Tennis icon Serena Williams stunningly graces the cover February “Body and Mind” issue of Allure. The multiple Grand Slam winner is also featured in an interview entitled “The Power of Unapologetic Greatness.”
In a revealing conversation, Williams authentically expresses her truth and discusses role models of hers in the sport.
“There weren’t a lot of role models for me to look up to [in the sport] and say, ‘Wow, I want to look like this!’… I kind of had to be that role and be that person,” she says. When Serena and her sister Venus became two of the most recognizable figures in tennis, their parents encouraged them to love themselves, and the way they looked, even under the sometimes-cruel scrutiny of the public eye. “Venus and I started out being successful, continued to be successful, and we were also unapologetically ourselves. We were not afraid to wear braids. We weren’t afraid to be black in tennis. And that was different.”
Serena Williams is the epitome of greatness. She is arguably the greatest tennis player of all-time and one of the most decorated athletes that the world has ever witnessed. Williams holds the record for the most Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles combined among active players. Her 39 major titles place her tied for third on the all-time list and second in the Open Era: 23 in singles, 14 in women’s doubles, and two in mixed doubles.
You can check out the entire interview here.
