On tennis, love and motherhood
-
0:02 - 0:04Gayle King: Have a seat, Serena Williams,
-
0:04 - 0:07or should we say, have a seat, mom.
-
0:07 - 0:09(Cheers)
-
0:09 - 0:11So no doubt, you guys are like me.
-
0:11 - 0:14You saw the release of Serena
-
0:14 - 0:16in that great yellow
bathing suit last week -
0:16 - 0:18and when I saw it,
all I could think of was, -
0:19 - 0:22"Gosh, why couldn't she have waited
til we sat onstage for TED?" -
0:22 - 0:24I was very selfish, I know.
-
0:24 - 0:26So I asked you about that picture,
-
0:26 - 0:29and you said nobody was
supposed to see that picture. -
0:29 - 0:30What do you mean?
-
0:30 - 0:33Serena Williams: Well,
actually, it was an accident. -
0:33 - 0:36I was on vacation,
just taking some time for myself, -
0:36 - 0:41and I have this thing
where I've been checking my status -
0:41 - 0:44and taking pictures every week
to see how far along I'm going -- -
0:44 - 0:46GK: And sharing it with friends, maybe?
-
0:46 - 0:49SW: No, actually
I have just been saving it, -
0:49 - 0:51and I didn't really tell a lot of people,
-
0:51 - 0:53to be quite honest,
-
0:53 - 0:54and I'd been saving it,
-
0:54 - 0:57and you know how social media is,
you press the wrong button and -- -
0:57 - 0:58(Laughter)
-
0:58 - 1:00GK: And there it was.
-
1:00 - 1:03SW: So 30 minutes later --
my phone doesn't ring that much -- -
1:03 - 1:05and 30 minutes later,
I missed like four calls, -
1:05 - 1:06and I'm like, that's weird,
-
1:06 - 1:09and then I picked it up
and I was like, oh no. -
1:09 - 1:10But it was a good moment.
-
1:10 - 1:14I was gonna wait literally
just five or six more days -- that's OK. -
1:14 - 1:18GK: I know, because it was weird,
Serena, because it only said 20 weeks, -
1:18 - 1:20so it's not like there was
a whole lot of information on it. -
1:21 - 1:23SW: Exactly, so that's
what I've been doing all this time. -
1:23 - 1:25I've been just tracking it.
-
1:25 - 1:2818, 19 -- every week
I'd just take a picture and save it, -
1:28 - 1:30and I've been so good about it,
-
1:30 - 1:34and this was the one time that I slipped.
-
1:34 - 1:37GK: There you go. Well, congratulations.
-
1:37 - 1:38SW: Yes, thank you.
-
1:38 - 1:40GK: It really is OK.
When you heard the news, -
1:40 - 1:43were you excited?
Were you afraid? Were you worried? -
1:43 - 1:44That you were pregnant, I mean.
-
1:44 - 1:49SW: So I heard it two days before
the beginning of the Australian Open, -
1:49 - 1:51which is one of the biggest grand slams.
-
1:51 - 1:53GK: You found out two days before?
-
1:53 - 1:55SW: Yeah, so it was
two days before, and I knew. -
1:56 - 1:58I was nervous.
-
1:58 - 2:00I wasn't quite sure what to think,
-
2:00 - 2:01but I just knew that at that moment
-
2:01 - 2:05it was really important for me
to just focus right there -
2:05 - 2:06at the Australian Open,
-
2:06 - 2:10and I was definitely not sure what to do.
-
2:10 - 2:11I was like, can I play?
-
2:12 - 2:17I know it's very dangerous, maybe,
sometimes in the first 12 weeks or so, -
2:17 - 2:19so I had a lot of questions.
-
2:19 - 2:22GK: But not only did you play,
Ms. Williams, you won. -
2:22 - 2:25(Cheers)
-
2:25 - 2:26SW: Yeah.
-
2:28 - 2:33May I just say, 23 grand slams to you.
-
2:33 - 2:34SW: Thank you.
-
2:34 - 2:35(Applause)
-
2:35 - 2:36GK: While pregnant!
-
2:36 - 2:40SW: Well, I was looking
for another handicap, so ... no. -
2:40 - 2:43GK: Did you play differently that game,
knowing you were pregnant? -
2:43 - 2:45SW: I did. It wasn't very easy.
-
2:45 - 2:48You hear all these stories
about people when they're pregnant, -
2:48 - 2:50they get sick and they get tired.
