Serena Williams may have built a gritty persona through her illustrious tennis career and achievements beyond the sport. Still, the grind that the sport demanded was something she didn’t like initially.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion admitted that as a child, she hated the endless practice sessions, though she now recognizes how invaluable they were. Williams even revealed that she instills the same habits and values in her elder daughter, Olympia.

What Does Serena Williams Want Her Daughter Olympia To Learn?

Williams carved out a legacy unmatched by most, collecting 73 singles titles, including 23 Grand Slams. She retained the No. 1 spot in the WTA rankings for a staggering 319 weeks, the third-longest reign ever, and finished five times as a year-end No. 1 player.

Beyond her singles dominance, the American succeeded in doubles, capturing 23 WTA titles, including 14 Grand Slams, alongside her sister Venus Williams. Her elder sister, in turn, built an imposing legacy of her own with 49 singles titles, highlighted by seven Grand Slam triumphs.

Beyond their celebrated tennis careers, the sisters have explored new trajectories. Most recently, they launched their joint podcast Stockton Street, a nod to their upbringing in Compton, California. The show debuted on X on Sept. 17.

Serena recently shared a clip from the latest episode of their show on X, where her elder sister asked whether they had practiced too much and her reply followed:

“Absolutely, I felt like it was too much. I felt like it was unnecessary and I hated practice, I really did. Looking back, we needed every second of that. In order to be the best, you have to put in the time and you have to be willing to work harder than anyone else. And I think those practices making me wanna practice in the future, because once I became my own professional, I never skipped practice,” she said.

Now that Williams recognizes how invaluable those grueling practice sessions were, she passes the lesson on to her elder daughter, Olympia. The 42-year-old explained that she tells the 8-year-old that while hard work may feel exhausting now, it will benefit her in the long run. She also revealed how, as a child, she used to hate the sessions and even try to sabotage them.

“And I always tried to tell Olympia, you don’t understand the benefits, now it sucks today, it really does, but tommorow you are gonna be so happy that you did it. The time I hated it from sabotaging things to being happy if the car broke down. I think I used to probably pray ‘like god let it rain.’

Williams cherishes every moment with her adorable daughters, Olympia and Adira, often sharing glimpses of their time together on social media. Her dedication as a mother shines through, and she is married to renowned tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian, who is equally devoted to his parental role.