This weekend tennis superstar Serena Williams graced D.C. as ‘TOURIST SERENA,” as she dubbed herself on her Instagram story.
Crowds packed Rock Creek Park Tennis Center to watch her face off sister Venus Williams in an early Sunday morning practice. Venus is one of the top stars to watch at this year’s Citi Open, which continues through August 7.
https://twitter.com/CitiOpen/status/1553784016146501634
https://twitter.com/TennisONEApp/status/1553762550168395777
Off the courts though, Serena was doing all the touristy things, like riding a scooter on her way to Lincoln Memorial, and posing in front of Washington Monument with Citi Open tournament director Mark Ein.
https://twitter.com/Markein/status/1554077954770178049
Serena also toured Arlington, where she took a walk across the Memorial Bridge and got a bite at El Pollo Rico, the country’s oldest Peruvian charcoal-broiled rotisserie chicken joint. She also posted a story of herself bopping at a Weeknd concert at FedEx Field Saturday night.
https://twitter.com/BarredinDC/status/1553947813284921349
Perhaps not wanting to chance any Metro delays, Serena got around for part of the day by Lime scooter:
https://twitter.com/likethemovie19/status/1553866647487881217
Serena, who is not from the area, may have acted tourist this weekend. But she and Venus played in the District’s public courts as children, long before their practice match on Sunday, according to the Washington City Paper. When the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center in Ward 8 opened in 2001, both Serena and Venus were present, and on the center’s 10th anniversary they led a clinic for children. Venus, who has been part of the Washington Kastles, has also acted as a mentor and role model for D.C.’s youngest tennis players.
Serena will not be playing at Citi Open with her sister, but she is set to compete in the National Bank Open in Toronto, which kicks off this Saturday, and the Western and Southern Open in Cincinnati.
As for Venus, she’s scheduled to play her first match of the Citi Open tonight at 7 p.m. against Canadian player Rebecca Marino.
Sarah Y. Kim