How Serena Williams breaks the myth about her true personality off the court

When it comes to intensity and passion in tennis, few names shine as brightly as Serena Williams. Her competitive spirit and powerful strokes made her one of the most dominant players in history, defining an era in the sport. However, that same ferocity on the court also fueled a long-standing misconception about who Serena really is off it.

In the inaugural episode of Stockton Street, published on X, the American champion decided to clarify the biggest misunderstanding about her personality. During the conversation, Williams explained that many people labeled her as serious, aggressive, and distant in her private life, simply because she displayed unmatched intensity during her matches.

READ: Serena Williams Shares Mysterious Post About ‘Difficult August’ an

“For me, the biggest mistake is that people think I’m the same off the court as I am on it. I’ve always been intense, fierce, and passionate in tennis, but in reality I’m loving, I love to joke around and have fun with my family. I’m not as serious as many people think,”she confessed.

A cheerful and approachable Serena Williams

Far from the rigid image some still hold, a quick look at her social media reveals an authentic and joyful Serena. The former world number one often shares moments full of laughter with her daughters, friends, and family, showing that her essence goes far beyond the intensity she displayed with a racket in hand.

This isn’t the first myth the former tennis star has sought to debunk. Over the years, several misunderstandings have circulated about her and her inner circle, including her own father, Richard Williams.

King Richard and the vindication of Richard Williams

In 2021, the film King Richard, starring Will Smith, showed the world a different side of Richard Williams. Beyond the prejudices that painted him as a villain, the movie revealed his true role as a protector and driving force in the lives of Serena and Venus, highlighting the enormous family effort that propelled the sisters to the top of world tennis.

“It was essential to tell the truth: my father wasn’t the character many imagined. He was a constant support, along with my mother, and together they guided us in a sport that wasn’t always easy for us,” Serena recalled in a past interview.

The combination of her athletic career and the authenticity of her personal life solidify Serena Williams not only as a tennis icon, but also as an inspiring voice unafraid to break myths and show her true self. Today, with Stockton Street, she opens a new chapter to share untold stories and connect more closely with her followers

Serena Williams Shares Mysterious Post About ‘Difficult August’ and Focusing on Her Mental Health

Tennis legend Serena Williams is opening up about focusing on what’s most important after a “difficult August.”

The former professional tennis player and Olympic gold medalist, 43, took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a quartet of photos featuring her dressed in a long, red silk dress and silver pointy-toed heels. With her long, blonde hair in curly tendrils, Williams stood in front of a massive bookshelf and opened up about “learning to let go.” The post comes less than a month after her announcement that she lost 31 pounds using a GLP-1 medication.

“Dearest gentle reader, My summer started out well but I was plunged into a difficult August. Like many of you, I faced challenges that tested my spirit and resilience. Life can sometimes feel overwhelming and it’s easy to lose sight of what truly matters—your mental health and well-being. I took some time away to breathe, to reconnect with myself, and to remember that it’s perfectly okay to pause and reconnect. Even if it’s just a quiet night to yourself. Anything counts,” Williams wrote in the caption.

READ: How and Why Serena Williams’ Old Coach Critiqued Her Body After

The athlete, who has two daughters, Alexis Olympia, 8, and Adira, 2, with husband Alexis Ohanian, continued by saying that she’s “learned that the end of a matter is better than its beginning. And even though things haven’t reached their end yet, I’m also learning to let go and live life one moment at a time. The only thing I’m dealing with in this moment here is how good this dress looks against first editions.”

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A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams)

Williams ended the post by asking her followers how their summer was, and adding the hashtag “Lady Serena of Stockton Street.”

Williams Has Spoken About the Challenges of Motherhood

In the past, Williams has opened up about her public image as a sports icon and how she doesn’t believe that’s a true representation of one’s worth. Instead, she has shared how she feels the real sign of being a star is being someone your children can count on.

“I feel like everybody’s a champion,” Williams told PEOPLE last year. “You don’t have to be winning Wimbledon or a gold medal to be a champion. Being a champion is really just being there for your kids. I think that’s a huge champion.”

But with a lot on her plate as an athlete, founder, spokesperson, and mother, Williams can get overwhelmed.

“Being a champion is understanding that you’re not going to be a champion every single day. There’s no way you can win every single day. I need to take this advice to myself,” she shared. “But it’s really just about giving your best effort in whatever you’re doing, just do the best that you can on that day. Some days, you will be able to make a better effort. Some days, just waking up is a big effort. You just have to give what you can on that day.”

Serena Williams has never been a stranger to scrutiny.

From her dominance on the court to the constant conversation around her body, the 23-time Grand Slam champion has spent her career under a microscope.

In a 2018 Teen Vogue interview, she talked about how much body shaming she had to put up with, recalling: “People would say I was born a guy, all because of my arms, or because I’m strong.” Years later, the subject has resurfaced, this time tied to her decision to publicly embrace medical help for weight loss.

Williams recently appeared in People magazine celebrating a 31-pound weight loss, but the feature carried a corporate twist. It also promoted Ro, a telehealth service that provides access to GLP-1 medications, where her husband Alexis Ohanian sits on the board.

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For some observers, the story raised questions about whether her personal journey was being overshadowed by the business angle. For Williams, however, it was a chance to share an honest account of her struggles.

Mouratoglou recalls tense conversations

Her longtime coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, who helped guide her to many of her titles, admitted the topic of weight was often a flashpoint in their partnership.

“Oh I remember it very well,” he said when asked about those years. “It was after the pregnancy – not right after; I know these things take time. I told her: ‘Listen, this is not a comment on how you look. It’s not my problem.’ But tennis is a sport in which you can’t afford to be overweight.”

He explained his reasoning in purely athletic terms.

“The pressure on your joints and everything is so big that your chances [of injury] become much higher,” Mouratoglou said. “It’s a sport in which you change directions all the time and with a lot of speed. Even one kilo overweight is a lot. When you go full speed in one direction with one kilo extra and then need to stop and come back, the time that you lose is really important.

“Just look at the best players in the world – Alcaraz, Sinner, Djokovic. Think about their movement. The weight was affecting her movement.

“In Serena’s case, she was older – so of course the body is not going to bounce back the same as before, and the risk of injury is even bigger. We had a few fights about it. I remember she did not like when I said that because she thought I was judging her,” he revealed.

Still, he stood firm: “I kept telling her, I don’t care about your look. It’s not my job. My job is your tennis. If you want to come back to the top and make history, then we have to be very efficient on every level – including this one, which for me was the key element.”