Despite being the younger sister, Serena Williams has taught Venus a lot—0ften without saying anything. “She was the first in the family to win a Grand Slam even though I was the first to be on tour. I learned so much from her just by watching her – without her saying a word. You know by her courage, her character, and her fearlessness,” the 7x Grand Slam champion said during an appearance on The Chris Evans Breakfast Show last year.

It has been almost 3 years since the younger Williams retired, but her legend remains timeless, and its impact goes far beyond just the tennis court. After dominating the racket sport for two decades and winning nearly every trophy, the former World No.1 still continues to inspire with her off-court aura. After all, she’s been equally successful as an entrepreneur. And the one thing that’s really pushed her to create a way for herself, as a woman, despite hardships, has been her confident nature. And she wants every young woman to embrace this side while giving them a single advice.

Williams’ tennis milestones have always put her on a pedestal where she’s rubbed shoulders with her male counterparts. That simply speaks volumes of her greatness. Last year, she was among the only two women in the top 10 on ESPN’s list of top 100 athletes of the 21st century. The 43-year-0ld was placed second, only behind the swimming GOAT and 28-time medalist Michael Phelps. With her talent, she’s left behind all the criticism she used to get previously at the start of her career based on her appearance. But she believes in letting “your kindness shine because a lot of people say you know you let your light shine and don’t let anyone dim your light.”

Williams echoed similar sentiments, again, following her recent partnership with Reckitt. For the uninitiated, Williams joined the health and hygiene brand last month. And she had a very strong message for the women to make them feel that they are not less than anyone. In fact, they should be proud of who they are. In a clip shared by LinkedIn News on IG, dated July 24, the WTA icon said, “It’s ok to scream that I am the best at this. It’s ok to feel that way and not also feel that we’re over pontificating about it. It’s fine.” She emphasized, “I think the one trait that every woman can develop to thrive in leadership is just confidence.”

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“We don’t really celebrate ourselves enough.” She highlighted how often women in their younger years are told that they “don’t have to be that confident, or we don’t want to show our confidence, or we have to hide ourself or we have to just, kind of, almost dummy down who we are.” Serena, who made it to Forbes’ list of “America’s Richest Self-Made Women” in 2024 thanks to her $340 million net worth, urged, “we don’t have to do that. I think it’s good to embrace it.”

And there’s a reason why she remains an enchanting figure out there. Even in her post-retirement phase, the 23-time slam queen is making heads turn on a constant basis. How? Just look at her achievements in this year alone!

Serena Williams earns prestigious honor from Team USA

Back in May, Serena Williams found herself in the United States Olympic & Paralympic Hall of Fame‘s Class of 2025. The four-time Olympic gold medalist was inducted as a Hall of Famer due to her career accomplishments. Earlier this month, in Colorado Springs, she earned her place during an official ceremony. She joined an elite club involving other American athletes like Allyson Felix, Gabby Douglas, Kerri Walsh Jennings, Bode Miller, and Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Elder sister Venus couldn’t contain her happiness. After seeing Serena’s yet another milestone, she showered praises on her. On X she simply wrote, “The biggest congrats to @serenawilliams on being inducted into the #TeamUSAHOF! Watching your hard work and determination has been the biggest honor. Proud of you today and every day, sis💕💪”

Serena even made it to TIME’s list of 100 most influential people this year. She joined athletes like Simone Biles, Breanna Stewart, and Napheesa Collier and entertainers such as Demi Moore, Lorne Michaels, and Snoop Dogg. Simply put, the 43-year-old is truly a living inspiration for all the aspiring and ambitious women. Don’t you think?