As was often the case in Serena Williams’s unparalleled tennis career, her time at the French Open in 2009 was far from straightforward. Her gritty performance in a third-round win against Spain’s María José Martínez Sánchez that went the distance was quickly overshadowed by a gamesmanship row after Martínez Sánchez refused to admit that one of Williams’s shots had struck her body, not her racket, before going back over the net. The point should have been awarded to the American.
An unimpressed Williams immediately protested to opponent and umpire. Then, once it became clear the point was a lost cause, she comically suggested Martínez Sánchez should probably not approach the net again. During her post-match press conference, Williams’s continued criticisms led to her uttering one of her more memorable quotes: “I’m, like, drama. And I don’t want to be drama,” she said, sighing. “I’m like one of those girls on a reality show that has all the drama, and everyone in the house hates them because no matter what they do drama follows them. I don’t want to be that girl.”
