Serena Williams is having a slightly rough start to 2016. She had to pull out of the Hopman Cup because of a knee injury. Following that, there’s been a rash of speculation that Serena is simply too old – in the tennis world – to compete at the same level she once did. Nevermind that she almost pulled off a Grand Slam in 2015, and nevermind that the sports press has spent years writing off Serena. She’s easily one of the most dissected and discussed women in professional sports, and the discussion is not always about her performance. Serena has been surprisingly open in the past year about her own struggles with body image, and how she learned to love her body. Serena gave a new interview to The Times Magazine where she tells some hard truths about what it’s like being the curvy, muscular woman in a sea of thin, waspy blondes.
Serena Williams may have the confidence to pose nude these days, but it took the curvaceous tennis champion years to get there. Williams says she used to battle body image doubts.
“I know I get flack for my physique, and it has been a struggle to love my body, but now curves are in and I’m happier in myself,” she told Britain’s The Times Magazine. Williams, 34, the winner of 21 Grand Slams in her career, says she used to compare herself to the slimmer players.
“When I was younger, it was hard seeing all these thin athletes when I had more muscular curves and was big-busted,” she says. “Just try running with DDs that are bouncing seven inches up and down! It’s distracting, not to mention dangerous, because you can tear ligaments.”
But now that she’s moved past her body image issues, she wants to help other women feel better about their individual physiques.
“Women face so many impossible ideals,” Williams says. “It’s important for me to get across that there’s more than one way to look amazing.”
Yes, it’s time once again for some real-time #BreastTalk. You know it’s one of my favorite subjects, actually. While I’m nowhere near as muscular and athletic as Serena, we have similar body types and similar breast sizes. Women with small breasts just do NOT get how being large-busted changes everything about how you dress, how you move and how you view yourself. It’s particularly remarkable that Serena maintains her elite athleticism while having DD-breasts. Is she the first major Slam winner to be so large-busted? I think she might be.
I’ve spent too much time looking at cute gym outfits meant for size-4 women with B-cups, stuff that I could never pull off. In reality, women built like me (and built like Serena) have to spend an inordinate amount of time trying to tamp down our breasts in athletic situations. At the gym, I’m wearing a minimizer under a sports bra under a baggy shirt, just so nothing will “pop out.” Serena should design a line of hardcore sports bras for big-busted athletes. I would buy them.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
A Serena designed sportswear line with bras would be the best! That’s a great idea! I am sick of paying $80 for shitty bras that are supposed to be “high impact”. yeah, maybe for a B cup it’s high impact…but not for the DD size on the tag!
Would love to know what she does for cardio. Running with big boobs sucks.
I wear the moving comfort Juno or the Lululemon Tata Tamers when I run! Both have gotten me and my double d’s through marathons 🙂
Sign me up for the Serena sports bra, too. The one I’ve found works best is by Wacoal, and the style # is 885170.
I love wacoal!
Runcmc, cannibell and mp — thanks for reco! Will check those out! 🙂
Tara Tamer all the way! Even though I haven’t seen the inside of a gym since I gave birth… Two years ago…. Two and a half years ago. Sigh.
Oh, I would, too. I would pay good money for that. Right now, I wear a sports bra underneath a top with a built in sports bra, and sometimes I still have to hold the girls when I run down a slope.
I love Panache sports bras! Giant boobs here and I’m finally not mortified to do some high impact exercises at the gym in public. It took a few tries and awkward dressing room moments to find the best fit, but they are awesome.
@cannibell I couldn’t agree more!! The Wacoal Underwire sports bra has given me life! I’m a DDD cup and nothing ever worked like it does. In fact, I wear it a lot of non-gym days because it is so comfortable…and now that I’m pregnant, I’m going to have to order a bigger one because I won’t give it up!
I second @cannibell’s recommendation. I’m a 34G and that bra changed my life – quite literally. It’s no longer too painful to run.
Thanks for this Katie! I’m a 34G as well and I’ve given up running. I had bought a Panache but still didn’t feel like I could go back to running. And I miss it!!! Thanks for the tip.
Omg I just ordered one. You guys rule
Double sports bra here too. And then I just gave up running. But I would buy the hell out of Serena’s line.
Bouncing so much makes them sag too, so it’s best if they stay put or plastered to the ribcage. Serena needs to get on this ASAP!
YES It’s Either Titty Sag OR Uniboob
QQ, you kill me. It’s so true though
Wacoal forever. All my favorites have been Wacoal.
Kaiser!
Brilliant!
Please Serena design “hardcore sports bras for large busted athletes!”
