Caitlin Clark makes shocking tennis revelation; opens up about Serena Williams' influence

WNBA star Caitlin Clark recently reiterated her love for Serena Williams. The 23-year-old recalled how the American tennis legend influenced her when she was growing up. Clark also hilariously revisited her own short-lived tennis journey.

In a recent interview with Elle, the Indiana Fever point guard named the former WTA No. 1 and 23-time singles Major champion as her all-time favorite athlete. She also briefly spoke up about looking up to Williams as a youngster.

"I loved Serena Williams. She was probably my favorite athlete of all time. I just thought she was the greatest. And as a young girl, having someone like her to look up to was incredible," Clark told Elle.

The NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer later remembered playing tennis in her childhood. Clark went on to claim that she was "kicked out" from her tennis class when she was just 10 years old.

"I got kicked out of tennis class when I was like 10, so that didn’t last long. I got mad at the instructor because I thought it was too easy," she added.

Last year, Serena Williams voiced her support for Caitlin Clark. At the time, Clark was facing criticism for struggling in her rookie season in the WNBA.

"If people are negative, it's because they can't do what you do" - Serena Williams' encouraging message to Caitlin Clark in 2024

Caitlin Clark (Source: Getty)

In June 2024, there was a lot of negativity surrounding Caitlin Clark due to her inconsistent performances in her maiden WNBA season. Criticism mounted on her further after she was left out of the US women's basketball roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Serena Williams, during her appearance at New York's Tribeca Festival, vociferously backed the WNBA star, saying:

"If people are negative, it’s because they can’t do what you do. I love that she tries to stay grounded. She says she doesn’t look at her social (media). I get it. I don’t either. I think it’s so important to just continue to do what she’s doing. No matter what other people do. Hopefully she’ll continue to do what she’s doing."

Interestingly, Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian, one of the co-founders of Reddit, also happens to be a big fan of Clark. Not too long ago, after taking notice of the 23-year-old naming Williams as the celebrity she would love to have dinner with, Ohanian extended an open invitation to the WNBA star. Williams also met Clark in person at this year's NFL meeting.