"I had a red 'X' on me and it was hard, people assume you’re not friendly" - When Serena Williams opened up about having a target on her back

Serena Williams once opened up about how she was perceived by her tennis rivals when she broke through on tour. The American also explained why she deliberately kept her fellow players at arm's length.

Williams was only 17 years old when she clinched her maiden Grand Slam title at the 1999 US Open. The American delivered an extraordinary run at her home Slam, beating top players like Kim Clijsters, former Wimbledon winner Conchita Martinez, nine-time Major champion Monica Seles and defending champion Lindsay Davenport. Subsequently, she claimed a 6-3, 7-6(4) win over then-World No. 1 Martina Hingis in the blockbuster final.

Having announced herself on the world stage with her remarkable campaign, Serena Williams felt there was a target on her back from the other players on tour. In a 2024 interview with the New York Times, the former World No. 1 candidly discussed the challenge of being seen as unfriendly since she was so focused on winning.

"I definitely had a red "X" on me. And it was hard. People assume that you’re not friendly, and that’s usually not the case. You’re just there to win, and people don’t really want to talk to winners in a singles sport," Serena Williams said.

"It’s like they say, Birds of a feather flock together, and there’s only one winner, so who are you gonna flock with? If I were playing soccer, it’d be a completely different situation, because you have a team of players," she added.

This is the same reason why Williams chose not to get too attached to her fellow players, confessing that maintaining an emotional distance made it easier to beat them on the court. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has also spoken about taking her cue from Steffi Graf and Monica Seles, as she had noticed that they "wouldn't talk to other players."

"I do feel like it shook the world... Tennis had been dominated by Caucasians" - Serena Williams on winning her first Grand Slam title

Serena Williams - Source: Getty

In the same interview, Serena Williams disclosed that she stuck close to her mother, Oracene Price, and father, Richard Williams, while staying detached from other WTA players.

The American also highlighted how her triumph at the 1999 US Open was revolutionary in a sport "dominated by Caucasians." She expressed her belief that her fellow players weren't welcoming of the change and made it a mission to prevent her from winning more Major titles.

"I had my mom and my dad, and we kept ourselves really close because we had to. But yeah, I do feel like it shook the world. I mean, come on: A Black girl wins a Grand Slam at 17 years old, and she’s from Compton! Obviously they took notice. Tennis had been dominated by Caucasians, so it was like: "Whoa. We’re having a change in our sport. We don’t like that. This isn’t normal. Let’s not let her win,"" Serena Williams said.

Although Serena Williams kept a distance from other top stars, she remained very close to her sister Venus Williams despite their rivalry. The 23-time Grand Slam champion even acknowledged their dynamic was very "codependent."