Don’t you dare say Serena Williams lost at Wimbledon, because she didn’t

While her fairy tale ended short at Wimbledon, it’s impossible to say Serena Williams lost.

Serena Williams did not win at Wimbledon this year. She also didn’t lose. Speaking technically, Williams did lose to Angelique Kerber in the Women’s Singles Final but that’s ultimately in the context of her journey there.

Williams gave birth back in September, and less than a year later was dominating her sport. With where we’re at as a country on women’s rights, the treatment of women in the workplace, and the general oppression (and suppression) of women since the dawn of man, Serena’s Wimbledon journey was a religious experience. It transcended tennis and moved beyond just being a baffling sports feat.

Take a moment to truly appreciate everything Serena represents. From the young girl trying to make in a world where the odds are against her, to Black America where an entire system is set up as an obstacle. She’s doing it for mothers, who society compartmentalizes and dismisses simply because of biology. While people protest in the streets of London against the visiting leader of the free world, it’s actually Serena who stands as our true representative of American exceptionalism. No one will fly a balloon in jest towards Serena, they’ll ask for a handshake.

It goes beyond metaphors to the simplest displays of anti-machismo. By beating Serena, Kerber became the first German women’s Tennis champion at Wimbledon in over 20 years. Rather than let another woman’s triumph get lost in the moment, Serena let her take a victory lap around the court alone.

That’s what we should strive to be.

A loss in the Wimbledon final doesn’t end Serena’s comeback. She said it herself, that she’s only getting started, and we should all pay attention to her in ways we already should have been doing before.

Angelique Kerber is the Women’s champion at Wimbledon this year, but Serena Williams won more than she could ever lose.