There’s only a handful of people who can say they were the best in the world at anything by the time they reached 21. Serena Williams fought for her victories every step of the way with a journey to the top conquering judgments and prejudices through sheer determination and extreme persistence.
Born in Michigan in 1981, Serena Williams is an American professional tennis player. Her parents began coaching her at the age of four, and in 1995 the rising star turned professional. Aged 18, Williams won her first grand slam in 1999 against world number one Martina Hingis. She became the second African-American woman ever to win a Grand Slam singles tournament and continued to dominate the court. In 2002 she reached her own world number one ranking for the first time.
Williams was ranked world number one in singles on eight separate occasions between 2002 and 2017, dominating the top spot for 319 weeks in total. The greatest female competitor of all time, she’s got a whopping 23 grand slams under her belt and is still going. She has earned almost $29 million in prize money and endorsements and was the only woman on Forbes’ list of the 100 highest paid athletes in 2017.
Serena has persisted in the public eye through racism, sexism and life-threatening health issues to remain at the pinnacle of the sport of tennis. She has set an extremely high bar for any player to jump, lined with a level of greatness which can only be achieved through unbreakable willpower and undeniably determined spirit.
1. I just never give up. I fight to the end. You can’t go out and say, ‘I want a bag of never-say-die spirit.’ It’s not for sale. It has to be innate.
2. I always believe I can beat the best, achieve the best. I always see myself in the top position.
3. I really think a champion is defined not by their wins but by how they can recover when they fall.
4. Everyone’s dream can come true if you just stick to it and work hard.
5. I’ve always been a fighter and I’ve always fought through things my whole life.
6. I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.
7. The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.
8. If Plan A isn’t working, I have Plan B, Plan C and even Plan D.
9. Everything comes at a cost. Just what are you willing to pay for it?
10. You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.
11. think you have to love yourself before you fall in love. I’m still learning to love myself.
12. I’m just opening the next door for the next person.
13. Family first, and that’s what matters most. we realize that our love goes deeper than the tennis game.
14. I’ve always considered myself the best and the top. I never considered that I was out of it.
15. It doesn't matter what your background is or where you come from, if you have dreams and goals, that's all that matters.
16. I can’t become satisfied, because if I get satisfied, I’ll be like, “Oh, I’ve won Wimbledon, I’ve won the U.S. Open. Now can I relax.” But now people are really going to be fighting to beat me.
17. Don't let anyone work harder than you do.
18. People see me on the court only as a superhero, grunting and winning. They think you’re a robot, and I’m not.
19. If I’m winning, I have to act like I’m not bored. If it’s a tough match, I have to act like I’m having a good time. I’m a drama queen.
20. You can be whatever size you are, and you can be beautiful both inside and out. We’re always told what’s beautiful and what’s not, and that’s not right.
21. If you can keep playing tennis when somebody is shooting a gun down the street, that’s concentration.
22. I love who I am, and I encourage other people to love and embrace who they are. But it definitely wasn’t easy – it took me a while.
23. Victory is temporary, but joy is eternal. Grateful for all of the joyful moments, big and small.
24. With a defeat, when you lose, you get up, you make it better, you try again. That’s what I do in life, when I get down, when I get sick, I don’t want to just stop. I keep going and I try to do more. Everyone always says never give up but you really have to take that to heart and really do never definitely give up. Keep trying.
25. I’m really exciting. I smile a lot, I will a lot, and I’m really sexy.
26. I’m thankful to my family, friends, and fans for all of their support.
27. I’m a perfectionist. I’m pretty much insatiable. I feel there’s so many things I can improve on.
28. If anything, you know, I think losing makes me even more motivated.
29. I’m definitely not a fearless individual.
30. I always say that when I’m playing well, no one can beat me. I’m not just saying that to sound full of myself or anything, but it’s true.
31. I love my body, and I would never change anything about it. I’m not asking you to like my body. I’m just asking you to let me be me.”
32. I just hate to lose. When I am on the court, it is like my life depends on it.
33. I want to be a giving woman and just a nice person in general.
34. I’m not used to crying. It’s a little difficult. All my life I’ve had to fight. It’s just another fight I’m going to have to learn how to win, that’s all. I’m just going to have to keep smiling.
35. To this day, I don’t love my arms. People want more fit arms, but my arms are too fit. But I’m not complaining. They pay my bills.
36. I think in life you should work on yourself until the day you die.
37. I feel as a brand I’m here to be around for a long time.
38. When I’m down, I talk to myself a lot. I look crazy because I’m constantly having an argument with myself.
39. There’s always another record, then there’s always another person to catch up with or to pass.
40. I decided I can’t pay a person to rewind time, so I may as well get over it.
41. All my life I’d woken up to tennis, tennis, tennis. Even if I don’t go to practice, I’m thinking about it all day.
42. We all know who the real number one is. Quite frankly, I’m the best in the world.
43. I definitely have found a balance. I’ve had so many offers in the past to do different movies or different things and I always choose tournaments over it.
44. Since I don’t look like every other girl, it takes a while to be okay with that. To be different. But different is good.
45. You can become strong, and powerful and beautiful.
46. Growing up I wasn’t the richest, but I had a rich family in spirit. Standing here with 19 championships is something I never thought would happen. I went on a court just with a ball and a racket and with a hope.
47. I am not a robot. I have a heart and I bleed.
48. Nothing comes to a sleeper but a dream.
49. I try not to have too many rituals because I believe that rituals don’t help you win. I used to do rituals a lot and it was crazy.
50. Tennis just a game, family is forever.
51. If I don't get it right, I don't stop until I do.
52. When you’re playing the best player in the world, you’ve got to play well.
53. I’m an athlete and I’m black, and a lot of black athletes go broke. I do not want to become a statistic, so maybe I overcompensate. But I’m paranoid. Oprah told me a long time ago, ‘You sign every check. Never let anyone sign any checks.’
54. Victory is very, very sweet. It tastes better than any dessert you’ve ever had.
55. I think a smile can make your whole body. Models, they look fabulous, but they don’t smile, and they look so mad.
56. There’s one thing I’m really good at, and that’s hitting the ball over a net, in a box. I’m excellent.
57. You have to be fearless to have success.
58. I don’t like to lose-at anything… Yet I’ve grown most not from victories, but setbacks. If winning is God’s reward, then losing is how he teaches us.
59. Tennis is my job, but it’s not my life.
60. Think of all the girls who could become top athletes but quit sports because they’re afraid of having too many defined muscles and being made fun of or called unattractive.
61. Hopefully, we can build a rivalry and we’ll be able to do this a lot. Make a legacy, then retire champions.
62. I don’t know if I’ve had my share of drama, but I’ve definitely had my share of hard times.
63. I was just tired of losing… Life was passing me by.
64. Luck has nothing to do with it, because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.
65. Overpower. Overtake. Overcome.
66. I’ve had to learn to fight all my life – got to learn to keep smiling. If you smile things will work out.