Serena Williams: Why Serena Is Nothing More Than a Sideshow Attraction

When play at the Australian Open begins, Serena Williams will draw as much attention as any player in the world, man or woman. But all the attention in the world doesn't change the fact that Serena has no chance to win in Melbourne.

The attention comes from her glorious past, as well as the fact that she has a bit of an edge to her. There's a genuine chance that something noteworthy or downright crazy happen in any one of her matches. 

At the U.S. Open in September, there was a sideshow element to Serena, but she was more than that. There was a genuine chance that she could win that tournament. We weren't just watching for a potential car wreck. Now, the sideshow factor is still there. She just can't win anymore. 

Serena doesn't play enough tennis anymore. Maybe it's injuries, maybe it's a loss of passion, maybe she's just losing the battle to Father Time. Whatever it is, Serena will not win the Australian Open. 

If she's healthy and plays more of a full schedule between now and the summer, then Serena is an absolute factor at both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. But that's not the kind of thing that's going to happen between now and Melbourne. 

Serena is the same thing that John McEnroe was at Grand Slams after his glorious 1984 season. He was a big name, which dictated a lot of attention. He was also a lose cannon, which kept anyone from looking away for more than three consecutive seconds. 

That's Serena right now. We know what she's done in the past. Too many confuse that for what she can do right now. We remember the blowups in the U.S. Open in both 2009 and 2011 and don't want to miss one of those. 

But objectively, she's got no chance to win in Australia. The health isn't there, her mind doesn't seem right, and the competition is too deep. 

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