Serena was born in Saginaw, Michigan, to Richard and Oracene Williams (now divorced). The youngest of five girls, Serena grew up with Venus and older sisters Lyndrea, Isha & Yetunde. She was born in 1981. Eldest sister Yetunde Price was murdered in Los Angeles, California in the fall of 2003.
Williams began intensive tennis training at age three. She won her first major championship in 1999 and completed the career Grand Slam in 2003. Along with her individual success, Serena has teamed with sister Venus Williams to win a series of doubles titles. In 2017, she defeated her big sister at the Australian Open to claim the 23rd Grand Slam singles title of her career.
Find 5 success lessons below from Serena Williams:
Lesson 1: Never give up
Sticking to your goals can be an upward battle, especially when you don’t see results right away. Williams has found herself on the losing end of the set early on in the match and requiring two set wins to take the match. In these situations, she holds her head high and keeps fighting.
“I just never give up. I fight to the end. You can’t go out and say, ‘I want a bag of never-say-die spirit.’ It’s not for sale. It has to be innate.” Serena Williams
The important thing is not to throw in the towel just because the odds aren’t working in your favor and time is running out. As long as there’s still time on that clock, you’re still in the fight.
Lesson 2: Let your success speak for you
Serena Williams’ speech at the Sports Person of The Year ceremony shows us that body shamers will never prosper. She said, “I’ve had people look past me because the color of my skin, I’ve had people overlook me because I was a woman, I’ve had critics say I [would] never win another Grand Slam when I was only at number seven — and here I stand today with 21 Grand Slam titles, and I’m still going.” This proves that sometimes you don’t need to say anything or address anyone; sometimes focusing on your success can say more.
Lesson 3: Train Your Body & Your Brain
This was the answer Serena gave when asked how she deals with exhaustion during games. Preparing for tennis is not just about physical training, but also mental. We know from the previous section that Serena can maintain her physical performance over long time periods, but the real challenge is the mental side of the game.
“During the match you get more mentally exhausted than physically.” Serena Williams
Lesson 4: Mindset of a Winner
Serena has both fans and haters. You’ll always have both of them. That’s the reality. She’s able to not pay attention to haters and not let them impact the way she plays. One very important key you can take from Serena is always think positive and be focused on winning, instead of being afraid to fail. Have an end goal in mind.
“There’s no day that goes by that I feel like losing“ Serena Williams
Lesson 5: Consider Obstacles as a Chance to Learn and Grow
During her long-spanning career as an athlete, Williams has faced adversity and been emotionally tested, she shared with the audience. “I was in the hospital at one point and didn’t know if I’d play tennis again,” she noted. “When you’re that low you don’t think about the other stuff. You’re appreciative of your family, friends, and people that support you. Overcoming that was almost fun in a weird way. At that point, I didn’t have anything to lose. I’d won tons of grand slams. This is a second chance, almost like a second life. That’s how I’ve been playing when I approach my job. It’s not about just being a great player, or great champion, or company. It’s how you overcome obstacles when you’re set back. How do you recover? That creates a character.”