Serena Williams On The Double Standard She Faces As A Female Tennis Player: You Can’t Really Express Yourself

Serena Williams

Serena Williams On The Double Standard She Faces As A Female Tennis Player: You Can’t Really Express Yourself

Serena Williams might be one of the best tennis players of all time, but the all-star athlete said she still faces a double standard as a woman who has mastered the sport.

While on The Kelly Clarkson Show Monday (Dec. 7th), Serena Williams opened up about her experience

“In tennis — which is a sport that no one really looks like me, at least in the beginning — you can’t really express yourself or it’s seen as bad. Or you might say something, and you could never even use profanity at all, and they’ll take a game from you, which is crazy.”

She continued and said while she tries to be the kindest person she can be:

“There’s a double standard in everything that we do. And that’s just the society that we happen to live in and it takes generations to change.”

Still, it’s no secret Serena Williams has opened the door for other young Black women to excel on the tennis court. She continued and said:

“It’s the most amazing thing . . . I’m like, ‘OK, is this really a byproduct [of me]?’ ‘Cause I’m still in it, you know? It just seemed to happen so fast, but it’s just so exciting to see so many people of all kinds of different backgrounds just playing and being a part of something so special.”

Still, she added:

“But I’ve never been a person that has been like, ‘I want to be a different color’ or ‘I want my skin tone to be lighter.’ I like who I am, I like how I look, and I love representing the beautiful dark women out there. For me, it’s perfect. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

What are your thoughts on what Serena Williams had to say? Comment and let us know.