There’s something to be said for women who not only shatter the glass ceiling -they completely eviscerate it. Serena Williams is now the world’s highest-paid female athlete, an accomplishment she’s earned through nearly two decades of title after title, win after hard-fought win. But it hasn’t come easy. Serena has endured her share of criticism beyond what anyone should, being shamed for both her literal and figurative strength. But those are the qualities that have made her an indisputable game-changer and the right kind of role model to grace the cover of Glamour magazine’s July issue.
Image via Glamour.com
With her upcoming EPIX documentary “Serena: The Other Side of Greatness” just days away, Glamour interviewed Serena for their “Women are Strong as Hell” issue. You can read the full interview here. Below, a few excerpts from her feature:
MHP: You have been called “the world’s greatest athlete.” Do you welcome that label? Does it feel accurate to you?
SW: Oh my gosh, I don’t know. That’s so hard to say. I try to be the best that I can be every day. I have bad days. I had a bad day the other day. I hit for only, like, 30 minutes, and I stormed off the court. But that was the best I could do on that day. So am I the greatest? I don’t know. I’m the greatest that I can be.
MHP: How do you come back from a loss like the U.S. Open in 2015?
SW: I work harder. I study to see where I went wrong. But I carry the loss. My coach has said to me, “When you win a match or a tournament, you don’t even think about it—the very next minute you’re like, ‘Now I’ve got to focus on Wimbledon.’ You should take the losses the same way.” I need to look at those losses as learning experiences.
Congratulations, Serena! Your strength and success are an inspiration to women in any field. We all aspire to have your tenacity, drive and focus. And I am so proud to call you my friend. God bless, and much love. xoxo
