Serena Williams

“True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic. It is not the urge to surpass all others at whatever cost, but the urge to serve others at whatever cost”(Ashe). Arthur Ashe, a legendary tennis player, believed that heroes have an urge to serve, not to surpass. Heroes are those who strive to help others, yet continue to manage their own happiness and health.  A hero can be defined as a person who donates any amount of money to charity, a teen who walks an elder’s dog free of charge, or anybody who helps out in their community. David Granger speaks about how heroes always come through to inspire society: “Heroes arrive when we need them most. They define us and point us in a direction. To turn our sights at this moment toward an idea of America that is heroic does, admittedly, require an act of will”(Granger). What singles a hero out from any other average being is how many barriers he/she is willing to break in order to aid those in need.  Furthermore, in order to maintain positivity and give back to society, a hero must be generous, determined, and strong--both mentally and physically. These traits benefit not only the hero himself but also those that he/she helps. Generosity and strength are the two main traits a hero must possess in order to succeed.

Serena Williams in 1992Ken LevineOf all the people who possess these traits, famous tennis player Serena Jameka Williams surpasses the ideals of a hero. Williams has broken many records and won many tournaments that have shaped her career.  So far, she has taken home 72 wins on the WTA tour, she has earned $84,463,131 in career prize money, and she has nearly doubled that amount earned in endorsements and appearance fees. That is how many wins and how much hard work it takes to become, and to hold the ranking for #1 women’s tennis player in the world. On her sixth occasion, Williams held the number one spot for 186 consecutive weeks. Throughout her career, her name has been at first place for a total of 319 weeks.  Born on September 26, 1981, Serena Williams was introduced to the sport of tennis at a very young age, along with her four older sisters. She was only three years old when her parents decided to put them on the court. Their parents, Richard Williams and Oracene Price, taught themselves how to play the sport because they knew that tennis was their ticket out of the slums of Compton, CA. Richard and Oracene had their thoughts straight because they were correct; by the time Williams reached age 9, the Williams family relocated to Florida to play better tennis. When Williams started getting more skilled, and once her name was known in the junior tennis circuit, her professional career took off just years later. Age 17. 1999. The year when Williams won her first Grand Slam singles title at the U.S. Open. It was a massive win for her. That win is what ignited her forever-burning flame of success.  Unfortunately, only four years later, Yetunde Price (Williams’ eldest sister) was shot and killed back in Compton. The bullet was meant to reach her boyfriend at the time, but sadly it hit Yetunde instead. It was a major devastation to the family, and also a setback on Williams’ career. It impacted Williams’ mindset, to the point where depression was something on her mind. Through her strength, even depression is something that she was able to battle and overcome. World-renowned tennis player, Serena Williams, utilized her strength and determination to defy society’s norms of a standard athlete, thus shaping her into the generous, iconic woman that she is today.

2008 U.S. Open win, showing off those muscles!Timothy A. ClarySerena Williams and her trophy from the Australian open, won while pregnantMartin RichardThrough physical and mental strength, Williams thrives both on and off the court, even in the toughest of times. During an interview, Bissinger questioned Williams about how she felt going into the Australian Open while carrying an eight-week-old fetus: “The Australian Open was about to begin, and an immediate medical determination had to be made on what risk there might be in playing. The doctor who examined her thought she was about three or four weeks pregnant—it was almost impossibly hard to tell because the fetus was so small—and said there was no risk whatsoever. When Williams returned to the States and had a subsequent exam, it was discovered that she had actually been more advanced, about seven to eight weeks, but she said she still would have played”(Bissinger).  Williams’ ability to play all seven matches in the tournament, and win them all in straight sets, all with the stresses and physical impact clearly shows how tenacious of a woman she really is. The fact that Williams said that she would have played even if she knew that she was seven to eight weeks pregnant shows that she is a risk-taker, which ultimately shows her mental strength. Williams’ obstacles, whether small or large, do not stop her use of her impeccable strength to push through, even in the most excruciatingly painful times. Her physical strength is not the only thing that carried her through, but her determined mentality plays an important role in her success. Tennis can be strenuous on the mind, but the right mindset can keep you going: During the same interview, Bissinger inquired about her mentality during the game: “Serena plays a sport that requires the mental focus of instantaneously letting go of losing points and moving on because there are a lot of excruciating ones no matter how great you are, continual regrouping and re-inventing: dwell on them, you lose confidence; lose confidence and you lose. She is also superbly conditioned, given that a female tennis player may run about three miles in a match without the luxury of coming out of the game because you feel winded or lost too much money gambling with teammates the night before on the charter and would rather mope on the bench” (Bissinger).  The phrase, “lose confidence and you lose” states that confidence is a key factor in a player’s mindset if they hope to emerge victorious. Williams’ immaculate “winner’s mentality” and her ability to correct her mistakes in a match is one of the essential reasons of why she is so prosperous in tennis. Her confidence and determination as a female tennis player results in her investing time and work into her game, especially after tournaments. There is no room for her to skip practicing, especially during tournament season, because of her extreme focus on her game plan. Williams’ powerful strength carried her to become an incredibly generous woman.

