Serena Williams: Trials and Triumphs

BY VIRGINIA MCCRORY '25, Staff Reporter

Serena Williams shocked the world when she announced to Vogue magazine, “I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me. ” She has had a long and distinguished career with 23 grand slam singles titles, 14 grand slam doubles titles, and four Olympic gold medals. However, this success has not come without its setbacks. Serena faced everything from various injuries to prejudice on and off the court.

One of Williams’ more notable obstacles was giving birth to her daughter, Olympia, after a long and difficult pregnancy that eventually resulted in a Csection. The next morning, Williams realized that she should have a heparin drip, a blood-thinning medication. She knew this because of experience with a blood clotting condition she developed in 2011. She asked a doctor and was dismissed, but soon after, she had a coughing fit that tore her stitches. She was rushed into surgery and soon discovered a collection of blood outside her blood vessels. After the surgery, she woke up in excruciating pain and told the nurse, “I need to have a CAT scan of my lungs bilaterally, and then I need to be on my heparin drip. ” Unfortunately, she was dismissed again. After insisting for quite some time, the doctors finally gave her the heparin drip and scans that she asked for and they discovered a blood clot in her lungs. Williams eventually recovered and continued playing tennis while coping with postpartum depression. She tells Vogue that she is a very hands-on mom to her daughter, Olympia. “In five years, Olympia has only spent one 24-hour period away from me. ” To Williams, nothing is a sacrifice when it comes to Olympia, but tennis is a different story.

Williams told Vogue, “I think tennis, by comparison, has always felt like a sacrifice, though it’s one I enjoyed making. ” Williams’ father told her that she first picked up a tennis racket at age three. Up to this point, she had poured her heart and soul into the sport. Williams recounts how she won many of her matches because her anger fueled her. Serena has changed the world of tennis for the better, and Black women worldwide have shared how she positively impacted their lives. According to a New York Times article, Williams motivated her fan, Rachel Atkins, 35, to seek the medical attention she deserved during her pregnancy because of her transparency about her own struggles during labor. She gave 55-year-old Lolita Jackson hope in a more diverse future in tennis by being a Black woman who repeatedly won matches and tournaments.

Now, Williams wants to shift her attention toward her business Serena Ventures, a capital firm that seeks to invest in consumer products, healthcare, and information technology that will make the world a better place. In her final statement to Vogue, she says, “I’m going to miss that version of me, that girl who played tennis. ”

Williams plays at the '22 U.S. Open. [CC]