“Millions of people watching, and you have to win,” Zendaya fangirls over Venus and Serena Williams as she tries to understand the struggle of being a ‘black female tennis player’

American actress Zendaya reflects on Serena Williams's struggles and pressure while playing her final match at the 2022 US Open.

“Millions of people watching, and you have to win,” Zendaya fangirls over Venus and Serena Williams as she tries to understand the struggle of being a ‘black female tennis player’

Serena and Venus Williams, Zendaya (in circle) via Imago.

Now a businesswoman and mother, Serena Williams remains an icon in tennis, especially in women’s sports. No doubt, her influence extends far beyond the professional court. American actress Zendaya tries to understand her struggle and the pressure she played the game under as a black female tennis player.

For context, Serena Williams and Venus Williams captivated women’s tennis for more than a decade, with both winning an aggregate of 30 singles Major titles and 26 doubles Majors. 

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They laid the foundation for other black female tennis players in the sport. Though Venus still plays at the age of 42, Serena retired at the 2022 US Open.

During an interview with Vogue, Zendaya revealed that she and her mother flew to New York to watch Serena Williams last match at the US Open. Impressed by Williams’s achievement, she reflected on the pressure and loneliness a black female tennis player might have felt back then. 

The story, the amount of pressure, the microscope that they were under, the loneliness they must have felt—because it’s already lonely to be a tennis player, but to be a Black female tennis player, I can’t imagine.
Zendaya explained

She further added that the presence of a large and vocal crowd at the match was absolutely terrifying and made it an ‘anxiety-induced situation.

Like, we’re going to put you in a very stressful, anxiety-inducing situation where you have to compete and there are millions of people watching. And you have to win…and be nice about it.

Continuing further, Zendaya added

Serena Williams became the first black tennis player to win a Grand Slam at the 1999 US Open. The achievement laid the groundwork for other black female players, such as young talent Coco Gauff and Sloane Stephens, to win Major titles.

Serena Williams reveals her love for tennis despite retiring almost two years ago

Despite owning several multi-million-dollar businesses, Serena Williams admits that she misses tennis very much. The tennis legend, who is also a mother of two, added that the sport remains her first love notwithstanding her retirement in 2022.

Serena Williams
Serena Williams (Via Imago)
I'm going, to be honest, it hasn't been easy. It was all good when I was pregnant. And now that I'm not anymore, it's like, Oh I miss you so much. I am doing so many things for different businesses. But tennis obviously was my first love, and it will always be my first love, and it's something that I will always be so passionate about.
Serena Williams said on TODAY with Hoda & Jenna podcast

However, despite Williams’s busy schedule, she still finds time to watch tennis matches. Recently, she was in attendance at a couple of matches at the just-concluded Miami Open.

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