-
2:50 - 2:51GK: Have you had morning sickness?
-
2:51 - 2:54SW: No, I've been so fortunate
and so I haven't. -
2:54 - 2:57But they get really tired
and they get really stressed out, -
2:57 - 3:00and I had to really take all that energy,
-
3:00 - 3:02put it in a paper bag, so to say,
-
3:02 - 3:03and throw it away,
-
3:03 - 3:06because I really felt
like I didn't have time -
3:06 - 3:09to deal with any extra emotions,
any extra anything, -
3:09 - 3:11because pregnant or not, no one knew,
-
3:11 - 3:13and I was supposed to win that tournament
-
3:13 - 3:15as I am every tournament that I show up.
-
3:15 - 3:16I am expected to win,
-
3:16 - 3:19and if I don't win,
it's actually much bigger news. -
3:19 - 3:21GK: Yeah, when you don't win,
that's a big story. -
3:21 - 3:24SW: Yes, so for me,
I had to really take anything negative -
3:24 - 3:27and any emotions
that I was feeling at that point -
3:27 - 3:29and kind of just bottle them up
-
3:29 - 3:33and really figure out
what the next step for me to do was. -
3:33 - 3:35GK: You have a lot of support.
You have a lot of love. -
3:35 - 3:38Even when I was coming here,
people stopped me at the airport. -
3:38 - 3:42I was saying to the flight attendant,
the pilot, "Guess where I'm going?" -
3:42 - 3:44They said, "Oh my God,
we're so glad she's pregnant." -
3:44 - 3:46But then you always have
these cranky Yankees. -
3:46 - 3:49On the way over here, somebody
was telling me about Ilie Nastase, -
3:49 - 3:53who said some very unkind, inappropriate,
dare I say racial things. -
3:53 - 3:54You have responded to him.
-
3:54 - 3:56I'm not even going
to dignify what he said, -
3:56 - 3:58but you responded. Why did you respond?
-
3:58 - 4:01SW: Well, I think there are
very inappropriate comments, -
4:01 - 4:03and not only that, I've been
really supportive of my peers -
4:03 - 4:05and the people that I've worked with.
-
4:05 - 4:07I've been a pro for almost 20 years,
-
4:07 - 4:09and so for me, it's really important
to hold women up, -
4:10 - 4:12and it's something that these young women,
-
4:12 - 4:15they'll come to the locker room,
they'll want to take pictures with me, -
4:15 - 4:16and for me, it's just like,
-
4:16 - 4:19I want to be able to be a good leader
and a good example for them. -
4:19 - 4:21So not only --
-
4:21 - 4:22(Applause)
-
4:22 - 4:26Not only did he have rude things
to say about me and my peers, -
4:26 - 4:29I felt it was important
for us to stand up for each other -
4:29 - 4:30and to stand up for myself.
-
4:30 - 4:33And at that point it was
really important for me to say, -
4:33 - 4:36like, I'm not afraid,
I'm not going anywhere, -
4:36 - 4:38but this is inappropriate,
-
4:38 - 4:41and there's time and there's
a place for everything. -
4:41 - 4:43And that really
wasn't the time and the place. -
4:43 - 4:46GK: We cut the part where you said
you're not going anywhere, -
4:46 - 4:49because you'll be 36 in September.
Baby's coming, 36. -
4:49 - 4:51And your coach said
age is always important, -
4:51 - 4:53but in tennis it's very important,
-
4:53 - 4:55but he has no doubt
that you're coming back. -
4:55 - 4:57Have you thought, am I coming back?
-
4:57 - 4:58Will I take some time off?
-
4:58 - 5:00I know the women on the tour are saying,
-
5:00 - 5:04"How long does it take to have a baby?
Two years will she be gone?" -
5:04 - 5:05What are you thinking?
-
5:05 - 5:07SW: Well, I'm always trying
to defy the odds, you know, -
5:07 - 5:10so for me everything is really mental.
-
5:10 - 5:12I definitely plan on coming back.
I'm not done yet. -
5:12 - 5:14I'm really inspired by my sister.
-
5:14 - 5:17She's a year older than me,
and that's something that -- -
5:17 - 5:19if she's still playing, I know I can play.
