Serena Williams Exposes the Pressure to Be “Super Flat” and “Super Thin” in Pro Tennis

Serena Williams is sharing her truth about what it was like dealing with body image issues when she first started playing tennis.

In a recent interview with NET-A-PORTER’s digital magazine PORTER, the 44-year-old reflected on how her body looked different from other players and how hard that was to handle early in her career.

She explained that her body shape made her stand out, and not always in a way she felt comfortable with.

“It was hard because when I was playing in the beginning – the first 15 years – my body was different. I had big boobs; I had a big butt. Every athlete was like super flat, super thin and beautiful, but in a different way. And I didn’t understand as an athlete how to deal with that.”

Those differences took a toll on her mentally. Williams admitted, “It does affect you mentally. Absolutely. You think you’re large for your whole life and you look [back] and you’re like, I was fit. Yeah, I had big muscles. I didn’t look like these other girls but not everyone looks the same.”

To protect herself, Serena made a choice early on to stop reading anything written about her.

“When I was 17, when I won the Open for the first time, I took a decision there. I was so young, but I said I’m never going to read anything about me. At the Open, there was so much positivity, and I thought, I don’t want my head to get too big. I wanted to stay humble. I also thought if it’s negative, I don’t want to read it. I never really read an article after that.”

That mindset helped her block out the noise. She explained how growing up Black in tennis meant dealing with criticism constantly.

“Growing up and being Black in tennis, it’s just like, well, that comes with negativity… You have something mean to say, get in line. You got to go way back. It’s going to take you a few days to get there. Join the crowd. I don’t hear the noise. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. How am I going to sit here and change someone’s thought? If [you] don’t like me, you don’t have to.”

Serena also pointed out that things are getting better for young Black tennis stars like Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka.

“It’s changed. No one’s calling these girls the [things] I was called. People would say we were like men and all this other stuff.”

She talked about the importance of staying focused and not letting negativity affect her.

“I’m not going to let anyone bring me down. I put enough stress on myself. The last thing I’m going to allow is someone else to do that. But I’m so happy that girls nowadays don’t have to go through it as much. I mean, I think internet trolls are different. So, you have that to deal with…”

Looking back, Serena said she realized she was always strong, fit, and had powerful muscles even if she didn’t look like other athletes.

What she went through has shaped her resilience and she is glad that young Black tennis players today don’t face the same level of harsh criticism she did.