Serena Williams is essentially the American dream. The 35-year-old was raised in the rough neighborhood of Compton, CA, was trained in tennis as a child, and developed into a gracious champion. But what’s interesting is that her circumstances as a child, didn’t reflect on how she saw herself and performed.
“Since I was a teenager, I’ve had to make every financial decision in my life,” the beauty told Maverick Carter on Uniterrupted’s Kneading Dough. “I’ve had to learn how to make good ones and how to make bad ones, to make better ones.”
Adding, “I never ever, ever felt broke. Looking back, I’m like, ‘Wow.’ We lived in a two-bedroom house with seven people. I don’t know how my parents were able to make me feel that way, but they did, and it was special. So I never felt when I came into money that I needed to go buy this because I never wanted anything. So it was a great way.”
Someone she revealed she looked up to for her work in compensating women tennis players comparable to men was Billie Jean King. And like King, Williams hopes to leave a legacy of equality.
“Honestly, if I’m able to open the door for the next person, that means a lot to me too. And hopefully, they’ll be able to do better than me.”