-
5:19 - 5:20(Laughter)
-
5:20 - 5:24And there's so many -- Roger Federer,
he's a little bit older than me -
5:24 - 5:28and he's still winning everything,
so I'm like, I know I can do that too. -
5:28 - 5:32So that's been so inspiring to me,
especially recently, -
5:32 - 5:34and I know that
it's something I want to do. -
5:34 - 5:36And my story is definitely not over yet.
-
5:36 - 5:38I was talking to my coach about it,
-
5:38 - 5:42and we were talking about
how this is just a new part of my life, -
5:42 - 5:44and my baby's going to be in the stands
-
5:44 - 5:47and hopefully cheering for me,
not crying too much. -
5:47 - 5:50GK: No, you wrote a beautiful
letter to your baby yesterday -
5:50 - 5:53that you said -- from the oldest mommy
to the youngest one, -
5:53 - 5:56to the oldest, to the youngest,
I can't wait for you to get here. -
5:56 - 5:58A lot of people feel that.
-
5:58 - 6:01I saw you about a year ago,
because I think about your life, Serena. -
6:01 - 6:04You've had three life-changing things
in a six-month time: -
6:04 - 6:08pregnant, huge win, fell in love.
-
6:08 - 6:10And when I saw you last year,
-
6:10 - 6:12I was saying, "How's
your love life? Da da da." -
6:12 - 6:15You said, "I met a guy.
He's a nerdy, kinda geeky guy. -
6:15 - 6:16You won't know who he is."
-
6:16 - 6:17I said, "What's his name?"
-
6:17 - 6:20SW: I remember talking
to you about that, yes. -
6:20 - 6:24GK: And you said, "Alexis Ohanian."
I said, "I know him!" He's awesome. -
6:24 - 6:26But I would never put you
with a nerdy geek, -
6:26 - 6:27and you said, you neither.
-
6:27 - 6:30SW: I'm going to be honest
with you, I didn't either, -
6:30 - 6:31but it's been the best thing for me.
-
6:31 - 6:33GK: The best thing why?
-
6:33 - 6:35Does that look like a nerdy geek?
-
6:35 - 6:36Look at the shirt.
-
6:36 - 6:37(Laughter)
-
6:37 - 6:38No, he's a very nice guy.
-
6:39 - 6:40SW: You can tell he's into technology.
-
6:40 - 6:42GK: He's a very, very nice guy.
-
6:42 - 6:44I like him very much.
-
6:44 - 6:46So how did he succeed
when others have failed? -
6:46 - 6:50How was he the one that you knew,
this is the one for me? -
6:50 - 6:52SW: Well, I'm not going to say that,
-
6:52 - 6:53but ...
-
6:54 - 6:55(Laughter)
-
6:55 - 6:56GK: Say it, Serena, say it!
-
6:57 - 6:58SW: Well ...
-
6:58 - 6:59(Laughter)
-
7:01 - 7:02Yes.
-
7:02 - 7:05(Applause)
-
7:05 - 7:06GK: But you know what I mean.
-
7:07 - 7:10SW: He is very loving and he's very kind,
and my mom says he's very considerate, -
7:10 - 7:12and when she said that to me,
-
7:12 - 7:14I was like, you know, he really is,
-
7:14 - 7:17and it's the little things that really
make a huge difference in life. -
7:17 - 7:18GK: Like?
-
7:18 - 7:19SW: Something simple.
-
7:20 - 7:22My fashion company,
we have a show every year, -
7:22 - 7:25so in our show last year,
I was running around like crazy, -
7:25 - 7:27because I do everything for the show,
-
7:27 - 7:29and everything for it,
-
7:29 - 7:31so I was running around like crazy,
-
7:31 - 7:34and he, it was a simple gesture
of this shirt that he had, -
7:34 - 7:38and he just wanted to make sure
that I had the same one, -
7:38 - 7:40and it was -- it's a weird story.
-
7:40 - 7:42It was better in person, I promise.
-
7:42 - 7:44GK: Was it a wonderful proposal?
-
7:44 - 7:46Or was it a Beyoncé song?
-
7:46 - 7:49"If you like it then you
ought to put a ring on it"? -
7:49 - 7:51Were you feeling pressure to get married?
-
7:51 - 7:52Did you know it was coming?
-
7:52 - 7:55SW: Yeah, I actually
never felt pressure to get married -
7:55 - 7:57and I can't say
I'm the marrying type of person. -
7:57 - 7:59I really love my life.