There is nothing out there. I have to wear 3 to run.
” Running with big boobs sucks. ”
Totally agree. I hate my moobs.
Yes! Someone please let her know that we want this! She’d make millions just off the sports bra for DD and above!
I’m built similarly to Serena- obviously not to the point of a professional athlete, but I’m also very muscular in the arms and large breasted (34DD). My chosen sport is triathlons though and while I keep up a heavy musculature, my big boobs are way too much of a consideration. They can and do get strapped down properly for exercise but when I was growing up and didn’t know how to handle them, they were the bane of my existence!
Now I’m just self conscious about how muscular I am (because I have a thyroid lump that looks like an Adam’s apple)! I would be devastated if I got all the body criticism Serena does. Just let her be great.
Unsolicited advice, but keep an eye on your thyroid lump and if it has any nodules, get them checked every so often. Thyroid cancer is surprisingly common and generally super curable. Voice of experience here : )
Appreciate the advice! It’s going to be surgically removed (doctor’s orders), but in the meantime I’m really self conscious about it. While my health is way more important than anything, I hate how big and visible it is!
At first I thought she was talking about Dunkin’ Donuts and I was like, wait, what?
I’m a DD girl, too. It sucks. If I had the money, I’d get a reduction. The strain on my back/posture sucks.
“Just try running with DDs”
I have; for once I would just like to try running without them.
Girl. I feel your pain. I’m with BGE in wishing I had money to get a reduction.
Just FYI, former sister-in-law had a breast reduction was covered by her health insurance because of the back pain that her breasts were causing. It took a lot of documentation from her doctors and back-and-forth with the insurance company, but they did cover it.
I also had a reduction that my insurance covered 100%. I was a 36H and miserable. All anyone ever saw was my boobs and finding a bra that fit right was laborious and super expensive and the slightest thing made your shoulders ache. I was so self conscious and couldn’t wear nice clothes without feeling ridiculous. My surgeon took me down to a small D cup (I asked for a B but the surgeon said it would be much too small to look natural on my bone structure. I was dubious but let him do it and he was right. The small D looks totally natural and in proportion on me. It literally changed my entire life. I can not recommend this procedure enough to larger busted ladies who’re miserable with their breast size. If you can get an orthopedic doctor to write a note to your insurance company saying you have pain resulting from your large chest, often times insurance will cover it. Best thing I ever did.
I love my EE (left) and DD (right). In fact, I eat strawberry ice cream solely for the purpose of growing them! lol! I am heavier overall than I’d like to be, but I don’t want to lose my awesome rack! In fact, would rather be EEE…
No kidding! I ended up ordering this hideous bra to wear during yoga, because otherwise all my cleavage hangs out. It’s ugly, but at least my boobs are fully covered.
http://www.amazon.com/Glamorise-Womens-No-Bounce-Full-Support-Sport/dp/B0035WTMF4
It’s not that bad. And if it keeps the girls in place I don’t care how it looks. Thanks for the link. I’m an avid Amazon shopper. Their stock just went up another .2 percent because I’m ordering three of them.
I think it’s pretty nice considering all the ugly sports bras I have purchased over the years.
I love this bra! This and Goddess are the only bras I’ve found to run in (34G here)
34G! Damn, that’s like carrying around twin baby girls. 🙂
V4Real- it really is!! The second i can get insurance to pay for a reduction, they’re gone!
@Venus thanks for the link! I will be bra shopping today. Oy, even after I got a reduction two years ago, I still feel like my boobs are made out of slinkies and bouncy palace material. Ms. Williams PLEASE come out with a killer line for us ladies!
Disclaimer, I only wear it for yoga, so I don’t know how it is for anything active. But my boobs (32G, ugh) are really high, so anything compressed and they’re squishing out by my collarbones. At least with this, they’re fully covered and I don’t feel like I’m putting on a peep show when I bend over.
What has she done to her face?
I’m impressed that she’s still No 1 at 34yrs old. That’s not ageism. Most top end athletes are retiring or slowing down at that age.
Kobe Bryant is finally retiring at the old age of 37. And yes that is old for an athlete.
I’m impressed by his age too.
Amazing.
To be clear, i’m not simply impressed that they are still playing, but because they are top of their fields at that age.
It’s the eyebrows. They are not flattering.
You are right. It is the eyebrows. That is the first time I have mistaken her for Venus. Venus has the eyebrow thing going as well.
I think it’s more than just the eyebrows. She came back from a foot injury suffered in 2010 with a new face.
