Tag: Serena

Categories
Health

Simone Biles On Serena Williams, Showing Emotions and Being Unafraid to Own Her Greatness


Simone Biles has learned to embrace her greatness even though she sometimes has trouble wrapping her mind around just how good she’s become. But as the countdown to the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo begins, the superstar athlete, who was recently declared the most decorated female gymnast of all time, said she’s not going to hold back or deny that she’s good at what she does.

“It’s important to teach our female youth that it’s OK to say, ‘Yes, I am good at this,’ and you don’t hold back,” Biles said in an interview with USA TODAY.

The 22-year-old explained, “You only see the men doing it. And they’re praised for it and the women are looked down upon for it. But I feel like it’s good (to do) because once you realize you’re confident and good at it, then you’re even better at what you do.”

“It’s not out of cockiness,” she added. “I’ve won five world titles and if I say, ‘I’m the best gymnast there is,’ (the reaction is) ‘Oh, she’s cocky. Look at her now.’ No, the facts are literally on the paper. I think it’s important to teach (young girls) that.”

Biles went on to say that one of the things her favorite athlete, Serena Williams, taught her growing up is to own her confidence and not be afraid to show real, raw emotion.

“You don’t have to be a robot all the time, and you don’t always have to seem happy out there,” Biles explained. “It also shows kids that it’s OK, if you’re enjoying the moment, to smile, to be happy. If you’re not having a good time, it’s OK, you don’t have to hide that from people.”

Earlier this week, Biles made history by successfully landing the triple-double during her floor routine—a move that is now officially dubbed the Biles II. And on Thursday, October 10, she added another medal to her growing collection: She earned her 16th gold medal at the gymnastics world championships in Stuttgart, Germany, after winning her fifth world all-around title.

After her win, she admitted, “I really don’t know how I do it sometimes.”

“I don’t know; I feel like it’s not me,” Biles continued, per The New York Times. “Sometimes I wonder how I do it. I feel like it’s just, like, not me. I wish I could have like an out-of-body experience to witness it because sometimes I think I’m going crazy.”



Source link

Categories
Health

Serena Williams Wants Everyone to Know What a Great Friend Meghan Markle Is


Serena Williams and Meghan Markle are two of the most well-known women in the world. But, to each other, they’re just really good friends. Like, the kind of friends who will fly across the ocean to support each other in their big moments.

Williams, of course, was among the famous guests when Markle married Prince Harry on the world’s stage back in May 2018. And the Duchess of Sussex has very publicly showed up for her tennis star friend at Wimbledon and most recently, the U.S. Open finals in New York City.

The Duchess of Sussex made the solo trip—sans Harry and baby Archie—just ahead of ending her royal maternity leave, and Williams wants everyone to know how much it meant to her. “Meghan is amazing,” she told E! News at the fashion show for her S by Serena line. “She literally flew across the seas just to support for a few hours with a newborn baby.”

Gotham/Getty Images

“She is the most positive, amazing human that I know,” Williams continued. “Everyone needs to know how amazing she is. I don’t know if I could have done that with my daughter at that age. But she did it. And that shows the kind of person that she is.”

Markle released a fashion line of her own this week in her official return from maternity leave. The “Smart Set” capsule collection benefits one of her royal patronages, Smart Works, with a one-to-one model. For every item purchased, that same item will be donated to the charity, which helps outfit women looking for jobs.

Female friendship and support playing out on the world’s stage? You love to see it. Now, would it be too much to ask to get some photos of a play date between Williams’s daughter, Olympia, and little Archie? Probably, but a girl can dream.





Source link

Categories
Health

Meghan Markle Is Taking a Solo Trip to See Serena Williams Play in the U.S. Open


Meghan Markle is currently coming to the end of her maternity leave, which started with the birth of baby Archie in May. She’ll be launching her new capsule fashion collection benefiting Smart Works, one of her royal patronages, next week. Then she, Prince Harry, and Archie will set off on their first royal tour as a family, a trip to Africa, later this month.

But she’s finding time to squeeze in a solo trip to the United States for a very special reason: Sources confirmed to the Today show that Markle hopped on a plane on Friday, September 6 to travel to New York to watch her good friend Serena Williams play in Saturday’s U.S. Open Finals.

“It is a last-minute trip,” a source told the Times UK. “Excited to support her friend, and then come back.” The report also says she is believed to be traveling without her husband, son, or any staff—only her security team is accompanying her. And given all the controversy surrounding her and Harry’s use of private jets this summer, it should not surprise anyone that the duchess opted to fly commercial for this personal trip.

We all may not have a friend playing in the U.S. Open or the ability to hop on a quick transcontinental flight, the sentiment is relatable: Basically, she’s just being a good friend, as well as squeezing in some personal time before a hectic fall schedule. Markle was a tennis (and Serena fan) well before becoming a royal and has twice joined her sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, in the royal box at Wimbledon to watch her pal play.

Meghan and Serena back in 2014.Kevin Mazur/Getty Images



Source link

Categories
Health

Serena Williams Powerfully Opened Up About Missing Her Daughter While Competing


Serena Williams is a superhero in more ways than one: She’s a world tennis champion, an activist for equality, and a mother to almost-2-year-old daughter Olympia, whom she raises with her husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. But it’s not easy being a working mom, especially when you’re a highly visible pro athlete. As she competes in the U.S. Open this weekend, Williams shared in an on-court interview, per Forbes, how difficult it could be being away from her daughter during tournaments.

