Breaking Barriers: Serena Williams
- therookiereporters
- 5 days ago
- 3 min read
This article covers the challenges faced by Serena Jameka Williams, a former professional tennis player and an inspiration for millions.
Serena Jameka Williams is a former professional tennis player and record holder. Born on 26 September 1981, Serena is regarded as one of the best tennis players of all time.
She was ranked No.1 in singles by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) for 319 weeks and holds a joint record for 186 consecutive weeks. She also holds the record of most Grand Slam Women's Singles titles in the open era and the second most of all time (23). Serena was the highest-paid female athlete in 2016 and 2017, being the only woman to feature in Forbes’ list of 100 highest-paid athletes and remains the highest-earning female athlete of all time.
Williams also won an array of awards including the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award four times, Comeback of the Year, Sportsperson of the Year in 2020 and on top of that was ranked the greatest female tennis player in history by the Tennis Channel.
“The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you're very courageous: Be strong, be extremely kind and above all, be humble." - Serena Williams
Unfortunately, in the fast-paced world of sports, these accomplishments are often overlooked. Serena, being part of sporting minorities such as being a woman and a person of colour, often faces such adversities associated with them on a daily basis. Many people in these minorities feel their mistakes and errors come with more backlash than others and that they are not able to advocate for themselves without being labelled as aggressive or hysterical.
This makes it much harder for athletes such as Serena to break through and make a name for themselves. Even with her phenomenal talent and resilient mindset, facing discrimination meant that Williams had to work harder than others to accomplish her dreams. Being called one of the best female athletes instead of one of the greatest athletes is simply reflective of this.
Another difficulty Serena faced was misinformed stereotypes associated with her skin colour. In a BBC interview, Serena revealed she was often subjected to drug tests. Drug tests are a normal practice in sports, however, Serena stated that she was tested far more frequently than others, as a result of this, regardless of every test coming back negative.
Serena made it a point to stick up for not only herself, but others as well.
In 2016, Moore, the tournament director of tennis’ most prestigious event outside the majors, the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, said women’s players should get “down every night” on their knees and thank Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for carrying the sport.
Williams was one of those who criticised Moore, with the 70-year-old resigning days later.
This, along with sexist umpires, hateful comments during interviews, constant undermining and online abuse could have brought anybody down, but Serena was determined.
“I was fortunate to have a family that supported my dream and encouraged me to follow it,” Williams wrote in a letter, most of which was republished on the WTA’s website. “I learned not to be afraid. I learned how important it is to fight for a dream and, most importantly, to dream big. My fight began when I was three and I haven’t taken a break since.”
“But as we know, too often women are not supported enough or are discouraged from choosing their path. I hope together we can change that. For me, it was a question of resilience. What others marked as flaws or disadvantages about myself – my race, my gender – I embraced as fuel for my success. I never let anything or anyone define me or my potential. I controlled my future.”-Serena Williams, The Guardian
Serena Jameka Williams, an inspiration, a role model, a pioneer, a courageous mother and a strong woman of colour. She left her mark in the history books and on the tennis court.
The uncomfortable truth remains, Serena isn't the only woman or person of colour to be treated unfairly. Discrimination happens every day and is far too normalised. The power lies in all of us to do our part and make real change.
Article written by Mia Pitzer