Serena Williams became an unexpected source of internet comedy during the US Open on Friday after cameras caught her watching the Ben Shelton-Frances Tiafoe semifinal from the stands.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion was seated at Arthur Ashe Stadium as the two Americans battled for a place in the men’s final when a man beside her appeared to engage her in an animated conversation. Williams mostly looked away as he continued talking, creating a brief exchange that quickly caught the attention of tennis fans online.
Yahoo Sports highlighted the moment in its Sept. 12 report, and social media users quickly turned Williams’ seemingly unbothered expression into a meme, joking that she appeared completely uninterested in whatever was being explained to her. One fan summed up the reaction by writing that Williams “couldn’t care less” about what the man was saying.
The moment came during a historically significant semifinal. Shelton defeated Tiafoe 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5 to reach his first Grand Slam final. The victory also made Shelton the first Black American man to reach the US Open singles final since Arthur Ashe in 1972. He will face Alexander Zverev for the championship on Sunday.
Williams has been one of the most prominent figures at this year’s tournament despite an abbreviated competitive return. She teamed with her sister Venus in women’s doubles, where they lost their opening match to Maya Joint and Chan Hao-ching.
Serena also partnered with Carlos Alcaraz in the mixed doubles competition, with the pair advancing before losing to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli in the quarterfinals.
Her appearance at the Shelton-Tiafoe match added another memorable Serena moment to a tournament that has already drawn considerable attention to her return.
For fans, however, the tennis history unfolding on court briefly took a back seat to Williams’ priceless reaction in the stands. The exchange lasted only moments. The internet, naturally, had plenty to say about it.
Source: theGrio
