The tennis world misses Serena Williams, misses that tireless fighter who left everything on the court and who, win or lose, delighted the crowd by leaving the court like a queen. However, the former tennis star remains in the media spotlight in one way or another, so her fans don’t lose sight of her so easily. On this occasion, the younger Williams sister spoke to Venus about the criticism she’s received.
Before getting to the heart of the matter, it’s worth remembering that Williams rose to fame in 1999 when she won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open. Over the next two decades, the 44-year-old tennis player became a global superstar, winning 22 more Grand Slam titles and holding the world number one ranking for 319 weeks. A phenomenal player.
Serena Williams opens up about the “hate” that helped her and advises her sister Venus
Recently, on an episode of ‘Stockton Street,’ a podcast she co-hosts with her sister Venus Williams, Serena Williams spoke candidly about the criticism she has faced throughout her career. She revealed that hate fueled her at times, saying, “For me, it was necessary. I liked being told I couldn’t.“
For me, it was necessary. I liked being told I couldn’t
She continued, “As soon as I heard ‘you can’t,’ I was in. It’s almost like they’re saying, ‘If you hate me, get in line.’ And it’s a really long line, you’re going to have to get to the very back,” she remarked. In addition to criticism of their matches and results, the Williams sisters also endured racist and sexist behavior from fans and the media during their rise to the top.
Serena Williams reveals that if she hadn’t succeeded in tennis, she would have been a gymnast
She said, “I really wanted to be a gymnast. One day my dad asked me, ‘What would you do if it doesn’t work out in tennis?’ And I said, ‘I want to be a gymnast.’ One day my dad took me aside and said, ‘You can’t say that anymore.’ I was about 10 years old. I swear I was devastated, my heart sank, and I thought, ‘You crushed my dream of being a gymnast!'”
Venus chimed in, adding, “I was already too tall, and you have to start very young. But it was too late, and I was heading in the right direction. Straight to Flushing, just around the corner.” Instead, Serena dedicated her life to tennis and won her first Grand Slam singles title at the 1999 US Open at just 17 years old. He set a large number of records throughout his career and hung up his racket with a final appearance at the US Open.
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