Venus and Serena Williams at YPRC launchunknownBy donating thousands and thousands of dollars to many different charities that support different causes, Williams satisfied her need of giving back those who are less fortunate than herself. Williams shows hospitality when she provides resources to the unprivileged: “I know first-hand the devastating effects violence has on loved ones…the pain and grief often feels unbearable. This is why I launched the Yetunde Price Resource Center (YPRC), to provide comprehensive resource, referral and case management services to individuals and families affected by community violence. I want to help others gain access to the tools they need to cope, heal and move forward in life”  (Serena Williams). Once the financial resources were available, she founded the YPRC to provide a resource for society, one that she did not have when Yetunde was killed. Compton, CA is not the safest place for a family to be living, so she knows how difficult it is for families in her neighborhood to cope with the passing of a loved family member. One of Williams’ many funds, the YPRC, protects and provides for families involved with community violence. The Williams family not only helps their hometown of Compton but also contributes worldwide: “Through UNICEF, we got involved in a program that distributed bed nets to help cut down on the spread of malaria” (Williams 181).  Williams, her mother, and sister Isha, all took a trip to different countries in Africa. There, they contributed to the poor areas by building schools for children that are free to attend. They also hosted clinics to teach tennis to the children. Since 2011, Williams is an ambassador for UNICEF, and through them, she helped a poor area in Africa get access to vaccines for malaria to contribute to slowing down the spread of the disease. The amount of money that she has put into these charities and has given to those in need is legendary; what is incredible is the heart that she has in order to do these kind things for society.

QuoteNikeThrough utilizing her immense strength and determination, world-renowned tennis player, Serena Williams defied society’s norms of a standard athlete, which shaped her into the generous, iconic woman that she is today.  Williams’ incredible mental power provides her with a way to break through the toughest emotional times. Her physical strength allows her to play tennis, even with the biggest obstacles--like pregnancy. She has also donated thousands and thousands of dollars to many different charities, and has started multiple funds to help those in need. Serena Williams is an inspirational figure, who is shaped by her struggles of successfully emerging out of her hometown. Through all the bumps in the road, she always ends with a positive mindset and her head up high: “I’ve never been the right kind of woman. Oversized, and overconfident. Too mean if I don’t smile. Too black for my tennis whites. Too motivated for motherhood. But I’m proving. Time and time again. There’s no wrong way to be a woman”(Instagram) shows the boundaries she has pushed, and all of society’s rules that she has broken. Even today, she is still breaking limits as a famous black female tennis player from Compton, California.  Personally, Serena Williams inspires me primarily through her strength. Through the undesirable moments of mental distress, I tend to reflect on how Williams defeated many of her own emotional battles. The struggles associated with my shoulder injury allow me to relate to her physical power as well. Furthermore, what makes me feel like I can conquer any conflict, on and off the court, is how she managed to end the Australian Open with an iconic win. Her impressive positivity always succeeds to uplift my spirit. Williams has never been the type of woman to flaunt her success upon others; she is humble about her wins and accepting of her losses--which is something to be proud of. Just as Arthur Ashe stated, heroes are defined by their urge to serve, not to surpass. By her humble and generous qualities of helping out not only her hometown, but also many nations of Africa, Serena Williams fits the definition of a true heroic woman.

Works Cited

Ashe, Arthur. “Arthur Ashe Quotes.” BrainyQuote, Xplore,

www.brainyquote.com/quotes/arthur_ashe_124531?src=t_heroism.

Bissinger, Buzz, et al. “Cover Story: Serena Williams's Love Match.” Vanities, Vanity Fair, 1 Sept. 2017, www.vanityfair.com/style/2017/06/serena-williams-cover-story.

“Until We All Win.” Performance by Serena Williams, Instagram, 5 Mar.. 2018,

Instagram.com/p/Bf8ahD7h3_Z/

“Welcome.” Serena Williams, www.serenawilliams.com/#sport

Williams, Serena, and Daniel Paisner. My Life: Queen of the Court. Pocket, 2010