9 Serena Williams Motivational Quotes
After playing professionally for nearly three decades, the 40-year-old announced her retirement in a self-penned essay for the September 2022 issue of Vogue, where she also graces the cover of the magazine fashion.
Julian Finney | Getty Images"I was hesitant to admit that I have to stop playing tennis," Williams wrote for the magazine. "Perhaps the best word to describe what I do is evolution. I'm here to tell you that I'm evolving away from tennis, towards other things that are important to me."
Williams, who has won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other Open-era player, is set to step onto the court for the last time professionally at the 2022 US Open in New York, which takes place from August 29 to September. 11. There she will have her last chance to equal Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam wins.
Below, we've rounded up nine of the tennis icon, who knows how to give it her all, on and off the court.
On what makes a champion"I really think a champion is not defined by their victories but by how well they can recover when they fall." - The National, September 2012
On successful women"Every woman's should be the inspiration of another. We should uplift each other. Make sure you are very brave: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble." - Glamour, November 2015
Related: Muhammad Ali's Greatest Quotes of All Time
On the way to winning"I never give up. I fight to the end. You can't say, 'I want a bag of spirits that never say die'. It's not for sale. It has to be innate." - LA Times, March 2000
on fear"I'm lucky because no matter how much fear I have inside, my desire to win is always stronger." - Time, February 2015
On self-confidence"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does." - Speech at the Mouratoglou Academy, July 2020
Related: Best LeBron James Quotes
By being strong"Being strong is never easy. Not in this world we live in... It won't be easy to defend yourself, but it will always end up being respected." - Allure, January 2019
In case of failure"You can't fail if you do something and it doesn't work. That's success. Maybe it wasn't to the point you wanted to make it, but it's still success." - People, November 2016
On the gossip"When I'm depressed, I talk to myself a lot. I look crazy because I'm constantly arguing with myself." - Return of the Champion: How Great Athletes Recover, Reflect and Reignite, 2016
Related: Serena Williams and the 9 Most Successful Entrepreneur Athletes
On smiling through the hard times"I had to learn to fight my whole life - I learned to keep smiling. If you smile, everything will be fine." –
After playing professionally for nearly three decades, the 40-year-old announced her retirement in a self-penned essay for the September 2022 issue of Vogue, where she also graces the cover of the magazine fashion.
Julian Finney | Getty Images"I was hesitant to admit that I have to stop playing tennis," Williams wrote for the magazine. "Perhaps the best word to describe what I do is evolution. I'm here to tell you that I'm evolving away from tennis, towards other things that are important to me."
Williams, who has won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other Open-era player, is set to step onto the court for the last time professionally at the 2022 US Open in New York, which takes place from August 29 to September. 11. There she will have her last chance to equal Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam wins.
Below, we've rounded up nine of the tennis icon, who knows how to give it her all, on and off the court.
On what makes a champion"I really think a champion is not defined by their victories but by how well they can recover when they fall." - The National, September 2012
On successful women"Every woman's should be the inspiration of another. We should uplift each other. Make sure you are very brave: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble." - Glamour, November 2015
Related: Muhammad Ali's Greatest Quotes of All Time
On the way to winning"I never give up. I fight to the end. You can't say, 'I want a bag of spirits that never say die'. It's not for sale. It has to be innate." - LA Times, March 2000
on fear"I'm lucky because no matter how much fear I have inside, my desire to win is always stronger." - Time, February 2015
On self-confidence"You have to believe in yourself when no one else does." - Speech at the Mouratoglou Academy, July 2020
Related: Best LeBron James Quotes
By being strong"Being strong is never easy. Not in this world we live in... It won't be easy to defend yourself, but it will always end up being respected." - Allure, January 2019
In case of failure"You can't fail if you do something and it doesn't work. That's success. Maybe it wasn't to the point you wanted to make it, but it's still success." - People, November 2016
On the gossip"When I'm depressed, I talk to myself a lot. I look crazy because I'm constantly arguing with myself." - Return of the Champion: How Great Athletes Recover, Reflect and Reignite, 2016
Related: Serena Williams and the 9 Most Successful Entrepreneur Athletes
On smiling through the hard times"I had to learn to fight my whole life - I learned to keep smiling. If you smile, everything will be fine." –
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