"Serena Williams thought that she had to look like everybody else" - When American's mother Oracene shed light on legend's struggles with body image

Serena Williams' mother, Oracene Price, once candidly shared insights into her daughter's struggles with body image issues. Price also delivered an inspiring message about how everyone was beautiful in their own unique way.

Although Williams had an illustrious tennis career, during which she won 23 Grand Slam titles, she was subjected to relentless criticism regarding her physique. The American even recalled being considered a "big fat cow."

The criticism impacted Serena Williams' perception of her body, and she took time to accept her physique. Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2013, the American admitted that she had wanted to look more like her thin and "model-like" sister Venus Williams until she learned to embrace her own "thick" figure.

"I had to get comfortable with knowing that one of my weaknesses was my weight. Especially growing up with Venus, who’s so tall and slim and model-like, and me, I’m thick and hips and everything. I used to feel like I wanted to be her," she said.

"I wanted to be thin, but it wasn’t me, so I had to learn that I’m going to have larger b**bs. I’m going to be bigger, and just enjoy that," she added.

In a 2019 interview with TODAY, Oracene Price further disclosed how her daughter had felt the pressure to meet conventional beauty standards. However, Price emphasized that each individual was unique and that there was no one-size-fits-all definition of beauty.

"She thought that she had to look like everybody else, you know? I mean, we're all made different. We all have different looks. And if you really look at it, everybody's beautiful. And one size don't fit all," Price said.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams has credited her mother, Oracene Price, for giving her the strength to withstand the negative scrutiny surrounding her physique.

Serena Williams on dealing with comments about her body: "My mum taught myself and all my sisters to be so strong"

Venus and Serena Williams with their mother Oracene Price - Source: Getty

In a 2016 interview with The Guardian, Serena Williams humorously dismissed the discourse about her looks as a "big joke", pointing out that she was criticized for being both "too masculine" and "too racy" by the media.

"Too muscly and too masculine, and then a week later too racy and too sexy. So for me it was just really a big joke," Williams said.

The American also credited her mother, Oracene Price, for preparing her and her sisters to deal with such comments by teaching them about self-love, a lesson that Williams passed on to other women.

"I think that’s why, growing up, my mum – not consciously, subconsciously – taught myself and all my sisters to be so strong. It prepared me for these moments. But she always taught us to love ourselves and I think that is a wonderful message that I spread now to so many females," she said.

Furthermore, Serena Williams acknowledged that being scrutinized for her body was simply "part of being in the public eye" and that the most important thing was that she liked herself.