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Whitney Houston's death touches tennis community

The news of Whitney Houston's death Saturday night sent ripples of sadness throughout the world, and the tennis community was no different. Few modern artists
Courtney Nguyen|

The news of Whitney Houston's death Saturday night sent ripples of sadness throughout the world, and the tennis community was no different.

Few modern artists have had as much of an impact in sports. Her rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner at Super Bowl XXV was unforgettable, a performance that left one writer gushing over how Houston "broke" the national anthem. That she did.

But it is her 1988 Olympics anthem, One Moment in Time, that inspired a generation of athletes, both professional and amateur. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone over 30 who didn't blast that song on their Walkman for inspiration, including Serena Williams, who was left shocked by the news.

https://twitter.com/#!/serenawilliams/status/168509220239589376

Williams attended Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party on Saturday night, which went on as planned as news of Houston's death broke.

See video below of Houston performing One Moment in Time at the opening of Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York in 1997.

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Published | Modified
Courtney Nguyen
COURTNEY NGUYEN

Contributor, SI.com Nguyen is a freelance writer for SI.com, providing full coverage of professional tennis both on and off the court. Her content has become a must-read for fans and insiders to stay up-to-date with a sport that rarely rests. She has appeared on radio and TV talk shows all over the world and is one of the co-hosts of No Challenges Remaining, a weekly podcast available on iTunes. Nguyen graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 1999 and received a law degree from the University of California, Davis in 2002. She lives in the Bay Area.

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