Serena Williams will always be the GOAT. Even two years after hanging up her racquet, this 23-time Grand Slam champion continues to dominate headlines. Now focused on being a hands-on mom, she shares her adventures on TikTok and other social media platforms. But there’s so much more to Serena than just family life. She’s a savvy businesswoman who has made her share of mistakes. And these are moments she can now look back on and laugh about.

In a recent chat with Andrew Ross Sorkin for the New York Times Events, Serena reflected on her post-tennis career. Transitioning from her impressive 73 singles titles to the investment world, she now boasts a net worth of $340 million as of May 2024. Her financial success stems from her sharp business instincts and ventures like Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm she co-founded with Alison Rapaport Stilman. When asked about her best and worst investments, Serena couldn’t single one out as the best, stating, “We have so many that we’re so proud of. We have a unicorn in our fund already. Our fund is only a couple of years old.”

Serena Ventures stands out for its commitment to diversity, with an impressive 79% of its portfolio comprising founders from underrepresented backgrounds—54% women, 47% Black, and 11% Latino. Founded in 2014, the firm aims to address the significant gaps in venture capital funding for these groups.

However, Serena also shared a lesson learned from what she considers her “worst investment” experience during the firm’s early days. She said, “The worst is probably my very first investment. I started investing over 15 years ago now, and I invested in this one deal because this guy was doing it and this celebrity was doing it.” Her decision was influenced by fellow stars, leading her to make choices she wouldn’t make today. At that time, she admits she didn’t even know what “due diligence” meant.

Reflecting on those early hiccups, she quipped, “That’s another company I can’t remember the name of but I’m going to have to find out what was the name of that company. But it doesn’t exist.” Now at the pinnacle of her game, Serena takes pride in her journey and the lessons learned along the way, affirming, “I learned a lot from that.”

But that’s not all that has kept Serena Williams busy. Alongside this, she focuses her energy on becoming a GOAT at something else. Seems like Serena has a penchant to reach for the stars and she always hits the mark. It was seen in her tennis career which spanned over 27 years. Now she’s venturing into fitness and being the best mom to her daughters, Olympia and Adira.

WTA champ hopes to become the best at something new

On November 21, in an interview with People, Serena opened up about her new goals and the thrill of competition, which she has missed dearly since retiring from tennis in 2022. Now focused on running a half marathon, she shared, “I’m trying to compete — not compete, rephrase — trying to do a half-marathon. That’s my new goal. So it’s just like I have to do something competitive. I miss tennis like crazy.” Her competitive spirit remains alive and well as she navigates life outside the court.

Being a devoted mother of two, she also embraces her role at home. “I want to be around them every single day of my life,” she emphasized, reflecting her commitment to family. She does this well alongside her husband, Alexis Ohanian, who always gives her the due credit. Recently they celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary in New Orleans.

To celebrate his life with the tennis star, Ohanian posted a heartwarming message for her on Instagram. Alongside their daughters in the photo, he wrote, “Happy Anniversary 🎉 Thanks for giving me the two greatest humans we’ve ever met. You’re an amazing mama. I’m very lucky to have met you @serenawilliams @olympiaohanian @adiraohanian.”

Despite facing health scares recently, Serena maintains a positive outlook. She believes that every experience offers valuable lessons. “The more that I don’t play sports professionally, the more that I think, ‘Okay, this is what I’ve done for literally my entire life,’” she reflected. It goes on to show that Serena Williams is redefining what it means to be a champion in every aspect of her life!