“I think if I were a man, I would have been in that conversation a long time ago,” Williams said in an interview with rapper Common for ESPN’s “The Undefeated.”
“I think being a woman is just a whole new set of problems from society that you have to deal with, as well as being black, so it’s a lot to deal with — and especially lately. I’ve been able to speak up for women’s rights because I think that gets lost in color, or gets lost in cultures. Women make up so much of this world, and, yeah, if I were a man, I would have 100 percent been considered the greatest ever a long time ago.”
Williams also speaks about overcoming the fear of risking her career by speaking up about racism and violent events.
“It’s very challenging because sometimes when things are blatantly wrong and blatantly unfair and blatantly racist or sexist, I just have to go and put on a brave smile and not let anyone know how I feel on the inside so they don’t get that satisfaction even though on the inside I would be dying,” Williams said.
The tennis champ also shares how she had to learn to “embrace” her appearance after being targeted by trolls and body-shamers on the Internet.
“There was a time when I didn’t feel incredibly comfortable about my body because I felt like I was too strong. I had to take a second and think, ‘Who says I’m too strong? This body has enabled me to be the greatest player that I can be.’
“And now my body is in style, so I’m feeling good about it. [Laughs.] Like, I’m finally in style! It took awhile to get there. I’m just really thankful for the way I was brought up by my mom and my dad to give me that confidence. I could have been discouraged, and I wouldn’t be as great as I was because I would have done different exercises or I would have done different things. I totally embrace who I am and what I am.”
Williams also explains how she and her sister Venus came, saw, and conquered the world of tennis.
“I shouldn’t have to apologize for saying and believing that I could be the best,” Williams said. “We took the globe and shook it, me and [her sister] Venus, because we came from Compton [Calif.]. We came from nothing and in tennis you kind of have to have something. We came and we conquered.”
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Serena Williams Talks Industry Doubles Standards & ‘Problems’ Being A Black Woman
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Serena Williams Talks Industry Doubles Standards & ‘Problems’ Being A Black Woman
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