-
7:59 - 8:01I love my freedom.
-
8:01 - 8:02I heard that kind of changes.
-
8:02 - 8:06But I love everything that I do,
-
8:06 - 8:09and I love my career,
-
8:09 - 8:12and I always felt like I didn't want
anything to interfere with that. -
8:12 - 8:14I've actually been so career-oriented
-
8:14 - 8:16and in fact, when he proposed,
-
8:16 - 8:18I was almost angry.
-
8:18 - 8:19Not almost. I was angry,
-
8:19 - 8:22because it was right
in the middle of my training season, -
8:22 - 8:24and I said, "I gotta win
the Australian Open. -
8:24 - 8:26I can't fly to Rome."
-
8:26 - 8:27Because he wanted to take me to Rome,
-
8:28 - 8:29and I said, "I can't. I gotta win."
-
8:29 - 8:31But that's how focused I was.
-
8:31 - 8:34GK: This is a girl that says,
"No, I can't go to Rome." OK. -
8:34 - 8:36SW: But I was really focused
on reaching my goals -
8:36 - 8:40and I knew at that point there was
one player that I wanted to pass. -
8:40 - 8:42I wanted to pass Steffi Graf's record,
-
8:42 - 8:43and that really meant a lot to me,
-
8:43 - 8:45and when I put my mind to something,
-
8:45 - 8:47I really am determined to reach it
-
8:47 - 8:49no matter what.
-
8:49 - 8:51GK: You know, you said that for you --
-
8:51 - 8:53I've heard you say
that winning is addictive to you. -
8:53 - 8:54SW: It is.
-
8:54 - 8:56GK: What do you mean?
-
8:56 - 8:58SW: I feel like winning for me
is superaddictive. -
8:58 - 9:01I feel like once you experience it,
-
9:01 - 9:03you always want to get that feeling again,
-
9:03 - 9:07and when I won my first championship,
I was only 17 years old, -
9:07 - 9:09but I never forgot that feeling,
-
9:09 - 9:11and I feel like every time I win one,
-
9:11 - 9:14I want to reach that feeling
of your first championship. -
9:14 - 9:16There's really no feeling
in the world like that. -
9:16 - 9:19And it's like, all these years of training
-
9:19 - 9:21and being a little kid and playing,
-
9:21 - 9:25and then winning
is a wonderful experience. -
9:25 - 9:29So for me I've always felt
like I loved that feeling, -
9:29 - 9:33and obviously I don't like
the feeling of losing. I feel like -- -
9:33 - 9:36GK: No, in fact, people close to you
say you're a very bad loser. -
9:36 - 9:37SW: I'm not the best loser.
-
9:37 - 9:39GK: That you're very, very, very bad.
-
9:39 - 9:42Listen, no athlete,
no champion likes to lose. -
9:42 - 9:43I get that.
-
9:43 - 9:47But they say when it comes to losing,
you are very, very, very bad at it. -
9:47 - 9:48(Laughter)
-
9:48 - 9:52SW: I'm number one at losing too,
so you know, that's all I can say. -
9:52 - 9:53(Laughter)
-
9:53 - 9:56(Applause)
-
9:56 - 9:59GK: I'm always curious about the dynamic
between you and Venus, -
9:59 - 10:02because everybody that knows you
and has followed the story -
10:02 - 10:03knows that you two are very close,
-
10:03 - 10:06and you always bring your A game
in whatever you do, -
10:06 - 10:08but I often wonder,
when you're playing her, -
10:08 - 10:12do you bring your A- game
because you want to do something for her -
10:12 - 10:15or do you bring your A++ game
because you want to crush her. -
10:15 - 10:17Is it harder for you
playing her or easier? -
10:17 - 10:19SW: Well, playing Venus
is like playing myself, -
10:19 - 10:23because we grew up playing each other,
we grew up practicing together. -
10:23 - 10:25And it was something
that has been difficult, -
10:25 - 10:27because she's my toughest opponent.
-
10:27 - 10:29She's tall, she's fast,
-
10:29 - 10:32she hits hard like me, she serves like me.
-
10:32 - 10:34It's really like playing a wall.
-
10:34 - 10:35GK: She knows you.
-
10:35 - 10:38SW: She knows where I'm hitting
the ball before I hit it, -
10:38 - 10:40so it's something that is not very easy,
-
10:40 - 10:43but it's really about,
when I go out there, -
10:43 - 10:46I really have to shut down my mind
and I have to say to myself, -
10:46 - 10:47"You know what?
