‘I’m Black and so I Look Mean?’ – Serena Williams Once Used Rival Maria Sharapova’s Example To Paint a Disturbing Picture of How Fans Perceive Them

With great success comes great scrutiny. This is something that defines the 27-year-long career of Serena Williams. Her performance on the court was not the sole evaluator. Despite her incredible achievements on the WTA Tour, she was also in the limelight for things that were not related to tennis.

Williams talked about it in an old interview where she pointed out the double standards of people that she had to come across because of who she was.

Serena Williams spoke about people judging her on the basis of her looks

In 2017, in an exclusive interview with Vogue, Serena Williams talked about the judgments she gets. People misinterpreted her ‘game face’ and she expressed her views on that. She said, “I feel like people think I’m mean. Really tough and really mean and really street.” However, she reiterated that she was a friendly person and said, “I believe that the other girls in the locker room will say, ‘Serena’s really nice.'”

And then she pointed out the difference of opinion in people who don’t know her personally. She said, “But Maria Sharapova, who might not talk to anybody, might be perceived by the public as nicer.” This led her to question the double standard. Williams boldly provided an answer herself and said, “Because I’m black and so I look mean? That’s the society we live in. That’s life.” She concluded by saying, “They say African-Americans have to be twice as good, especially women. I’m perfectly OK with having to be twice as good.”

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But this did not bring down the morale of the player who went on to win 23 Grand Slam titles and 73 singles titles during her glorious career. Apart from that, she also won 14 Grand Slam titles, along with her sister Venus Williams.

The Williams’ sisters became the inspiration of millions around the world

Venus and Serena Williams stepped into a world where they broke the numerous stereotypes, both in tennis and in the sporting world. Not just that, they went on to become two of the greatest athletes of all time. This gave hope to other people. F1 racing driver, Lewis Hamilton, is one iconic athlete who was inspired by the legendary sisters’ career. The 7-time World Drivers’ Champion hugely respects the two players for inspiring athletes from minority communities to chase their dreams.

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Apart from that, during Serena Williams’ retirement, legendary golf player Tiger Woods, former professional boxer Mike Tyson, LA Lakers legend LeBron James, and Olympian Simone Biles hailed her contributions. Even after retiring from the sport, Serena continues to inspire others; as evidenced by her latest book, ‘The Adventures of Qai Qai’.

What is your favorite Williams sisters moment?