadal will not be competing - he is sitting out to nurse his injured knees. But, by the message on her shirt, Serena Williams looks ready to take on whoever comes her way, both on and off the court.

Will you be watching Wimbledon?

Serena and Venus Endorsing Oreos?

FitSugar — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 08:00:00 -0700

It looks like the Williams sisters are endorsing Oreos. Yes. Oreos. And not just regular Oreos. Double Stuf Oreos. Serena and Venus announced that they're joining the DSRL - Double Stuf Racing League and they're "battling" Eli and Peyton Manning. I'm not entirely sure what this new "sport" is but I'm thinking it has to do with a glass of milk and some twisting, licking, and dunking action. I saw this commercial while watching the US Open and then again during the first NFL game. The ad left me confused. I mean I know these tennis champs can't possibly be enforcing these cookies where the first ingredient is sugar, the second enriched flour, and the fifth is high fructose corn syrup, right? And they sure don't need the money or the fame. Check out the commercial below and tell me what you think. Does this make you feel differently about these female athletes or is this all in good fun?

To hear what the Williams sisters had to say about Oreos and this new campaign read more.

“Oreo cookies and milk were a tradition in our house growing up, and my sister and I fondly remember twisting, licking and dunking them together,” said Venus. “It was only natural to continue that tradition as adults, which is why we jumped at the chance to be a part of the DSRL.”

“And because we love a friendly rivalry, it’ll be fun to show the Mannings what real DSRL competition is like! They’re going down,” Serena said.

Words That Move You . . .

FitSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:00:00 -0700

"What defines a person's character is not how you are when you're on top. It's how you are when you're on the bottom and working your way back." - Serena Williams, in the August 2008 issue of Glamour

After taking home a gold medal in women's doubles at the Olympics, Serena Williams is moving on to the US Open this week.

For even more motivation, check out these quotes.

Source

Goodbye Olympics, Hello US Open!

FitSugar — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Whether you're relieved or disappointed that the Olympics are over, you can now channel your sports watching elsewhere. The US Open kicks off today in New York!

I always love watching the Open: It's the only Grand Slam tournament held in the US, which makes it feel more familiar even if I can't sit courtside. This year, the Open is celebrating its 40th anniversary, so there'll be some extra nostalgia, including an opening ceremony (tonight at 7 p.m. EDT) highlighting the tournament's singles champs over the past four decades.

The Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal rivalry will be in full force. Though Federer ceded his number one ranking to Nadal, he has won the past four US Opens, so a potential final against Nadal would be a must-see. Other big names to watch will be Lindsay Davenport, who is back after battling injuries, and Elena Dementieva, who just won the gold medal in women's singles Beijing. The way the matches shake out, there's no way that the Williams sisters, who scored Olympic gold in doubles, could face each other in the final match, but here's hoping they come back strong after Beijing.

Check out the schedule here to find out when all the good matches air. Will you be watching the US Open? Who are you most excited to see?

Source

P.L.O.W. - Serena Williams' Interval Run

FitSugar — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 03:00:00 -0700

iTunes recently featured the music that Serena Williams uses to achieve her speed and endurance during runs and while I may not agree with the way Serena handles losing, I am liking her taste in running music. The play list is designed to improve your running speed, build endurance and give you a boost. So enjoy!

"Whatever U Like" - Nicole Scherzinger, 3:52
"The Way I Are" - Timbaland, 3:19
"Give It to Me" - Timbaland, 3:32
"My Humps" - Black Eyed Peas, 3:44
"Makes Me Wonder" - Maroon 5, 3:31
"Tambourine" - Eve, 3:12
"Impacto" - Daddy Yankee, 3:08
"Out of Control" - Kenna, 3:54
"Glamorous" - Fergie, 4:06
"Fergalicious" - Fergie, 3:45
"Pump It" - Black Eyed Peas, 3:34

Total PLOW = 30:19

You can buy each song individually or the whole play list on iTunes. Visit NikePlus to see all the sport mixes.

Fittingly Mad: Sore Losers

FitSugar — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 02:30:00 -0700

She has been railed on by the sports media. They have called her "classless" and "graceless," "sullen" and "sulking." Yep, I am talking about one of my fave tennis stars, Serena Williams and her sorry press conference after losing her quarterfinal match at the US Open.

If you have played competitive sports, or even a wicked game of backgammon, and lost (which inevitably happens if you play games), then you know it is hard to lose. You give it your all, you play the best you can and some days it just isn't enough. Losing with grace, though, is still part of the game. Serena even told reporters:

I really don't feel like talking about it [the match]. It's like I don't want to get fined. That's the only reason I came [to the press conference]. I can't afford to pay the fines because I keep losing.

Not really a stellar postmortem on the match, would you say? Serena lost the match to Justine Henin who just so happens to be ranked #1 in women's tennis right now. So when you lose, and lose to the best, you just need to admit you played your best and your opponent unfortunately played even better. Fans forgive losses quickly, but bad attitudes linger. We love players that show their emotions and get fired up on the court or field, but bad sportsmanship just has a bad aftertaste.

It doesn't matter if you win or lose. It is how you played the game...and how you act afterward!

Source

Get Your Butt in Gear: Disruptive Tennis Dress

FitSugar — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 07:30:00 -0700

When I think of a tennis competition I think of the quiet crowd and the Wimbledon line judges calling all the ladies "Miss." I do not think Disruptive. That is the name of the spring tennis collection by Serena Williams for Nike.

This modern tennis dress is made from a combination of Nike's Dri-FIT fabric and engineered mesh to regulate your body temperature. You look hot, but your body stays cool. It also has a built in support bra and you know I love not having to look for support.

It comes in Obsidian with Orchid Mist and College Orange accents (pictured here) or Radiant Green with Sonic Green and Tomatillo accents (I am always entertained by the names of colors these days).

Buy it directly from Nike for $100. At that price I am not sure I would want to sweat in it, but I would also wear this dress around town so I am thinking it is worth it.