-
10:47 - 10:51I'm just playing a great player,
but today I have to be better. -
10:51 - 10:54I don't care who it is,
if it's my sister or it's my friend, -
10:54 - 10:57today is the day I have to show up
and I have to be better -
10:57 - 11:01and I have to want it more
than anyone else at this moment -
11:01 - 11:03anywhere on this world."
-
11:03 - 11:07GK: So never on the court
do you fall back for Venus? -
11:07 - 11:11Because, you know,
it was always Venus and Serena. -
11:11 - 11:12SW: Yes.
-
11:12 - 11:15GK: And now baby sister
has surpassed older sister. -
11:15 - 11:16Do you feel guilt about that?
-
11:16 - 11:18Do you feel joy in that?
-
11:18 - 11:20Is that a difficult position for you?
-
11:20 - 11:21SW: I don't feel anything in there.
-
11:22 - 11:25In my life, it still and forever
is always going to be Venus and Serena. -
11:25 - 11:28She's really love of my life,
she's my best friend, -
11:28 - 11:29she's my soul mate.
-
11:29 - 11:31I mean --
-
11:31 - 11:33There's pictures of her pushing me,
-
11:33 - 11:36really low-quality pictures
or else I would have shared them, -
11:36 - 11:39of her pushing me
in a stroller on a tennis court, -
11:39 - 11:40and she always took care of me.
-
11:40 - 11:44I used to spend all of my allowance
money on the ice cream truck and stuff, -
11:44 - 11:48and she would take her money
and give it to me at school -
11:48 - 11:51and make sure I had something to eat
and she would go without, -
11:51 - 11:53and that's the kind of person
she actually is -
11:53 - 11:56since I've always known her.
-
11:56 - 11:59So we always have this incredible
respect for each other -
11:59 - 12:00and this incredible love,
-
12:00 - 12:04and I think it's important for people
to realize you can be successful -
12:04 - 12:06but you can still have
a wonderful relationship. -
12:06 - 12:08On the court we are mortal enemies,
-
12:08 - 12:11but the second we shake hands,
we are best friends again. -
12:12 - 12:16And if I lose, it might be
a day later for me, -
12:16 - 12:17but for Venus --
-
12:17 - 12:20(Laughter)
-
12:20 - 12:23GK: There's never a time on the court
where you hit the ball -
12:23 - 12:27and say, "That's for seventh grade
when you did the blah blah blah"? -
12:27 - 12:28You never have any moment like that?
-
12:29 - 12:31SW: I feel like she should have
those moments, -
12:31 - 12:33because she's never done
anything bad to me, -
12:33 - 12:35but I'm the youngest.
I'm the younger sister. -
12:35 - 12:38GK: Serena, she's never done
anything bad to you? Really? -
12:38 - 12:41I have three sisters.
I can think of some stuff I've done bad. -
12:41 - 12:43SW: Unless she brainwashed me
to forget them. -
12:44 - 12:48GK: No, but the love you have for her
I know is very pure. I know that. -
12:48 - 12:49SW: Yes. GK: I know that.
-
12:49 - 12:51SW: We were always brought up
to be superclose, -
12:51 - 12:53and we are incredibly close.
-
12:53 - 12:54Not only her.
-
12:54 - 12:59I have three other sisters as well,
and we were always so close. -
12:59 - 13:02GK: So before a big match,
the two of you don't get together -
13:02 - 13:05and say, look, we're going
to go out there and -- there's nothing? -
13:05 - 13:07SW: Well, it's funny.
Before the Australian Open, -
13:07 - 13:09we were in the locker room together,
-
13:09 - 13:13and I always pick on her, so I pulled out
my camera while she was changing. -
13:13 - 13:16I started taking pictures of her,
which is totally inappropriate, -
13:16 - 13:17but she was so mad at me.
-
13:17 - 13:20She's like, "Serena, stop!"
And I was just laughing at her. -
13:20 - 13:24But that's the kind of relationship
that we have, and like I said, -
13:24 - 13:26the second we step on the court,
-
13:26 - 13:30it was like, we were
definitely mortal enemies, -
13:30 - 13:34but the second we stepped off,
and moments before, we're just -- -
13:34 - 13:36It is what it is,
because at the end of the day, -
13:37 - 13:38she'll always be my sister.
