After decades in the spotlight, the tennis trailblazers tell Harper’s Bazaar they’re excited to explore life off the court: “From such a young age, all we’ve done is work,” says Venus

Photo: Renell Medrano

Serena Williams and Venus Williams are reflecting on their iconic careers as some of the most decorated female athletes in professional sports.

In their interview for Harper’s Bazaar‘s March 2022 cover story, the sisters opened up about what the future holds for them while also looking back on their game-changing time on the tennis court.

Serena, 40, and Venus, 41, were recently seen in a new light thanks to King Richard, the Oscar-nominated drama that chronicled the early days of their careers under the guidance of their father, Richard Williams.

Looking back on her childhood, Serena told Harper’s Bazaar, “A lot of people get this different story of sports fathers — especially tennis fathers, who are really overbearing. And that wasn’t necessarily my dad.”

She added, “Everyone’s like, ‘Well, how do you play tennis for so long?’ It’s because we weren’t raised in an environment where it was something that we abhorred.”

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Venus also weighed in on her and Serena’s childhood, explaining, “Usually in one family there’s one good player and then the other one is not that great. And I think people told Serena she wouldn’t be great.”

She continued, praising Serena: “The fearlessness with which she approached the game was something I’ve always really admired. She doesn’t accept second. She explicitly told me herself that she plays for first place.”

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While both sisters have experienced amazing careers — Serena has won 23 Grand Slams, while Venus has won seven — they are not looking to wind down just yet.

Serena pushed back on “legacy” when speaking with Harper’s Bazaar, telling the outlet, “That’s something I don’t think about nor do I want. I don’t want to think about what I’m leaving. I just think about who I am every single day behind closed doors and behind cameras. And that’s what I focus on.”

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As for her post-tennis career, Venus said she is “so inspired by other changemakers” and especially loves design and mentoring.

“I love passing on what I know,” Venus said. “Serena and I say we’re going to become body-builders after tennis. It might be extreme. It might not happen exactly like that, but you never know.”

Neither Serena nor Venus has officially retired from professional tennis just yet. Serena most recently played in Wimbledon last summer, though she had to withdraw from her first-round match due to a leg injury. She eventually skipped the U.S. Open in August.

Venus also withdrew from the U.S. Open because of a leg injury. Last year marked the first time since 2003 that neither sister competed in the U.S. Open.

But whenever they do officially leave the court, the sisters are excited to explore a new world defined by options after their lives have been singularly, and successfully, centered on tennis.

“From such a young age, all we’ve done is work,” said Venus. “So I think for Serena and I to explore that freedom is surreal. We’ve never been free.”