Game, set and love match for Serena

Real woman: Serena and her new husband, Alexis Ohanian, at a gala this year

I’ve always been agnostic about Serena Williams, largely because I’m an atheist about sport. I can see that the world may benefit from having a strong-bodied superwoman by way of a role model. However, her observation that childbirth would make her a “real woman” didn’t sit well with me, as one of those unreal types whose womb is yet to avail itself of an occupant.

Her wedding this week to Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian alienated me still further. Billed as the “celebrity wedding of the decade”, anybody who thinks they’re anybody was there: Beyoncé, Anna Wintour, Kim Kardashian, assorted models and sundry pop personages. Even by bridal standards, the event was spectacularly egocentric.

Every table had been named after one of Williams’s 12 Grand Slam titles, with each guest receiving a replica of the corresponding award. At a wave of her 8.88ctringed hand, entire streets were closed off to the public.

The theme was Beauty and the Beast, with guests required to dress accordingly. One might have thought that Williams’s achievements on court might have made her one woman who didn’t succumb to the fantasy of being transformed into a Disney princess.