-
13:38 - 13:40I'm not going to play Australia in --
-
13:40 - 13:42Well, who knows,
I've been playing forever, -
13:42 - 13:44but I don't think
I'll be playing in 50 years, say? -
13:44 - 13:46Let's be safe and say 50 years.
-
13:46 - 13:49GK: I don't know, Serena.
There's never been anybody like you. -
13:49 - 13:51When you think about it,
never been anybody -
13:51 - 13:54who has intersected
gender and race the way you have, -
13:54 - 13:57the dominance that you have
and the scrutiny that you have. -
13:57 - 14:00And when you were growing up,
did you say, "I want to be like that"? -
14:00 - 14:02Because now little girls
are looking at you -
14:02 - 14:03saying, "I want to be like that."
-
14:03 - 14:06Who was the "I want
to be like that" for you? -
14:06 - 14:09SW: Well, it's interesting,
and I'm glad you brought that up. -
14:09 - 14:11For me, when I grew up,
I always wanted to be the best, -
14:11 - 14:15and I said, if you want to be the best,
you've got to emulate the best. -
14:15 - 14:17So when I started to go on tour
when I was really young, -
14:17 - 14:20I would see Steffi Graf,
I would see Monica Seles, -
14:20 - 14:22and I would even see Pete Sampras,
-
14:22 - 14:23and I would see what they did,
-
14:23 - 14:25and I noticed that Steffi and Monica
-
14:25 - 14:28didn't really talk
to a lot of the other players, -
14:28 - 14:30and they kind of were on their own,
-
14:30 - 14:31and they were just so focused
-
14:31 - 14:34and I would see Pete Sampras,
the technique that he did, -
14:34 - 14:37and I was like, "I want to do that."
-
14:37 - 14:40So I did that, and I felt
that to be the best, -
14:40 - 14:42and if you want to be the best,
-
14:42 - 14:43you have to hang around people
-
14:43 - 14:45and you have to look at people
that are the best, -
14:46 - 14:47because you're not going to be the best
-
14:47 - 14:50if you're looking at someone
that's not at the top level. -
14:50 - 14:52GK: People say
nobody works as hard as you. -
14:52 - 14:55SW: I'm a very hard worker.
GK: That's what I heard. -
14:55 - 14:57SW: People say, "Oh,
she's talented, she's athletic." -
14:57 - 15:00Actually, I wasn't.
I was really small for my age. -
15:00 - 15:01I grew up when I got older,
-
15:01 - 15:03and I had to work really hard,
-
15:03 - 15:06and I think one of the reasons
why I fight so hard and I work so hard -
15:06 - 15:08is because I was
really, really, really small. -
15:08 - 15:10GK: Yeah.
-
15:10 - 15:11You are no longer small.
-
15:11 - 15:14SW: No, I'm fully grown now.
-
15:14 - 15:17But I was small when I was really young
for whatever reason. -
15:17 - 15:20I think Venus maybe ate all the Wheaties.
-
15:20 - 15:23GK: You know, the other thing
people talk about is your body. -
15:23 - 15:27Your body brings men
and women to their knees. -
15:27 - 15:29And I mean in a good way.
-
15:29 - 15:31A lot has been made about your body.
-
15:31 - 15:36It's a work of art,
it's masculine, it's glorious, -
15:36 - 15:38there's never been anything like it.
-
15:38 - 15:41Did you have body issues
when you were growing up? -
15:41 - 15:43Have you always been
comfortable with your body? -
15:43 - 15:46SW: It's interesting, because
when you're a teenage female -
15:46 - 15:48growing up in the public eye,
-
15:48 - 15:50it is a lot of scrutiny that you face,
-
15:50 - 15:52and as any female that's a teenager,
-
15:52 - 15:54I definitely was not
comfortable in my body. -
15:54 - 15:55I didn't like it.
-
15:55 - 15:58I didn't understand why I had muscles.
-
15:58 - 16:00And I stopped lifting weights.
-
16:00 - 16:02I was like, I'm not going to do this.
-
16:02 - 16:03But then after I won the US Open,
-
16:03 - 16:06I realized that my body helped me
reach goals that I wanted to reach, -
16:06 - 16:08and I wanted to be happy with it,
-
16:08 - 16:11and I was so appreciative of it.
-
16:11 - 16:12I'm always healthy.
