This week (October 16th), ESSENCE unveiled that one of the most revered names in sports history, entrepreneur Serena Williams, was the cover star for the November/December “Holiday and Business Issue.” Following the globally recognized athlete’s retirement in 2022, she embarked on a new journey as a businesswoman, wife, and mother of two. In an intimate conversation with ESSENCE Magazine, she candidly shared that she misses playing tennis while waiting in the carpool line at her daughter’s school, noting that her daughter is a “natural athlete.”
Serena noticed a lack of representation of Black women in her beloved sport very early in her career. Alongside her older sister, Venus Williams, the two became the faces of tennis. In doing so, they inspired a new generation of Black athletes who now dominate the court including Coco Gauff, Naomi Osaka, Taylor Townsend, Madison Keys, Sloane Stephens, Frances Tiafoe, and others. In the interview …