There’s fandom, and there’s how comedian Sandra Bernhard feels about Serena Williams.

There’s fandom, and there’s how comedian Sandra Bernhard feels about Serena Williams.

“It’s visceral, it’s emotional,” Bernhard says. “She’s an American dream. To see a woman like Serena — with the strength, the grace, the beauty, the power — just keep battling through ... it’s something that’s important and essential for our culture.”

Racism, sexism and other topics come up, too, and that’s just in the first five minutes talking to Bernhard about her favorite athlete.

Williams, 33, can evoke that kind of fervor in her fans. It owes to her on-court longevity and excellence and perhaps also to protectiveness given her detractors, plentiful and sometimes vitriolic in their comments on the Web.

By far the most popular female tennis player on social media, Williams has more than 5 million followers on Twitter and 1.8 million on Instagram. She also has a legion of celebrity fans, including J.K. Rowling, Kerry Washington, Drake, Kim Kardashian West,Michelle Obama and Kobe Bryant.

Bernhard, 60, has watched Williams from the start, through each of her 21 Grand Slam singles titles, and likens the experience to watching “your own child.” She marvels at Williams’ power, conditioning, angles and returns.

“It’s an elegant game, it’s a beautiful game, it’s a powerhouse game,” Bernhard says. “I can’t blink when I’m watching her.”

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