Serena Williams played her first-round US Open match yesterday evening. She played Russian Vitalia Diatchenko and suffice to say, Serena won. Serena finished off Diatchenko in less than 30 minutes, actually. I’m actually feeling sorry for Serena a little bit because it feels like the speculation and the pressure for her to deliver a Grand Slam at the US Open is actually getting into her head now. She’s trying to stay focused, just one match at a time and everyone is yelling “OMG HISTORY, YOU HAVE TO WIN.” On Monday, Good Morning America aired a taped interview with Serena. She was lovely here, discussing the pressure to win and the pressure society places on her to fit into some narrow beauty stereotype.
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When discussing the pressure she feels coming into the US Open, she admits: “I feel like I want to win here more than probably anybody, but at the same time I don’t feel that pressure…” She also says she “felt a lot of pressure in Wimbledon.” But the most amazing thing is what she says about self-love and how she’s secure in her appearance:
“It’s me and I love me and I learned to love me and I’ve been like this my whole life, and I embrace me, and I love how I look. I love that I’m a full woman and I am strong, and I’m powerful, and I’m beautiful at the same time, and there’s nothing wrong like that. It’s so important to look at the positives, if I get caught up looking at the negatives it can really bring you down… I don’t have time to be brought down, I’ve got too many things to do. I have Grand Slams to win, I have people to inspire, and that’s what I’m here for.”
Serena wins at life. The only thing I hate is the fact that she has to say this out loud because of all of the stupid sh-t she gets.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
Good for her. She is a beautiful woman, end of.
…and that’s not to take away from her immense talent on the court.
On a personal note, I am so freakin jealous of her hair. Sigh. Mine is big and curly too but nowhere near as full as hers.
With some extensions u can solve that, easy.
Nah. I’m not into the idea of attaching someone else’s hair to my head.
Too creepy.
beautiful. with a BANGING bod. and yes, an amazing tennis talent, too!
I love her self-image…what a great role-model she is for young women and girls.
agreed. Serena wins at life. Role model for any young woman.
I think it’s veeerrrry revealing when people say that she doesn’t look feminine because she’s visibly physically fit and strong. So, to you*, feminine = weak? Don’t like it when a woman looks more like the predator than the prey? HAHA TOO BAD LITTLE BOYS, SERENA WILL EAT YOU ALIVE
*Not you, CB readers, obvs.
Yep. In the same tradition of various slang terms for vagina being used to denote weakness, or some version of *less than*.
It’s also amazing how many men think that the very act of posting a photo online is an invitation to evaluate whether or not they find it attractive. Someone being proud of their hard work is not in fact asking whether or not you find her body ‘acceptable’ or ‘too muscular’ or ‘too manly’ for your taste.
Because of body chemistry differences, women have to work a lot harder than men to maintain muscle, and she does. Her muscles don’t look “manly” but are clearly “womanly” – definitely the female pattern. She is a top athlete for a reason, and she trains well for her sport. Women who don’t train and don’t have physically demanding jobs won’t build and maintain muscle, and modern ideas about what women are supposed to look like are distorted because so many (especially those posing for the cameras) are in that category. But real women can be quite muscular. It’s normal.
That’s true on average, but averages say nothing about the individual. I don’t doubt that Serena works hard to maintain her physique, but normal is a bell curve, not a point, and some women (me for example) are pretty muscular without working out. Same for weight, height, almost any characteristic you can name. That’s why all this “men are this, woman are that” stats frustrate me because they don’t at all represent the true diversity of our species. There is greater diversity within the sexes that between them.
Embertine: Hear, Hear! Keep preaching! But don’t leave CB posters out of your target group–on the last Serena post there were a surprising amount of comments stating she was clearly NOT feminine/beautiful/conventionally attractive by any standards because she was muscle-bound/masculine/ugly. Sigh. I am MUCH more in agreement with your perspective (and JK Rowling’s!)
100 % THIS !
Amazing woman, she needs to stop addressing this nonsense at this point she is a Champion.
She’s already the GOAT in my mind, whether or not she gets the calendar Slam is irrelevant – she is and always will be a champion.
Also, she’s already broken a record – for the first time EVER, tickets for the ladies singles final sold out more quickly than the mens final. That’s how cool Serena is.
I get comments walking on THE street that i look like her..thats WHY i Will never ever go to THE gym.once i do i Will get muscles beyond believe.
Miss Thickness tho..i wish i had THE courage.
If you use low weight and do high repetitions, you will be toned and not build the muscle thickness/mass compared to using high weight and few reps.
She most likely builds muscle easily, and wants more mass so that she can hit the ball harder.
