They say the best revenge is living well, and tennis star Serena Williams is living proof. Watching the 2021 Academy Award-nominated film “King Richard,” it’s easy to see that Serena and her big sister Venus inherited their incredible work ethic from their coach-dad, Richard Williams. But the winner of 23 Grand Slam women’s singles titles recently revealed that a ghost from her dating past also helped fuel her desire to become a champion.
In an episode of her ESPN docuseries, “In The Arena: Serena Williams,” Williams shares that a guy who ghosted her in her twenties motivated her to put in the work she needed to become one of the most successful tennis players in history.
“It was the first relationship that I had ever had, but I was in my twenties, so you know, whatever. And then he ghosts me. I got ghosted,” she said.
Williams says the experience left her determined to make sure the man, who she refers to as “so and so,” regretted his decision to kick her to the curb.
“I used that as an opportunity to say, ‘He’s gonna regret this for the rest of his life.’ That was just the motivation I needed, just the excuse I used to go the extra mile,” she said. “I’m gonna make sure that this person never forgets me. I’m gonna make sure that this person sees me everywhere for the rest of their life.”
And Williams doing just that. These days, the 42-year-old is living her best life as the wife of Reddit co-founder, Alexis Ohanian, mom to daughters Alexis Olympia and Adira River and leaving an amazing tennis legacy behind.
Take that, So and So.