I have always been busty. I was the first girl in my whole grade in school to get a bra (3rd grade). Work out clothes aren’t made well for us girls that need extra support. I have many times doubled up on my sports bra.
i have DD breasts and have to frankly bind them when exercising. I also have to clump the cardio portion together because it is not possible for me to bind for cardio then open for abs and again bind. I hate it ugh.
Yup! my world too. :-/
well said, Serena!!! and Kaiser!!! Welcome to my world, ladies. I was a size 4 with 34C cup who became a size 4 with a 34DD too by age 29 with no additional inches elsewhere, naturally low body fat count, more muscle from years of running.
The DD advent certainly altered my running etc. Like you I have to do the minimizer under the sports bra, fashion issues are another story, and I get tired of the “did you have them done” assumptions. I have two friends with the same body shape and we’re all, oddly enough, of the same ancestry almost down to geographic pinpoints — and we all have the “DD is tough at the gym” issue and share dressing tips. I got sick and dropped 10 lbs, weight during recovery and my boobs remained stubbornly DD. My world is minimizer bras for comfort, and a limited world of clothing. Style: understanding the best bet is sort of sexy, V-necks, slimmer styles that show my smaller waist so I don’t go square-looking. Thinner knits/weaves. (There are far worse problems to have, of course! So not whining, but I wanted to weigh in.) And once you forget about trying to look like a 12 year old boy, it’s fine — but I give all credit to Serena as her body shape impacts her work success (mine doesn’t!) and she has to cope and be canny about it while still being stellar. I take heart in that she always looks absolutely amazing and that is inspiring too. 🙂
Completely off topic, but your post reminded me: I recently found a book on my cousin’s shelf by Kirsty Greenwood. Chick lit isn’t my thing at all, but for some reason, this one caught my eye over the Christmas period, and once I started reading, I was strongly reminded of your CB chronicles. Pleasure all round.
Back on topic, sort of: I have the same problem with my bottom. I inherited my mum’s african bottom. Unfortunately, the rest of me is from my dad. Which is to say tall and lean, no tits. I spend any and all clothing excursions worrying about my bottom which is out of proportion to the rest of me. My dance trainer is forever asking me to ‘tuck it in’, but I can’t. It’s the only part of me that i’m self conscious about.
I didn’t know I wanted a Serena-designed sports bra until this very minute, but now I can’t live without it.
Agreed! I would be all over that!
Right??? I would buy a caseload.
I’m another DDer, and I swear by my Enell sports bras. They’re expensive, but man, they are so worth it.
ooh thanks for the tip. Will order some today!
I also have DD breasts. Sports bras stink. They just smush you into one boob but you still bounce. I also have a hard time finding pretty bras for none athletic wear. I like wider shoulder straps, so I can’t wear any of the pretty little bras with tiny straps that dig into my shoulders. I have found pretty ones, but they are so expensive. I also have a problem with blouses gaping at the bust. I buy a size larger than I need and they look fine in the store, but when I wear them they gape a little. I had snaps put in but it just moved the gape. Do I mean gap? I still love my breasts, though. I think small and large breasts are both beautiful.
GNAT: same here! I’ve long given up button-front shirts. If I had an office job or a job with a uniform I guess I’d have to find a solution. There are some websites I’d like to try one day like Bravissimo – Pepperberry that offer cute clothing with a semi-custom fit depending on bust size, but I think it’s a UK thing…maybe they ship to US, I don’t know.
I’ve taken to buying tops from Lands’ End which usually has not only a sizing chart, but a fabric cut chart for every item so you can see exactly how many inches of fabric you will get across the chest. So helpful!
Yes! I wear mostly t shirts and sweaters to avoid the gap. So annoying! I’ll look up the websites you mentioned. Thank you!
http://www.hourglassy.com has lots of clothing line recommendations including Campbell and Kate button downs and Pepperberry
I have a Freya sports bra and LOVE IT. It is pretty too and does a damn fine job for high impact stuff including running and comfortable to wear all day
herroom.com has lots of sports bras for DD+
Freya and Fantasie have the best industrial strenght straps, and very pretty styles. Maybe these are the ones you’ve looked at already? You can save a lot if you buy them on ebay, they pop up pretty regularly over there. I’ve gotten (way too) many at about 50% off retail.
The other day I was running to the car and when I got in my sister goes, “don’t run in public” and I said “dude these are my industrial strength netball bras, I can’t find any better ones” and she just looked at me and shook her head and said “just don’t run in public”
They’ve actually stopped making the bra too so that sucks.
