Serena Williams hasn't read an article about herself since 1999

Serena Williams.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Serena Williams won her first U.S. Open in 1999, and since then she has gone on to tie Steffi Graf's record of 22 Grand Slam tournament wins. Williams is unquestionably nothing short of legendary, and as she once corrected a reporter, she is not just one of the greatest female athletes of all time, but one of the greatest athletes, period.

But the road to making history hasn't always been smooth: Williams has been criticized in terms both racist and sexist throughout the duration of her career. In an interview with The Fader, she explained how she copes:

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.