“I actually prefer playing in the day because I get to go home and see my baby,” Williams, the No. 8 seed and 23-time major champion, said on court after dispatching Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, 6-3, 6-2, to advance to the fourth round. “I’ve been missing her the last few nights when I play.”

Although there won’t be a birthday party—Williams is a Jehovah’s Witness and doesn’t celebrate birthdays—Olympia turns 2 on Sunday, September 1. Williams reflected on Olympia’s birth and her own career since having her daughter.

“I think two years ago I had things attached to my arm, IVs, and it was a miracle that happened, having my baby,” she said, according to Forbes. “It was really a great day for me. Then it all went downhill. It all went downhill after that for a good five days. But I’m here, and I’m going to be reflecting on my opponent more than anything.”

TPN/Getty Images

Williams added that Olympia has been saying “By-ee” every day when the tennis great leaves for the U.S. Open, which lasts two weeks.

“It’s different,” Serena said, according to Forbes. “In the beginning she would really be upset when I left. And now she’s a little bit better. I think I’m a little more upset. But at the same time, she definitely still takes it a little hard. She’s still super young.

“You know, it’s hard. Sometimes my heart literally aches when I’m not around her. But, you know, it’s good for me, I guess, to keep working and just to all moms out there that it’s not easy. It’s really kind of painful sometimes. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.”

Once the tournament is wrapped, however, things to back to normal—and the two have plenty of time to hang together. Williams takes care of training in the morning and then be with her the rest of the day.



Source link

Categories
Health

Serena Williams Had the Best Response for Critics Who Think She Should Stick to Tennis


Serena Williams might have lost the final women’s singles showdown at Wimbledon on Saturday, but she’s not about to let that defeat—or any others—throw her off. Speaking in a press conference after the match against Romania’s Simona Halep (final score: 6-2, 6-2), Williams powerfully defended herself against recent critiques, including from tennis legend Billie Jean King, that she should focus more on tennis and less on her activism work and “being a celebrity.”

“There have been a few comments made in the last couple of weeks from people like Billie Jean King that maybe you should stop being a celebrity for a year and stop fighting for equality and just focus on the tennis,” a journalist asked her at the end of the press conference. “How do you respond to that?”

Williams, of course, had the perfect answer ready. “The day I stop fighting for equality and for people that look like you and me will be the day I’m in my grave,” the 23-time Grand Slam champ responded.

For context, King had said back in June that it was a “wish” she had to see Williams just focus on tennis. “She’s got business, a baby, she’s trying to help gender equity, particularly for women of color, she’s actually on the Billie Jean King leadership initiative, she and Venus are both advisors for it. [It makes winning a Slam] much harder,” she told the U.K.’s Metro, highlighting that there’s a lot on Williams’ plate. “I would like her to put everything else aside, because she’s got people working on those things. I wish she would just make a commitment for the next year and a half to two years and say, ‘I’m going to absolutely focus on what’s necessary for my tennis, so when I look in the mirror when I’m older then I can go back in my mind and know I gave it everything I had.'”

“If she’s happy doing it this way, then that’s fine. It’s whatever makes her happy, it’s not about us,” King added.

After Williams’ response at the press conference, King clarified her words on Twitter: “I would never ask anyone to stop fighting for equality. In everything she does, Serena shines a light on what all of us must fight for in order to achieve equality for all,” she wrote.

King is herself a staunch advocate for gender equality: She won the historic 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match against Bobby Riggs, which went a long way toward breaking down the cultural perception that women’s sports are somehow “less than” men’s, though that fight is far from over. In the Metro article, King also admitted that it’s “not fair” to ask Williams to devote herself only to tennis—and she referenced how difficult the sport became for her as she aged past 40 (Williams is 37).





Source link

Categories
Health

Serena Williams Opened Up About Meghan Markle Supporting Her at Wimbledon


It’s been a busy few weeks of play at Wimbledon, and the women’s matches continued wrapping up on Saturday with the singles final. Ultimately, Serena Williams lost the match to Simona Halep of Romania 6-2, 6-2. There to support Williams through the tough rounds of play? None other than the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, one of her very good friends (reportedly, Williams helped organized her baby shower in New York).

Markle wasn’t watching alone, either: Both Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, and Kate Middleton’s sister Pippa Middleton were there—the first time the three have been seen hanging out together at Wimbledon. (And looking chic doing it, of course.) Time flies, but it’s been a year since Wimbledon marked the first time Kate Middleton and Markle had hung out in public together.

After the match, Williams opened up about what having Markle in the stands meant to her as she was sweating it out on the court below. During a post-match press conference, she said that having the duchess’s support was “great.” “She’s such a great friend and a great person as well. And always positive, no matter what,” Williams said, according to People.

“It’s so good to have people like that, just to know,” Williams continued, and added that Markle is “such a fan of the sport.”

Williams and Halep both got a shoutout from the royals after the match, too:

“Well done to Serena Williams and Simona Halep on a fantastic match, and congratulations Simona on your first Wimbledon title!” Kensington Palace captioned an Instagram post featuring a gallery of the royals at the match. (Kate Middleton had taken some time to meet some junior players earlier in the day.)

It’s sweet that the two make time to be there for each other’s biggest moments—and have each other’s backs, win or lose. Watch the whole interview here:

[embedded content]





Source link