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NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 08: Serena Williams of the United States argues with umpire Carlos Ramos during her Women’s Singles finals match against Naomi Osaka of Japan on Day Thirteen of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 8, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
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NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 08: Serena Williams of the United States argues with umpire Carlos Ramos during her Women’s Singles finals match against Naomi Osaka of Japan on Day Thirteen of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 8, 2018 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
A fierce competitor and an emotional player on a tennis court, Serena Williams always adds another layer to her game whenever she steps on a tennis court. While this nature of hers clearly shows deep-rooted passion for the sport, it also went over the line on few occasions and brought to her some amount of criticism.
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Serena Williams opines on Alexander Zverev’s meltdown in Acapulco
Talking in a recent CNN interview about this emotional side to her persona, Serena confidently says that it’s the same passion that drives her to do projects that clicks with her as an entrepreneur. The American star was also asked about Alexander Zverev’s outburst in Acapulco. It is then Serena quietly mentioned the double-standards of the sport.
“That’s just my personality. I think everyone is different. It’s not necessarily about cracking, I think it’s just more about, passion, and it just boils down to your personality. I am who I am on the court and off the court. I am very passionate about what I do. I am passionate about everything. But, there’s absolutely a double-standard. I would be in jail if I did that (Zverev’s incident in Mexico).”
Alexander Zverev was recently withdrawn from the Mexican Open after he attacked the umpire's chair with his racket. As a Black athlete and a woman, @serenawilliams tells me there is a double standard. "I would probably be in jail if I did that," she says. pic.twitter.com/sINWIeuBcP
— Christiane Amanpour (@amanpour) March 4, 2022
However, Serena was quick to point out to the anchor about not wanting to discuss more on the same during the interview. But, the American pointed out that it could have been a disaster for her if she had an outburst like that.
“You know, you see that, you see other things happening on the tour, ‘Wait, if I had done that, hmmm…’But, it’s okay. At the end of the day, I am who I am and I love who I am. I love the impact that I have had on people. I love the impact that I continue to have on people.”
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Tennis – Wimbledon – All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain – June 29, 2021 Serena Williams of the U.S. in action during her first round match against Belarus’ Aliaksandra Sasnovich Pool via REUTERS/Jed Leicester
Serena says her passion on-court is what drives her off-court activities
The 23-time Grand Slam champion concluded confidently that it’s the fire that she displays on a tennis court that propels her to be even more passionate about her off-court engagements, especially when it comes to investing in start-ups through her venture capital firm, Serena Ventures.
“If I didn’t have the passion that I have on the tennis court, I wouldn’t be doing what I do now. And, I accept it and I’m excited to continue to have that passion,” the American concluded.
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Tennis – French Open – Roland Garros, Paris, France – June 6, 2021 Serena Williams of the U.S. in action during her fourth round match against Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier
Despite her volatile on-court behavior sometimes, Serena Williams never shied away from admitting the same and it’s evident on several occasions that it’s the intense love she has for the sport and the burning desire to win every single match on the tennis court.
Also read: Venus Williams Joins Novak Djokovic’s Brand After Parting Ways With Nike
