Clothes @ShopSerena hair @vernonfrancois makeup @CarleneKMakeup pic.twitter.com/S3CLm5ayk1
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) August 16, 2018
Serena Williams covers the latest issue of Time Magazine. The cover story acts as a preview for the US Open, which starts on August 27th, but the interview is about a lot more than that. What’s extraordinary about Serena in the past year is that she’s letting us into her life more than ever before. The tough girl with the tennis racquet who rarely spoke about her off-court life has become a bundle of emotion. She wears her heart on her sleeve now, and it feels like she could cry at any moment. It’s been a journey for her and for her fans, and it’s incredible that she’s let us see her so vulnerable. You can read the full Time piece here. Some highlights:
Losing in the Wimbledon final: “I dedicated that to all the moms out there who’ve been through a lot. Some days, I cry. I’m really sad. I’ve had meltdowns. It’s been a really tough 11 months. If I can do it, you guys can do it too.”
Why she keeps playing: “I’m not done yet, simple. My story doesn’t end here.”
Marrying Alexis: “I always assumed I’d marry a black guy. I always felt that I could relate more with a black guy, that we’d have more struggles in common, you know?”
How coach Patrick Mouratoglou told her to stop nursing, for the sake of her game. “It’s absolutely hard to take from a guy. He’s not a woman, he doesn’t understand that connection, that the best time of the day for me was when I tried to feed her. I’ve spent my whole life making everyone happy, just servicing it seems like everyone. And this is something I wanted to do. I looked at Olympia, and I was like, ‘Listen, Mommy needs to get her body back, so Mommy’s going to stop now.’ We had a really good conversation. We talked it out.”
She did prep to play Angie Kerber. “I really wish I hadn’t done that. Because she played much, much harder than she’s ever played in her life. Hit nothing like she normally does. I was like, O.K., this is classic. Why did I do this? Just focus on Serena. That’s when I do my best.”
Mom struggles: “Sometimes she just wants Mommy, she doesn’t want anyone else. I still have to learn a balance of being there for her, and being there for me. I’m working on it. I never understood women before, when they put themselves in second or third place. And it’s so easy to do. It’s so easy to do.”
On drug testing: The United States Anti-Doping Agency has tested Serena five times in 2018, according to its records. Meanwhile Sloane Stephens, who won the U.S. Open a year ago, has been tested once. Serena called such differences “discrimination” on Twitter and thinks it’s because some people won’t accept that she’s clean. “Look at me,” she says, glancing at her herself in a mirror at home. “I was born this way. They’re like, ‘Oh, she can’t be that great, she must be doing something.’ I don’t even lift weights.” Serena laughs. “It’s all God, you know,” she says. “But whatever.”
On all of the bulls–t that gets thrown at her: “I’m a black woman. Women in general are not treated the same as men who’ve had the same amount of success. And then, being a black woman, doing something historically that’s never been done, it’s easy to feel like, ‘We’ve always picked on people of this color. So I’m O.K. to continue to do it.’”
On the US Open: “I’m trying to get a new vibe there but I’m not going in there thinking I’m going to lose. That’s not being Serena. That’s being someone else.”
I watched Being Serena and it was incredible to see her journey, and to see the relationships she has with her husband AND her coach. Patrick is connected to her in such a big way too, and I sometimes feel like… Patrick is the only one in her life who will really give her the tough talks and hard truths. Patrick believes that Serena can come back and win more Slams, but he also knows how hard she’ll have to work to get there. Honestly, I don’t think she’s there yet. Maybe next year?
Photos courtesy of Getty, Time.
Her baby is so cute. I like Serena so much.
That’s a gorgeous cover shot…those curls!! She is truly the GOAT! (and yes, her baby is adorable, too! 😊 )
I love how she talks about how motherhood changed her perspective. Like how easy it is to put yourself last and she didn’t quite get it before, and how making a decision to put yourself first can be difficult. Anybody who speaks in the “I” and “for me” instead of prescribing what’s good for every parent is good in my book. I love emotional mom Serena!
God i love her, the greatest athelete on the planet is admitting motherhood is hard and mothers everywhere are grateful. How can someone be so great and real at the same time?
