Serena Williams drops the truth bomb on how she handles her 'larger than life' public image while remaining grounded

Serena Williams recently disclosed how she manages to excel in various parts of her life. The American retired from pro tennis in 2022 but has stayed on top of the culture through her business ventures.

Williams is arguably the greatest female tennis player of all time, thanks to her haul of 23 Major titles. Owing to her success, she was recently covered by Vanity Fair as they celebrated iconic female athletes across several sports.

During the interaction, editor-in-chief Radikha Jones posed her a rather interesting question: "What is it like to balance being larger than life with also being human?" In response, Serena Williams recalled some resourceful advice that she once received. She said:

"I was once given the advice, 'Pressure is a privilege.' I’d rather have it than not," Serena Williams told Vanity Fair's Rashida Jones.

The 23-time Major winner has many records to her name in tennis. She spent a joint-record 186 weeks as the women's World No. 1 and raked in $94.8 million in prize money earnings.

Outside of tennis, Williams currently spearheads her beauty company, 'Wyn Beauty,' her venture capital firm, 'Serena Ventures,' and her fashion brand, 'S by Serena.' The 43-year-old admitted in a TikTok video in March earlier this year that her business portfolio boasted of investments in over 85 companies.

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Serena Williams on her career: "I was born to win... that part was innate"

Serena Williams poses with the 2012 US Open trophy

Serena Williams attended the New York Times DealBook Summit earlier this month, where she talked briefly about how she nurtured her winning mentality. The American reminisced about getting upset as a child when she would lose in a talent show.

Moreover, she also admitted that while her mentality was "innate", her elder sister, Venus Williams, had to work harder to get on the same level. She said:

"I think it's definitely a little nurture but also something that's innate. I was born to win. We used to have these talent show and if I didn't win the talent show, I would go nuts. I would cry, throw a fit."

"That part was innate and Venus always said that she didn't have that part. She learned it... I think you can get it both ways. I think it's good that if you don't have something, you can still develop it later on by working on it."

Aside from tennis and business, Williams is leading a healthy family life in her Florida home with her husband and businessman, Alexis Ohanian, and her two children, Olympia and Adira.