"As a Black woman, we are starting at the bottom" - Serena Williams on breaking down the burden of 'false narratives' in a predominantly white sport

Serena Williams recently opened up about the challenges of dismantling "false narratives" as a black woman and person of color in a predominantly white sport like tennis. Williams, throughout her career, has fought racial stereotypes as well as sexism.

Williams is one of the greatest tennis players in history. She boasts of winning 39 Grand Slam titles in her career - 23 in singles, 14 in women's doubles, and two in mixed doubles. She has also held the World No.1 ranking for 319 weeks.

Beyond her achievements on the court, Serena Williams has been an advocate for the black community. From the beginning of her career untill now, she has been shedding light on their struggles and advocating for equality.

Recently, while speaking to Harper's Bazaar, Serena Williams talked about the challenges she faced as a black athlete in a predominantly white sport like tennis. She stated that it is hard to be a person of color in tennis, as she has always been expected to win more than anybody else to prove her mettle.

Williams also said that as a black women, she and all the others in sports or any other fields are "starting at the bottom" because of the disparities in opportunities and pay they face.

“It’s hard because when you are a person of color, you’re expected to—you have to—win so many times more than someone else. To be honest, as a Black woman, we are basically starting at the bottom. You don’t get paid as much. You don’t get as many opportunities,” Serena Williams said.

Serena Williams also stated that she has tried to break down the stereotypes and "false narratives" that came with being a black woman while also being herself.

“And no matter what you do, it’s always, “Oh, she’s mean,” or “Oh, she’s this,” and none of that is necessarily true. So it’s [about] breaking down those false narratives and also being okay with being yourself and letting people see that. I think it’s something that we have to talk about and embrace more: “These barriers also have to be broken down.” And I’m okay to do that too,” she added.

Serena Williams: "I was judged way more harshly than people that have done the same"

Serena Williams

Serena Williams said that it was "surreal" and "cool" to be able to break barriers and pave the way for other players.

"We were able to break barriers and open doors for other people. And then to see so many players come up and say they liked us was kind of surreal but also really cool," Serena Williams said.

Williams also talked about how sometimes she was treated unjustly during her playing career. She said that she often received harsher punishments for the same actions as her peers.

The former World No. 1 stated that some fines and punishments she received were unwarranted and the severity of the consequences she faced far exceeded those of her counterparts.

"I was judged way more harshly than people that have done the same [thing]. I don’t know, but I think I had the biggest fine in the sport. Listen, I’m not a saint on the court. I’m the first to admit I’m the most psycho person on the court. I’m crazy, and I probably deserved a lot of that . But in the sport, I think that’s a bit much, when you think about it," she added.

For her efforts in pushing forward the black community, the former World No. 1 has received awards the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

She was honored with the President's Award in 2003 and the Jackie Robinson Sports Award in 2023. She was also lauded by Ebony Magazine as a key figure in advancing the black community on the global stage during Black History Month last year.