Two of my daughters are minimum DD, more F – G. My youngest one was a DD by 5th grade. She had a reduction when in college. The only reason she was able to have one is because insurance paid for it. I see the struggle. My oldest works out and runs and she has to wear at least 2 sports bras for the support. So I get the struggle (I’m a C right now only because I am overweight) and really wish someone would make a decent, affordable sports bra for women who are large breasted.
Had a college friend that had a reduction she was like an F and probably a size 4 at the most. She looked fantastic afterwards. That was 20 years ago and she says it was one of the best decisions she ever made about her body.
I am 38 C and I buy my sports bras from title nine sports catalog. I am very athletic and by far the largest chest in the aerobics classes. Sometimes I feel like a freak. I started taking a yoga class at this studio for large breasted women and actually feel at home there.
The comment about small busted woman being unaware of large busted women’s challenges holds no water. I know and have seen women who are naturally of a much larger bust size than Serena. The first person I knew was 11 years old and was Serena’s bust size. The attention & comments she received were shocking. She was embarrassed because her peers teased her & grown men would hit on her. There are back problems and difficulty in finding a comfortable position in which to sleep. The bras are custom made, finding tops that fit is challenging. Even bending over is its own challenge. Personally I’ve always wondered how one runs with a large bust even when heavily supported. It just seems painful.
I bought a couple sports bras from Victorias secret in a 36dd. They had them in ddd. Of course just a couple. But I got the front close bra that has a zipup bra over it. I had hesitated, not sure about it, but I tried it on and once I figured out how to do it, its awesome. Just hook the underneath bra in the front and zip up the jacket over it. Fits great and its nice not having to wrestle it over my head. I’ve always had a good experience with their sports bras.
Hmm, I’m a US 30F-G and never have any problems with running. Like, my chest is probably the body part that jiggles the least when I run. I think it’s all about finding the right bra and good running form.
It really helps to a the right size and the right bra. I’m a 32J in UK, 32M (which isn’t that huge actually) in American sizing and have found sports bras that works. If you’re larger sized stay away from the horrible size options at Victoria Secret and the the box stores, they fit a very small select segment and use a very outdated way of measuring.
Exactly. I’m at a size where I can technically get away with shopping at the usual chains, but I’d end up in pain even wearing their regular bras for a day. The fit and quality is just not ideal for anyone in need of more than simply coverage.
Everywhere I go, I see large-busted women. It’s not like we’re an endangered species! Right now I’m wearing a 34J. I get so mad that the stores/bra manufacturers don’t put more effort into larger cup sizes! I would think there’s a fortune to be made!
Personally, the only no-bounce exercise solution I’ve found is double-bagging: a full-coverage underwire enscapsulation bra with a very firm-fitting soft-cup compression bra on top. Right now I use an Elomi Energise underneath with a Shock Absorber on top. I have ZERO bounce!
There is a top ten(20?) player on tour now-Hassep(? Too busy right now to find correct spelling) who did undergo breast reduction surgery for these reasons. And, typically, the announcers kept referring to this repeatedly during that match.
Women with small boobs may not get how our big-busted sisters feel but we do have issues too. Many small-chested women sometimes feel insecure about their size and it doesn’t help that the media revers big boobs as the major symbol of femininity. And when you have a pear-shaped body like i do it’s kinda worse cos a little bit of weight loss and the chest gets even smaller. But as a 25 year old woman I’ve learnt to focus on my assets more and not flaws and that has helped in making me feel great about my body.
Tell me about it, lady. I’m a human pear and already worried that my tiny A-cups will vanish due to work out.
I <3 figleaves.com. Got my 36G swim top there.
Iva Majoli, French Open winner 1997 had fairly large breasts. It got a lot of attention at the time.
I like Serena.
I think dolly parton said she doesn’t jog because she’d wind up with black eyes lol but yeah the big boobs and exercise thing kinda sucks and I’m a 36dd which isn’t even that big on the grand scale. Bras are bad enough but swim suits are worse. Thanks everyone for contributing the sports wear suggestions!
I wear a brand called glamorise and love it. I’m also large chested and this is the best sports bra I have used. I can run with no bounce. I, personally, didn’t like Panache, despite their great ratings. So I stick with this brand. And I get it on amazon!
Me too, AJ! People love Panache but they have never fit right for me and I’ve tried a few styles and sizes over the years.
I can’t rave enough about Shock Absorber sports bras. I usually order up a band size because they’re super snug and down a cup size to compensate. First time I was able to run/do high impact sports was with the Shock Absorber!
Definitely design sportsbras. Finding a good sportsbra for big boobs is a pain. Love to see what she’d come up with!
Ladies, I am happy to inform you Serena is already selling sports bras with Berlei Australia. They’ve done some fantastic campaigns about ‘stopping the bounce’!!!
