Serena Williams revealed the struggles she faced as a teenager

Mental health, travel stress, expectations and pressure: these are all factors that a tennis player must live with, even if he is the best in the world, even if he is Serena Williams. The legendary former American champion attended the Tribeca Festivalwhere the premiere of the documentary series In the arena: Serena Williams took place. Interviewed by Associated Press, the American revealed all the difficulties she encountered when she was a teenager who was already taking up tennis, with a busy schedule and the media attention already focused on her and her sister. The expectations, the pressure, the travel. How did Serena experience this?

“It wasn't like you were on tour and you took a break and had a few years off. It was every week. So it was a tough task and it's really nice to see another facet, a real facet of what happened behind the scenes, I saw these eight episodes in the docuseries, but I just can't wait to watch them again tonight. In my position and growing up as a teenager and as a 14 year old, I had to be careful to stay sane., and being in the press so much and doing all that. I used to travel the world every year”, she revealed.

Serena Williams presents documentary series “In the Arena: Serena Williams” at the Tribeca Festival

“In my position and growing up as a teenager and 14, I kind of had to be monitored to stay sane, and being in the press so much… so it was a chore”

: Associated press pic.twitter.com/9ObOVNTlKn

– TennisONE App (@TennisONEApp) June 14, 2024

Serena Williams presents documentary series “In the Arena: Serena Williams” at the Tribeca Festival

“In my position and growing up as a teenager and 14, I kind of had to be monitored to stay sane, and being in the press so much… so it was a chore”

: Associated press pic.twitter.com/9ObOVNTlKn

– TennisONE App (@TennisONEApp) June 14, 2024

The American could have played her first official match on the WTA circuit at the age of 14, but the WTA stopped everything, preventing the Oakland tournament from awarding her a wild card so as not to make an already difficult course even more difficult. . as predestined in itself.

“I was so intense on the pitch, I always wanted to be perfect, which obviously isn't possible. If I could go back in time, I would tell myself to take deep breaths and relax more. I think that would have helped me a lot. The journey was incredible, but I was really very young when I started playing tennis on the Tour and became a professional player. I don't know if this precocity changed me. or shaped me as a person.

Now I'm trying to figure out who I really am away from the cameras. I have been in the spotlight 24/7 for 27 years. It's different now, but the time has come to understand how much this has affected me. Most people only see the victories of a Grand Slam tournament, the finals, but they don't focus on the training and everything that happens behind it. All this intensity that I have always brought out is now directed towards my daughters”, she said in an interview with ET.