With the epic battle between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer the talk of the town, the equally breathtaking victory of Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final on Saturday did not earn quite as much coverage. I read a number of tributes to Federer, the man who sends a million hearts trembling at the mere sight of his backhand. Longform articles, such as the one by David Foster Wallace that called watching Federer a "religious experience", were passed around again. Back home, with the twin doubles victories of Leander Paes and Sania Mirza (both with Martina Hingis) and the boys' final (Sumit Nagal) also in our kitty, there was a good reason for little discussion of Williams' performance.
But make no mistake: this is Williams' shining hour. With 21 Grand Slams. she is only one short of Steffi Graf's all-time high of 22, which she may equal at this year's US Open. (This pertains to the tally in the open season.) Her rise showcases not only her indomitable spirit, but the courage and conviction of her father who raised his two girls to be tennis prodigies. Yet, perusing the news, one noticed a reluctance to celebrate what is an exemplary sporting achievement of our time.
Certainly, part of this may have to do with Williams' antics on and off court. She has been accused of aggression by other players, the latest charge involving her behaviour during this year's French Open semifinal. Even though her opponent Timea Bacsinszky, whom Williams beat, denied any wrongdoing on Williams' part, commentators raised doubts about her deliberate slowness during the game. "Sometimes I knew that she was taking a bit more time, but I never really thought she was doing it on purpose to destabilise me," Ms Bacsinszky said at the time.
But the charge stuck. Williams has also been in a long-running, and personal, spat with competitor Maria Sharapova, in what has seemed sometimes like a high-school fight.
Be that as it may, there is little reason why any of this should take away from celebrating Williams' greatness. Boris Becker's complicated personal flight is hardly an issue any longer - in fact, he was on the stands on Sunday cheering his protege Djokovic. As for the other quality that people find distasteful in Williams - her mouthing off her opponents, say - that is either celebrated or laughed off when indulged in by male players. John McEnroe, anyone?
So why have Serena Williams and her older sister, Venus Williams - a great player in her own right - never been feted the way they deserve to be? That sneaking question - of racism - must enter the debate. After her Wimbledon win, trolls took to Twitter to point to Williams' athleticism in the only language they understand, one that demeans and disrespects.
Author J K Rowling found herself taking on just such a troll when a user responded to her Tweet celebrating Serena's win with: "The main reason for [Williams'] success is that she is built like a man." Characteristically, Ms Rowling, who has a history of shutting down trolls, posted a picture of Williams in a glamorous outfit and tweeted: "Yeah, my husband looks just like this in a dress. You are an idiot."
Ms Rowling's experience is not unique. But this idea of apportioning Williams' consistent success in tennis not to her skills but her athleticism can turn sinister. One user tweeted this: "Serena Williams looks like a gorilla, and sounds like a gorilla when she grunts while hitting the ball. In conclusion, she is a gorilla."
Comparing Serena with a man is bad enough but to call her a gorilla taps into the same racist pool that African-Americans have faced for a long time. This is especially worrisome because it shows a mindset that refuses to acknowledge black victories for what they - individual achievements of merit - but rather piles them with all manner of innuendo arising from their genetically endowed athleticism.
We never hear achievements of whites being posted with a disclaimer to the effect that the member belongs to a race that has historically advanced by oppressing other races, not just through colonialism but slavery, so please look at the member's achievements in context. We rarely look askance at advances such as the invention of the steam engine or, more contemporaneously, the shining success of Apple, both of which have depended on cheap labour and the provision of raw materials from poorer lands.
Why then are some of us so quick to find extenuating reasons for the success of black athletes? Serena Williams may not be a saint in her private life but on court she is an unqualified star. Time we cheered her as she deserves every bit to be.
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