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Serena Williams has retired from the tennis, a sport she dominated for more than two decades. But in a new ESPN docuseries that premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, Williams says her toughest opponents were racism – and her older sister, Venus.
In the Arena: Serena Williams debuts on July 10, just before she becomes the fourth woman to host the ESPYS on July 11. The docuseries details Williams’ rise in the sport when she was at first best known as the younger sister of Venus, who turned pro at age 14.
Serena says Venus helped her become a success, although she was intimidated to play her at first.
“I actually never thought I was good at tennis. You have to understand, I was growing up next to Venus Williams,” Serena says in the first episode. “I could never beat Venus unless I cheated.”
But she says, by 2022 their fortunes began to change, with Serena dominating their matches going forward. She beat Venus in four consecutive Grand Slam Finals between 2022 and 2023. After losing to her sister in the 2022 French Open final, Venus never made the final of that tournament again.
“I hated playing Venus. It was torture,” Serena says in the doc. But she loved winning more than she hated playing Venus because as the titles piled up, so did her confidence.
“I finally gave myself permission to be great … to be Serena,” she added. “Once you start winning, winning is like a drug. Every time I did it, I wanted to do it again.”
But the now retired 42-year-old married mom of two daughters Adira, 9 months, and Olympia, 6, with her husband Alexis Ohanian, says that her playing days are definitely over. When asked how she can continue to use her competitive drive now, she answered honestly.
“You don’t and I can’t,” she told People. “I have to be the best mom. I have to go to all of Olympia’s things at her school. I literally show up.”
Williams has invested in several businesses, though, including her Wyn beauty line and Cincoro Tequila, which was founded by Michael Jordan and a few of his friends. She also says she’d one day like to someday own a WNBA team.
The first episode of In the Arena: Serena Williams airs on ESPN on July 10, while all eight episodes will be available on ESPN+.
Watch the teaser trailer below:
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