-
16:12 - 16:14I'm really fortunate and superblessed,
-
16:14 - 16:17and I felt like not only
am I happy with my body, -
16:17 - 16:19but I want other people
and other young girls -
16:19 - 16:21that have experienced
what I've experienced -
16:22 - 16:23to be happy with themselves.
-
16:23 - 16:24So whatever people say --
-
16:24 - 16:27masculine, whatever,
too much, too little -- -
16:27 - 16:30I'm OK with it as long as I love myself.
-
16:30 - 16:33(Applause)
-
16:35 - 16:37GK: I know you learn a lot from winning,
-
16:37 - 16:39but what have you learned from losing?
-
16:39 - 16:43SW: I hate to lose, but I think
losing has brought me here today. -
16:43 - 16:46The only reason I am who I am
is because of my losses, -
16:46 - 16:48and some of them are extremely painful,
-
16:48 - 16:51but I wouldn't take any of them away,
-
16:51 - 16:54because every time I lose,
-
16:54 - 16:56it takes a really long time
for me to lose again -
16:56 - 16:58because I learn so much from it.
-
16:58 - 17:00And I encourage everyone that I talk to --
-
17:00 - 17:03I'm like, listen, if you lose
or if something happens -- -
17:03 - 17:06not in sports --
in business or in school -- -
17:06 - 17:07learn from it.
-
17:07 - 17:10Don't live in the past,
live in the present, -
17:10 - 17:12and don't make the same
mistakes in the future. -
17:12 - 17:14That's something
that I always try to live by. -
17:14 - 17:16GK: Now you're planning a wedding
-
17:16 - 17:18and I want to know,
is it a destination wedding -
17:18 - 17:21in the Catskills or Poconos
or are you going to do it in Florida? -
17:21 - 17:23What are you thinking?
-
17:23 - 17:25Big or small?
-
17:25 - 17:28SW: We're thinking medium size.
We don't want to do too big, -
17:28 - 17:31but then we're like, OK, we can't
say no to this person, this person. -
17:31 - 17:34So we're thinking medium size
and we're just thinking -- -
17:34 - 17:37My personality is a lot of fun.
Hopefully you can see that today. -
17:37 - 17:38I'm not too serious.
-
17:38 - 17:40GK: And you like to dance.
-
17:40 - 17:43And the next chapter
for Serena Williams is what? -
17:43 - 17:45SW: Oh, next for me.
-
17:45 - 17:47Obviously I'm going to have a baby
-
17:47 - 17:50and I'm going to stay fit
and kind of come back and play tennis -
17:50 - 17:52and keep working on my fashion line.
-
17:52 - 17:53That'll be really fun.
-
17:53 - 17:55GK: Do you know if it's a boy or girl?
-
17:55 - 17:59SW: I don't. I have a feeling
of one or the other. -
17:59 - 18:01It's a 50-50 chance, but I have a feeling.
-
18:01 - 18:02GK: Gayle is a unisex name.
-
18:02 - 18:05Whatever you and Alexis decide,
we are cheering you on! -
18:05 - 18:07SW: Thank you for that.
GK: You're welcome. -
18:07 - 18:10We are cheering you on, Serena Williams.
SW: Thank you so much. -
18:10 - 18:11Thank you guys.
-
18:11 - 18:14(Applause)
- Title:
- On tennis, love and motherhood
- Speaker:
- Serena Williams and Gayle King
- Description:
-
Twenty-three Grand Slam titles later, tennis superstar Serena Williams sits down with journalist Gayle King to share a warm, mischievous conversation about her life, love, wins and losses -- starting with the story of how she accidentally shared her pregnancy news with the world.
- Video Language:
- English
- Team:
- closed TED
- Project:
- TEDTalks
- Duration:
- 18:28
Brian Greene edited English subtitles for On tennis, love and motherhood | ||
Joanna Pietrulewicz accepted English subtitles for On tennis, love and motherhood | ||
Joanna Pietrulewicz edited English subtitles for On tennis, love and motherhood | ||
Joanna Pietrulewicz edited English subtitles for On tennis, love and motherhood | ||
Joseph Geni edited English subtitles for On tennis, love and motherhood | ||
Joseph Geni edited English subtitles for On tennis, love and motherhood | ||
Joseph Geni edited English subtitles for On tennis, love and motherhood | ||
Joseph Geni edited English subtitles for On tennis, love and motherhood |