With 22 grand slam singles titles to her name, it’s not an overstatement to say that Serena Williams’ body is a machine. Or perhaps a work of art. Or maybe a miracle. However you phrase it, she’s amazing. But her superhuman abilities and decades of success haven’t protected her from the kind of body scrutiny and criticism that haunt so many of us.
In a recent conversation withThe FaderSerena reflects, “People have been talking about my body for a really long time.” It’s safe to say the comments have been positive and negative. The icon concedes people are entitled to their opinions, and over the years she’s worked out how to deal with them.
Her advice is to tune out the commentary: since she was 17 she’s avoided the chatter that surrounds her. While she does occasionally check out the odd photo of herself — as you wouldn’t if you were her — she didn’t fixate over media commentary. “I didn’t want to have that negative energy.” Conversely, she also avoided a lot of positive media coverage when she was younger, because she didn’t want the hype give her an ego.
Serena notes that a sense of self worth and confidence will take you further than obsessing over the comments section. “That’s the message I try to tell other women and in particular young girls. You have to love you, and if you don’t love you no one else will. And if you do love you, people will see that and they’ll love you too.”
Credits
Photography Jimmy Baikovicius