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“I Wasn’t Allowed to Play Tennis if I Didn’t Get Straight As” – Serena Williams

Published 04/15/2020, 5:57 PM EDT

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23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams who has overpowered five generations of tennis began playing tennis at the age of three. While she was studying in the ninth grade Williams turned a professional. And she still continues to ace on the professional track. 

She’s was ranked number one in the junior circuit and also had a 46–3 record on the United States Tennis Association junior tour, however, she was allowed to swing her racquets only when she completed her academic duties.

It’s definitely innate. I think growing up, I always played tennis, but at the same time, I wasn’t allowed to play tennis if I didn’t get straight As. It was like, Okay, I have to make sure I am studying, then I get to play tennis. I was already doing two things,” Serena Williams once revealed.

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“At some point I decided to go to college, win the US Opens. I’m like, Okay, I’m going to college, but I’m still winning Open titles, Wimbledons. Again, I was doing more than one thing,” she added.

I have so much energy” – Serena Williams 

American ace Williams has been multi-tasking since then. Right now, she’s managing her tennis career with her business ventures and the responsibility of a ‘full-time’ mother.

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“It was always something. Then now it’s just continuing. I’m kind of glad I had practice at it. I need to be busy because, like, I have so much energy and always thought the older I get, the calmer I’ll get, I feel like it’s kind of going opposite. I keep getting more energy. It’s crazy,” said Williams.

At the age of seventeen, Serena pulled off her first major title at US Open 1999. Despite clinching a major title as a teenager, she considers herself to be ‘underachieving’ after comparing with the achievements of Martina Hingis and Jennifer Capriati.

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“If Martina was No. 1 at 16, then we were underachieving at 17. It was definitely a ton of pressure for us. It switched somewhere in between where people started winning a little bit later,” Williams shared it during Wimbledon 2019.

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Written by:

Mahalakshmi Murali

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Mahalakshmi Murali joined EssentiallySports in 2018 as a tennis author and has gone on to pen more than 1800 engaging articles, probing into various aspects of the sport and its illustrious players. With her expertise on the sport, Mahalakshmi has interviewed stalwarts from the sport such as Serena WIlliams’ coach Patrick Mouratoglou and Kevin Anderson’s physio, Carlos Costa. Equipped with her vast experience and a keen understanding of the sport, Mahalakshmi now co-heads the tennis department.
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