As Serena Williams volleyed back and forth with Ajla Tomljanovic during her final tennis match in September 2022, 4.6 million viewers (an ESPN record for the sport) tuned in. And a bunch of them were watching from the Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, which grew so silent you could hear a potato chip drop to the floor—despite a crowd that spilled into the street, where fans cupped their hands over the glass windows to watch the action inside.
“Every time Serena would win a point and let out her victory scream, the entire place was on their feet,” owner and chef Jenny Nguyen, who had opened the bar just six months earlier as a way to showcase women’s sports and empower female athletes, tells SELF. “When I felt like the end was coming, I ran to my office and grabbed two boxes of tissues. I wasn’t sure if anyone was going to need them, but I definitely was. Sure enough, when the match ended, we just passed those boxes around. There was this moment of oneness and community that felt so special to me.” Read More
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