So. Sports Illustrated named Serena Williams as its 2015 Sportsperson of the Year, the first time an individual woman has won the award in more than 30 years. 

In a lengthy essay, the publication lauded Williams’ remarkable professional accomplishments, then got to the more important reasons why Williams was chosen: “because Williams kept pushing herself to grow, to be better, and tennis was the least of it. The trying is what’s impressive. The trying is why we are here.”

With her stats, endurance, ambition and triumphs over adversity, there really shouldn’t be much of an argument about SI’s selection. But this is Serena Williams and while she doesn’t necessarily court controversy, everything about her always seems to be controversial, f