“We took out the color and became the best,” Serena Williams reveals how the Williams sisters rose from the ashes to become the best in the sport
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Serena and Venus Williams
Serena Williams, popularly regarded as the GOAT of women’s tennis, recently spoke with CNN in an interview with Christiane Amanpour, opening up on a variety of topics.
The 40-year-old, who is still attempting to extend her reign on the tennis court, stated that she is still attempting to break Margaret Court‘s record. “I’m not giving up,” she stated emphatically. Following the advice of her medical team, Williams was forced to withdraw from the Australian Open in January, declaring in December that she wasn’t where she needed to be physically to play. Williams told Amanpour in Paris that if her body allows it, she will compete in the French Open in May, the next major slam on the tennis calendar.
Amanpour brought up the race subject while discussing her remarkable achievements. Serena was asked if she and Venus stand out as the two greatest Black female champions. Venus Williams, Serena’s older sister, blazed the path by turning pro a year before her and winning seven grand slam singles titles in her career. At the age of 41, Venus is still competing on the circuit.
Christiane Amanpour posted a video, quoting Serena in the caption on her official Twitter page.
When asked about how they perceived and fought racism as tennis stars in a predominantly White sport, Serena responded with a sharp and powerful retort. She said, “We changed it from being two great Black champions to being the best ever, period. And that’s what we did. We took out color and we became the best. We changed the sport, we changed the fashion. We changed how people think. We changed how people think in business,” she added.
She then highlighted the company she was there to talk about, “Serena Ventures,” to demonstrate how far she had come and to respond to people who frowned upon her at the time. She also said that it was “almost weird” for an athlete if they’re not doing something else now.
The American sensation then added, continuing her answer, “We knew we were entering an all-white sport but for us, it was like we were entering tennis. And we’re here to win.”
“And yes, we had to play harder, and we had to be better, but it made us better. At the end of the day, every time we faced a challenge and overcame that challenge, [it] created Venus and Serena.”
Serena to be back on tour
Despite her age, the American sensation will continue to be a face on the tour due to her passion for the sport. The powerhouse of women’s tennis will most certainly be on display at this year’s French Open if she manages to recover in time. Realistically, Wimbledon should be her goal to bag the elusive 24th major title.
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Shilpi Pusadkar
(106 Articles Published)