She’s the greatest!
I also love the fact that Rafa is such a big Serena fan and supporter! Watch an interview where he talks about how amazing she is, its total respect and admiration.
Kind of sick of ALL the body shaming people are doing. Woman can’t be too fat, too thin, too muscular, too curvy…TOO ANYTHING! Damnit, this needs to stop because this is a terrible message to everyone trying to just live their lives…😡
Thank you! Someone commented on a post here last night that anyone who found Miley Cyrus attractive must be a friend of the pedophile Subway guy, implying that Miley has the body of a little boy. Women want to complain about the pressure men put on them to look a certain way, but then turn around and shame the hell out of other women! Why don’t we support each other? Why make anyone feel bad for the way they are?! Miley has a woman’s body, Serena has a woman’s body- there is NOT a standard definition for “womanly” or feminine. Congrats to these women and every other woman comfortable in her own skin!!
And I hope Miley never ends up doing what so many do in her occupation – heading for the surgeon to force her body into such preconceptions. She looks fine the way she is, except I would suggest more clothes and less tongue.
Why are her eyebrows shiny?
As opposed to being half a woman?
lol, that was my exact thought.
Playing tennis in 80’s-90’s there was always this pressure to win — but look ‘beautiful’ and ‘graceful’ doing it. Always admired Steffi Graf because she didn’t seem as involved in that ideal. Her rival, Monica Seles, made ‘ugly’ faces and loud grunts. Then we had a new age of tennis ‘stars’, like Anna Kournikova, who came out saying they were playing tennis to get the attention of modeling contracts. Women’s tennis took a turn for the worse then, I’m glad Serena is turning that train around.
Graf was pure business on the tour. She had no time for antics, especially since her father called most of the shots, on- and off-court. Her focus brought her much success but definitely stunted her popularity because as you said, she didn’t sell out to an image.
I love seeing Azarenka play because she is really athletic and gets into the game. The grunts can get crazy (indeed) but it’s nice to see someone out there not dressed like they are desperately waiting for their next upskirt shot.
Go Serena …. Good Luck for the title!!!
Coco: Is it really necessary to insult a whole generation of women’s tennis players to build up Serena? In addition to Steffi Graf and Monica Seles, here are some of the other top women players from the 1990s and 2000s : Lindsay Davenport, Mary Pierce, Kim Clijsters, Justin Henin, Martina Hingis, Svetlana Kurznetskova, Amelie Mauresmo, Jana Novotna, Mary Jo Fernandez, Conchita Martinez, and Jennifer Capriati.
I remember these women and enjoyed watching them play. They were dedicated professionals. I am sure that not one of them was playing tennis to get modelng contracts.
She’s an athlete and she looks strong and beautiful.
Everytime she speaks I love her more. She is so positive. You can tell she has the mentality of a great athletic. She can’t let this crap bring her down. She’s got too much greatness to achieve!
That woman could whoop serious ass in any sport she chooses. She’s a fantastic player; I love watching her and cheering for her. She worked hard for her success. I hope she paves the way for many more women athletes in ALL sports to embrace the muscles from form following function, instead of focusing on their “attractiveness.” Go Serena go!
That’s how we encourage sexism. Why such an accomplished athlete has to comment on her looks? I can imagine men saying “now i feel sexy and accepted my beauty”
This ! I keep saying the same thing. Stop judging women by the looks if you want people start judging women by the looks. And it is usually women who do so.
I’ve lived in multiple countries and people look quite different in different places. So I got to the point where I don’t really know anymore what “beautiful” is to people. To me most people are beautiful, there is something beautiful about almost everyone.
In some people it is mind, in some how they move, in some how they talk, some have beautiful expressive faces. Humans are beautiful, period.
You are an AMAZING WOMAN Serena!!!! You are GORGEOUS and STRONG and SUCCESSFUL!!!! You are the best.
Serena Williams is everything – strong, skilled, disciplined, strategic, smart, independent and a force to reckon with. She IS beautiful but, more importantly, she’s a very good role model for women. Her muscles, height, weight, and strength do not define her status as a woman.
She IS absolutely amazing at every level, and I would rather see more stories on her and her sister than that other noxious, invasive family of sisters ANY DAY.
good for her. she does inspire me.
What a great inspiration…love her!!
I LOVE SERENA! (sung to the tune of “Ai No Corrida”)
hey it’s the chick who said the steubenville rape victim shouldnt of been drinking.
Gorgeous. Authentic and strong
Absolutely lovable.
An American hero. Beautiful soul.
I am so glad she does not let the foolishness affect her life.