In a recent candid interview with TIME Magazine, Serena Williams reflected on her decision to retire from tennis, her farewell and her legacy, among other things.
Retirement
Earlier this month, Serena Williams announced she would be retiring and hanging up the tennis racket for good after a 27-year career. The tennis icon is considered one of the world’s most decorated athletes of all time, so her announcement came as a shock to many, and in the interview with TIME Magazine’s Sean Gregory she opened up about her thoughts on her legacy, motherhood and next steps.
Family first
During the interview, Williams opened up about her personal life and how motherhood impacted her decision to retire. The 40-year-old shared that her soon-to-be five-year-old daughter Olympia was overjoyed when she learned she would be quitting tennis. She also said it was difficult to remain fully dedicated to tennis, knowing that her daughter was not a fan of her absence. According to the TIME article, this has caused her to examine the sacrifices she’s made over the course of her career and re-evaluate what’s really important.
An unbalanced scale
Williams also shed light on the challenges of living in the spotlight as a successful wife and mother. Like many women who have made it into the limelight and have had to take time off at some point to focus on their families and personal lives, it seems Williams also faced the same predicament.
In “It gets to a point where women sometimes have to make different choices than men, if they want to raise a family,” Williams said. “It’s just black and white. You make a choice or you don’t.
The article highlighted the imbalance that often exists for men in similar industries and how the scales tilt in favor of men in many work and family related cases.
In peace
Williams helped revolutionize beauty standards, especially when it came to dark-skinned black women. Because she was the subject of many racist discussions and always remained rooted in her talent and greatness, it empowered black women. Regarding her decision to retire, Williams shared that “there’s no anger” and that she’s “ready to transition.” She also said she would focus on her investment company Serena Ventures as well as parenthood. The tennis epic also has a clothing line. Williams is set to play her first match at the US Open today against Danka Kovinic.