We’re used to seeing Serena Williams perform superhuman feats on a tennis court. Watching her at her best is like watching a freight train take human form, an unstoppable force that swats away pretenders in less time than it takes most people to get ready for work in the morning.
A man tried to steal Serena Williams’s phone. It did not end well for him.
Alex Abad-Santos is a senior correspondent who explains what society obsesses over, from Marvel and movies to fitness and skin care. He came to Vox in 2014. Prior to that, he worked at The Atlantic.
On Tuesday, people got to see what happens when Serena Williams is pushed to be her superhero self in real life. According to Williams, someone tried to steal her cellphone and run away with it. It’s unclear why an ordinary civilian would try to take something from a 21-time Grand Slam champion and think he could outrun her, but Williams recounted the experience on Facebook:
Not thinking I reacted (hence the superwoman photo) I jumped up, weaved my way in and out of the cozy restaurant (leaping over a chair or two) and chased him down.
He began to run but I was too fast. (Those sprints came in handy) I was upon him in a flash!
In the most menacing yet calm no nonsense voice I could muster I kindly asked him if he “accidentally” took the wrong phone. He stumbled on his words probably not expecting this to happen.
That Williams chased down a thief in the middle of a busy restaurant and this is the first we’re hearing about it is a little bizarre. You’d think a tabloid would’ve gotten word of such an occurrence or that some picture on social media would’ve eventually turned up. But nevertheless, Williams said thwarting the would-be phone snatcher made her feel like a hero — a superhero:
“Always listen to your superhero inner voice. Always keep your things close! Fight for what’s right. Stand for what you believe in! Be a superhero!” Williams wrote. “When I got back into the restaurant I received a standing ovation. I was proud. I just showed every man in there I can stand up to bully’s [sic] and other men. It was a win for the ladies!”
If there’s any lesson to take from this, it’s that you don’t mess with Serena Williams, on or off the court.
Soooooo yesterday at dinner the CRAZIEST THING happened to me. I was sitting enjoying some Chinese food (delicious may I...
Posted by Serena Williams on Wednesday, November 4, 2015
Update: There is now surveillance video of the incident.
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