US tennis star feels some people don’t want Black players to succeed
Receive the latest sports updates in your inbox
Tennis star Serena Williams said that a certain percentage of people don’t want Black players to succeed.
In a wide-ranging but positive press conference on Thursday, Williams, who just finished her tour this summer in Australia, explained why she didn’t play on the US Open field.
“There’s always been that voice in the back of your head that says, ‘Why do you do it? Why do you ever do it?’ I have a different set of answers that I give for myself,” Williams said. “Just for me personally, it’s a way to express my love for the game, myself. What I always say is, ‘I may not have won the match, but I won the right to come back and express myself through serving.’ That’s the most powerful tool in serving, and I feel like that’s the most powerful way for people to express themselves.”
She added, “I have a lot of respect for Black people. I’ve always had a tremendous relationship with me as a Black woman and I believe in diversity. You just try to be a person that you can bring to the table and not be talked down to. I believe in acceptance.”
She added, “I feel like I have been a great ambassador for everyone and I think I’ve always been very honest and transparent about my identity and how it made me feel, and how it made me feel about my identity.”
“I felt like I was on the court yesterday,” Williams said, “but I went home and I felt like I was in the hospital. I had a lot of emotions and it wasn’t easy, and there’s always going to be people who don’t like me. I’m not going to win the next Grand Slam. That’s not what I’m trying to do. I just want to be myself and enjoy the journey of all the things I’ve done. I think that’s what makes me so strong as an athlete. I look at certain people that have been a success and I think they’re more successful because they have their identity and they have something to bring to the table. I’ve always felt like that’s been my purpose.”
On the