I nodded at “how can someone be so great and real at the same time?” The outstanding thing is that she is sharing her struggles, which gives hope to us “normal” people. If someone like Serena Williams is openly struggling with motherhood priorities, maybe it helps others feel a bit less guilty about their own struggles.
I’m not a tennis fan, but it’s clear that she has given her life to her professional sport career (literally blood, sweat and tears). Now though, at a major rebalancing point in a career that demands total commitment and focus, she’s facing the same dilemma as millions of working moms…but it’s playing out on a world stage and involving millions of dollars from people who expect their ROI. Rather than diva it up, she is sharing the real struggles she is facing as a woman, mother, wife, professional athlete, woman of color…and all of the other boxes she spectacularly checks.
Hair and brows looks really nice here.
Is Patrick the coach she dated?
Yep. I’m pretty sure she dated Patrick and he’s now married to a youngish Black woman and has a young child too.
I love her and that’s absolutely ridiculous that she’s been tested 5 times this year alone and that other girl once… I would be pi$$ed too. They need to stop it now, she’s the greatest tennis player of all time, not to mention, the most amazing athlete in the world, the powers that be need to get over it.
Absolutely agree. I’m so tired of this discrimination against her. Enough.
I wonder why they test her so much. I know they tend to test the top players more but for obvious reasons since she gave birth, she hasn’t been at the top of her game. Do they think she’ll be more tempted to use drugs to regain her previous form after pregnancy? It’s clear she hasn’t since she hasn’t played all that well, she is gradually getting back to where she was.
I’m also surprised she went for a white guy. Looks wise he really does look like the whitest of the whitest frat boys. If I hadn’t heard Alexis in interviews talking about how he basically worships Serena, I would have thought “Meh he looks like a douche!” (Yes I know don’t judge books by their covers!)
She didn’t “go for” a white guy. She fell in love with and married a white guy.
Amelie, Not every white guy is a jerk. Shock horror. Good on both her and Alexis for not caring what anyone thinks and choosing who makes them happy.
And just because he says all the right stuff doesn’t mean he is more acceptable to you. Talk is cheap. Serena is happy with him. End of.
I never said all white guys are terrible but you can pretend I did I guess. Glad he and Serena are happy.
You wonder why they test Serena so much?
Answer: Racism and discrimination.
All players who have been out of tournaments for a period of time are tested frequently. The other woman was not out of tournaments like Serena was. And also, she has a history of avoiding tests, like hiding in her safe room when the testers knock on the door, which tends to arouse suspicion.
Pathetic excuse to cover up discrimination. Name one other tennis player who has the same history of drug testing as her? One? You can’t. There isn’t one. Look at the history of testing that she has been through. Hiding? Or proving a point that she was over it? Over the discrimination.
It’s because of her body type, because she is a black women.
If you followed her career and knew anything, I mean even a sliver of info on her career you would feel ashamed and embarrassed to fall into a group that covers up blantant racism with pathetic excuses like this.
The only player who has a shady history with testing is sharapova.
I really love how brutally honest she’s been about motherhood. The things she says are so true, and I appreciate it. I really hope she can get back on top in her career, since she obviously wants that so badly. But even if she doesn’t, I’m so happy for her that she has a husband who loves her & an adorable daughter.
She is absolutely smashing as always!!
Great interview. Looking forward to the US Open.
Love her and love how open she’s being with her struggles. Wishing her all the best.
Love Serena’s vulnerability. Alexis seems like such a good partner for her, too. Though…he needs to stop flossing on and for the gram. Trying to be all hip and sh*t and hype. Just cuz he got a little more street cred from marrying Serena doesn’t mean he needs to buy in to mainstream popularity.
He can do what he wants. Who are you to say he isn’t being himself?
Street cred lmao..
@Jenni: For sure. He can do what he wants and has done what he wants. 😀 I’m just saying that some parts of his public persona post-marriage seems a little bit “forced” and “unnatural.” Lol at street cred…tell me about it. Ya don’t think he got more cool points after being linked to Serena? 😉 🙂 Nice chatting with ya.
I always thought he was pretty darn cool just being a co-founder of reddit. Why would he need “street” cred? He’s an educated, successful man. He’s never been “street”.
@avala, exactly. He has a lot of good things going on, but he wasn’t “street” before…now he’s really playing up to that. People have newfound generated interest in him from those angles because he’s playing up that part of himself.