Just google Berlei and Serena and it will all come up.
We love her here in Australia – she basically owns the Aussie Open she’s won it so many times.
I’m a D on a smallish frame and swear by these sports bras!
I came here to mention the Berlei range! They have a lot of different sizes and styles.
Nice! Thanks for the info!
Enell sports bra, guys! Once you get used to this baby, you feel like you can do back flips in it.
Follow instructions exactly for sizing though.
32dd or ddd checking in. Moving Comfort makes some great ones. Jubralee is my favorite, but it’s (comparatively) lower cut. Fiona is good higher coverage. New Balance also makes a really good one called The Shockingly Unshocking Bra. Only goes up to DD, but I’m currently a DDD and I’m making it work, lol.
I was into Figure Skating way back when, and I remember Katrina Witt and Tai Babalonia were large breasted. Hard to hide in a skimpy spandex outfit. I had the same problem. So embarrassing as a teenager.
I’ll bet athletes these days go for breast reduction. I had one a few years ago and I’m so happy with it. Good Bras in general for big boobs are Prima Donna, Fantasie, Simone Perele (all expensive unfortunately)
Prima Donna is pricey, but SO worth it IMO. Their bras are beautiful, and look great regardless of your size. I wear a 38G, and almost exclusively wear Prima Donna because they fit so well and are gorgeous. I hand wash them and they last up to two years.
And I agree with the other posters here about Wacoal, I love their sports bras. But I may have to try some other brands now!
This is the best sports bra ever, you can run in it. The straps are adjustable and you won’t move in this baby.
https://movingcomfort.com.au/product/detail/350025/998
Seconded! I own this one! the velcro straps you can adjust AFTER you hook yourself in are genius. It feels super snug when you’re not moving because you are so compressed, but you forget it’s on when running and it’s really comfortable.
I know this comment doesn’t relate to the Serena DD+ sports bra convo, but I noticed a lot of folks talking about ill-fitting wardrobes…Do you all tailor your clothing? Store-bought clothes are made to be a general fit within a size category but I must share that tailoring makes all the difference. Do it yourself; add some darts. Or go to an inexpensive dry-cleaner. It will change the way you feel about your clothes and in your clothes. For instance, I am a size 8-10 waist, a size 12-14 bust and hip. I buy button-up blouses to fit my bust and then add darts and take them in a bit at the waist. Voila! A custom blouse that fits well and looks sexy! Tailoring to your body cannot be underemphasized…it will make you love your body and your clothes!
Boobs are actually one of the major reasons why I think that I could never get into jogging- whereas my sister, with her more petite build, has always enjoyed it. (I had a very brief period where I was B-cup in my mid-twenties, and I was amazed on how much better shirts fit. No more chest wrinkle!) I’m normally closer to the C/D range, but birth control and college weight gain finally knocked me into the DD range, and it’s a real eye opener to how much women who are very busty must deal with on a regular basis. My one coworker is a 40G, and I’m just like…HOW DO YOU EVEN. We work in a hospital – she’s on her feet ALL DAY. Do you go home and prop them up on a table to give your back a break at the end of the day??
On the opposite end of story time, one of my coworkers at my other job talked about her plans to get implants. (She’s very svelte, model tall with 32Bs.) I’m all for doing what you want with your body provided you are informed, but it abundantly clear to me that those of us in the group who were bustier were just like, “NO, DON’T DO IT. OH MY GOD.”
As for sports bra suggestions…I work at Victoria Secret, and I find the Incredible and Knockout front close are pretty good for heavy exercise. (The latter is like a damn vice on your chest.) I can only speak for my 36DD size, though my coworker who is a 34DDD prefers the Incredible.
tl;dr Serena Williams is the sh*t, and this society should be ashamed for making you feel anything but amazing.
PREACH!
Can I just mention how Adidas sports bras, in sizes up to XXL, have a T-bar shape with the T so high up that on any large-breasted woman it’s actively forcing her head down? They make bras for flat women with enormous rib cages.
I have a Champion underwire bra that holds me in and I’m WAYYYYY farther down the alphabet than DD.
“Women face so many impossible ideals.” So, so, so true.
Amen! Seconding the Panache wired sports bra, now to a J cup.
Our well-meaning sisters on the itty-bitty t*tty committee can’t relate at all to the impact on dressing, how the world acts towards us or our self-esteem challenges.
BTW – as a woman in the BBC (big boob club), I quit my finance job to launch a clothing company just for us. Work appropriate and boob-friendly for DD-JJ+ at morefrontroom.com