"Do they say LeBron James, Roger Federer & Tiger Woods are world’s best male athletes?": When Serena Williams snapped back at gender-based comparisons

Serena Williams has consistently spoken out about the struggles women face in male-dominated sports, touching on the ongoing prejudices and the extra effort women must make to succeed. Her frustration reached its peak in 2016 when she drew comparisons to LeBron James, Roger Federer, and Tiger Woods.

Williams is one of the greatest players to ever pick up a racket, and arguably one of the greatest athletes across all sports. Carving out a name for herself in the sporting world wasn’t easy, as she faced challenges not only as a Black athlete but also due to gender discrimination. However, she overcame it all and reached the pinnacle of success.

Despite everything she had accomplished, the American couldn’t help but question why she was always labeled as the "greatest female player of all time," as if the word "female" was necessary to define her greatness. She expressed her frustration in a first-person essay for Porter Magazine’s Women of 2016 issue, writing:

"When I was growing up, I had a dream. I’m sure you did, too. My dream wasn’t like that of an average kid, my dream was to be the best tennis player in the world. Not the best 'female' tennis player in the world."

Serena Williams added:

"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. 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. We should never let this go unchallenged. We should always be judged by our achievements, not by our gender."

The 23-time Grand Slam champion was also outspoken about the issue of gender pay gap in sports.

Serena Williams: "I would never want my daughter to be paid less than my son for same work"

Serena Williams pictured with daughter Olympia at the 2020 Women's ASB Classic | Image Source: Getty

Equal pay has been a longstanding debate across all sports, not just tennis. While female tennis players rank among the highest-paid athletes globally, some tournaments still fall short of offering equal prize money, including the Cincinnati Open, Canadian Open, Italian Open, and China Open.

Serena Williams has consistently spoken out against the gender pay gap. In her Porter Magazine essay, she questioned why it still persisted and stressed that she would never want her son to earn more than her daughter for putting in the same effort.

“When the subject of equal pay comes up, it frustrates me because I know firsthand that I, like you, have done the same work and made the same sacrifices as our male counterparts. I would never want my daughter to be paid less than my son for the same work. Nor would you” she wrote.

The American, along with her husband Alexis Ohanian, has been a strong advocate for women’s sports, not just in words but through real action. With their two daughters, Olympia and Adira, as inspiration, they’ve invested in the future of female athletes, believing that one day, they will outshine men.