Serena Williams calls out sports fraternity for not recognizing women's athletes: "We've always been great, you guys are just noticing"

On Wednesday, December 4, Serena Williams emphasized the rising prominence of women's sports, and seemingly called out the media for not recognizing women athletes. The 43-year-old has repeatedly championed this cause.

Williams achieved numerous accolades, including 23 Major titles as a player, and later shifted her focus to achieving similar results as an entrepreneur following retirement. She has frequently voiced her support for women. Her company, Serena Ventures, is an investment firm that largely backs women and numerous startups.

Speaking at the New York Times’s DealBook Summit on Wednesday, December 4, the former World No. 1 said that women athletes have always been exceptional, but people have only noticed it recently. She stressed the importance of recognizing their long-standing achievements.

"Women athletes have always been around. We’ve always been amazing and we’ve always been great,” Williams said. “You guys are just noticing, and I think it’s important that people realize that."

In 2022, Williams, in collaboration with sports and apparel brand Nike, invested $1.3 million in 20 organizations worldwide to support women's sports and create better opportunities for future generations of female athletes.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion had also addressed her interest in investing in a WNBA team during an interview with CNN earlier this year.

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"Women’s sport is exciting": Serena Williams on her interest in investing in a WNBA team

Serena Williams at Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2024 - Source: Getty

In an interview with CNN in April, Serena Williams expressed interest in investing in a WNBA team. The 43-year-old noted that women's sports are exciting, which makes such an investment feel like a low-risk move.

“I absolutely would be (interested). With the right market, I would definitely be super interested in that. There is no risk. Women’s sport is exciting, women are exciting to watch. What’s the difference? … I think that even more people watched the college women’s basketball than the men. So I think that people are realizing that is exciting to watch,” Williams said.

While Serena Williams has yet to invest in the WNBA, she is a co-owner of the National Women's Soccer League team Angel City FC. Additionally, she is a major investor in the golf team Los Angeles Golf Club.

Like Williams, her husband and tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian is a strong advocate for women's sports. Through his venture capital firm, Seven Seven Six, Ohanian organized an exclusive women’s track and field event, Athlos NYC, in September.

Ohanian, alongside NJ/NY Gotham FC forward Midge Purce, co-produced the National Women's Soccer League’s series, Offseason, which has gained significant popularity of late.