This past weekend, I had the chance to gain new respect for the Williams sisters (Serena and Venus)!  My cousin Whitney Jones is an up-and-coming tennis player who played in the Citi Open this weekend in College Park, MD.  As she was playing so close to me, I was able to see her play for the first time (definitely impressive).  Well, anyone that was in the DC area this weekend knew well that Saturday was NOT the day to be outside; at some point this weekend it was 109 degrees.  Now don’t get me wrong, I love the heat, but I also love shade and protection. Y’all, there was no shade to be found at this tennis match!  As a matter of fact, when the tennis players sat down to rest a moment and drink water, the “ball kids” brought umbrellas and held them over their heads.  The seats were so hot that you needed to put something on the seat to protect yourself from burns (I’m really not being dramatic).   As odd as it may sound, I never imagined that this is the kind of weather that the Williams sisters play in from time to time!  Again, I had a new found respect for their talent in light of this experience… I was even motivated to call a long time friend and former tennis player to share my new found understanding.

Anyway,  aside from the heat and needing to stay hydrated, the game was pretty interesting and easy to follow… and my cousin won!!!! Go JONES!!!!  Select photos below!