Photo: Cynthia Lum/Icon SMI/Corbis
Tonight, we bring you not one but two breaking news items: First of all, Serena Williams won her fifth U.S. Open title! Second of all, Serena Williams appears to be some kind of wizard.
Williams had no problem taking the prize in a final match against Victoria Azarenka on the court in Queens tonight. While Azarenka has demonstrated surprising resilience and speed, particularly in her previous match against Flavia Pennetta, Williams' killer moves took the Belarusian player (ranked number two in the world) down despite complaints of heavy wind, delivering nine super-powered aces throughout the match. As for the wizardry, well, it's not just about tennis — Serena has got some serious beauty magic going on. We couldn't help but notice Williams' amazing cat-eye makeup, a bold move, though we'd expect nothing less from her. She always looks pulled-together and even downright chic on the court, often sporting bright, poppy mini-dresses and earrings we'd be scared to wear on the streets of NYC, much less in a cut-throat tennis match. But her beauty game was the real show-stopper this evening, and the look was as stunning and on-point as her serve. Somehow, what must've been a considerable amount of sweat didn't get in the way of things, and she looked flawless from start to finish. Oh, and by the way, we're definitely digging her full eyebrows. Perfectly shaped and groomed, this is a great example of how this of-the-moment trend doesn't necessarily have to be overbearing.
So, in short, while you were cleaning the grout between your shower tiles or eating Mac-'n'-cheese or whatever else it is you do on your sacred Sunday, Serena was serving up some history in more ways than one, and making a cool $3.6 million in the process. While the sheer greatness of her victory goes without saying, we have to applaud her for going all the way in the makeup department. It's exactly the kind of bold, powerful choice that makes her such an interesting and watch-able player. Take it as a word of advice — whatever you're doing that's awesome these days, a solid cat-eye can make it that much better.