‘Do They Say LeBron Is One of the World’s Best Male Athletes?’ – When Serena Williams Condemned Those Who Constantly Attribute Her GOAT Status to Her Gender

Serena Williams is one of the best athletes of all time. She has built a legacy in the sport that can only be matched by a handful of players in the ATP Tour. However, there is still a lack of recognition in the case of the accomplishments of female athletes. There are many who don’t regard her as highly as male professionals.

They mask her greatness with different arguments, such as having less competition and on-court hours. Although it doesn’t erode her mark on the sport’s history, Serena once opened up about her feelings about such unwanted criticism and the general differential treatment meted out to women.

Serena Williams about the prejudice she constantly suffers when people mention the GOAT

Serena has never shied away from pointing out the stereotypes that still exist in the sport in this day and age. One of her strongest moves against the same came in 2016 in the form of an open letter. “As we know, women have to break down many barriers on the road to success. One of those barriers is the way we are constantly reminded we are not men, as if it is a flaw,” she wrote.

Thereafter, the 23-time Grand Slam champion took the example of some established male stars in different sports and said, “People call me one of the ‘world’s greatest female athletes’. Do they say LeBron is one of the world’s best male athletes? Is Tiger? Federer? Why not? They are certainly not female.”

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She further added, “We should never let this go unchallenged. We should always be judged by our achievements, not by our gender.” Williams is one of the best players to have stepped on a tennis court. She not only claimed the crown of World no.1 five times but also has the largest number of Grand Slam victories in the Open Era.

The difficulties that Serena faced in her career

The former World no.1 has overcome many obstacles to reach where she is now. At first, when she was establishing her dominance, people dragged her for having a build stronger than her competitors. She received severe backlash from fans and fellow players for her muscular build and was accused of having an advantage over her petite and feminine opponents.

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Further, she had to deal with her half-sister’s unfortunate death in 2003. However, like always, Serena restored her shattered soul and used the pain to fuel herself. Then came the life-threatening disease, which almost hampered her career. The 41-year-old had to undergo emergency surgery in 2011 to get rid of a clot that nested in her lungs.

Serena has been an inspiration for many young women to follow their dreams despite the hardships they might face in their path to success. Many prominent stars like Osaka and Swiatek have expressed how the 23-time Grand Slam champion inspired them to follow their passion.