It’s past midnight at the HSN studios, and Serena Williams is live on-air promoting her “Convertible A-line Top With Scarf.” Priced at $39.95, Serena describes the design with enthusiasm, though she occasionally forgets details like colors and prices.
Luckily, her co-host Bobbi Ray Carter, an experienced HSN presenter, steps in smoothly, keeping the sales pitch on track while Serena drifts into anecdotes — like a story about packing jeans for Wimbledon.
This is the side of Serena many don’t see. She’s the world’s best women’s tennis player, fresh off one of the most dominant stretches of her career. If she wins the upcoming U.S. Open, she’ll achieve a calendar-year Grand Slam, securing her place as not just the greatest women’s player but one of the greatest athletes ever. At 33, when most players would be slowing down, she’s winning titles against opponents a decade younger.
But Serena is already preparing for life beyond tennis. Her fashion line, “Serena’s Signature Statement Collection,” is one of the projects she hopes will carry her into a second career. She admits she doesn’t dwell on trophies or past achievements — many of them are scattered or misplaced. Instead, she’s focused on what comes next.
Her drive can be traced back to her father, Richard Williams, whose bold vision and strict training shaped both Serena and her sister Venus into champions. From hours on tough Compton courts to maintaining detailed goal journals, Serena’s life was built around discipline and resilience. Even now, she admits she rarely rebelled — her most “wild” childhood act was serving oranges over a net.
Fashion, however, is where she lets creativity shine. Inspired by Venus, who has her own clothing line, Serena has pushed the boundaries of tennis style with bold outfits that often sparked both admiration and criticism. While Roger Federer’s play is described in poetic terms, Serena is often painted as “aggressive” or “masculine,” reflecting the double standards she’s faced throughout her career. Despite defeating Maria Sharapova repeatedly, Serena earns far less in endorsements, a gap influenced by race and gender biases.
Through it all, Serena has stayed unapologetically herself. She has clashed with umpires, boycotted tournaments over racism, and later returned on her own terms. She jokes, she confronts, and she speaks her mind — sometimes softly, sometimes bluntly.
What makes her unique is that she carries both toughness and grace. Raised to fight against odds, Serena is also embracing a softer vision of her future. Beyond tennis, she wants to thrive, design, and live more freely. As she once quoted Nelson Mandela, she refuses to live in a “mental prison” of negativity or the past.
Richard Williams raised Serena to conquer the world. Now, as she steps toward her post-tennis life, Serena is ready not just to fight it — but to enjoy it.
