Serena Williams Quotes

I was having an out-of-body experience, it was so hot. I felt I was watching someone play in a blue dress, and it wasn't me.

I love "Phenomenal Woman." The experiences she had of being African American in the U.S. - that itself is a task. I appreciate the hardships Maya Angelou went through for our generation. I'm super influenced by the black people that paved the way for us.

Having a pulmonary embolism is definitely easier than heart break.

I decided I can't pay a person to rewind time, so I may as well get over it.

I grew up watching my mom in the kitchen, that's how I know anything about cooking. I've always wanted to go to a culinary class actually.

I know a lot of people who are 12 and doing things they shouldnt be doing. Whether youre an actress or a singer, its always the sexier ones that are selling more tickets or selling more albums.

I feel as a brand I'm here to be around for a long time.

I've never felt invincible. I've never used that word to describe me ever.

I always believe I can beat the best, achieve the best. I always see myself in the top position.

All I want is to have fun in what I'm doing every day. I don't want to break records. To become the greatest player ever could take me like ... 10 more years and I don't think I'll still be playing at 31.

When I was younger, I was always obsessed with nails.

I was looking in the mirror today and my waist is still 28 inches. I think it's all because I have a large bosom and a large ass. I have a large ass and it always just looks like I'm bigger than the rest of the girls. I could lose 20 pounds and I'm still going to have these knockers and I'm going to have this ass, and that's just the way it is.

There are people who live, breathe and dress tennis.

When I first started really playing, in '98, I was super excited to see all the people I grew up watching ... I loved Monica Seles, Steffi Graf, and Pete Sampras.

My mom's chicken, with rice and gravy was my favorite dish as a kid, and it still is now. That's my favorite meal from her or from anybody. It's a family favorite.

It's a corset design making me look very, very slim and trim. I call it a corset dress. Very Hollywood glamour with the silk.

My mom taught me how to sew when I was super young; I used to make clothes for my dolls. When I finally went to [fashion design] school [in 1999], I really took to pattern making. Everyone in class was good at something; I was the person, if you need help with your patterns, you come to me and I would help you out.

I try not to be protected. Because I feel like you can become a little bit of a robot. That's not who I am. And I don't want to be monotone. It's important to be yourself, whatever the cost.

I'm proud to have opened [two] schools in Africa and one in Jamaica [through the Serena Williams Fund and its partners]. I was given a lot. I was given two parents. That's already starting above a lot of kids. And then I was given the opportunity to play tennis and parents who supported that. I feel I can give back.

If Plan A isn't working, I have Plan B, Plan C, and even Plan D.

I do want to look good still; I do want to be healthy.

People see me on the court only as a superhero, grunting and winning. They think you're a robot, and I'm not.

I'm like a chameleon. I can kind of change and get my game going to whatever the situation is. If I play well, which I don't think I've even reached yet at all in this tournament, it's really hard for anyone to beat me.

I'm Serena Williams on the court, but away I have so many different names. I call myself Butterfly.

I'm playing to around 30% of my potential - you'd be shocked at what I could do.

I feel like I don't have to win anymore. I've had a wonderful career. Tennis has given me so much, things I would have never expected in my life. I feel honored to even be a part of such a wonderful sport.

My school was really small, but I was called the Class Clown!

Sure, I've been on the Tube ... I caught it to Eastbourne once.

I have started to realize that I am really just a world athlete and a world entertainer
I am a world-known person, I am a global icon.

I've had to learn to fight all my life - got to learn to keep smiling. If you smile things will work out.

My dad is a marketing mastermind.

I am lucky that whatever fear I have inside me, my desire to win is always stronger.

My coach has said to me, "When you win a match or a tournament, you don't even think about it - the very next minute you're like".

If anything, we haven't changed much since we [with Venuse Williams] were kids. We really are the same people.

I want it to be more natural. Right now it feels really forced. Seems like I've never done a curtsy before, which may be true. But I'm looking forward to nailing it.

Hopefully I'll be able to mature one of these days, get serious, and at least have them [kids] pretty fast.

It's always good to get a smaller tournament under your belt so that by the time you get to the Slams, you have a lot of experience.

It's so great to have that opportunity with so many young American players coming up now. It's just so exciting. We have to root for the home country.

I don't want to be like some of those celebrities walking around, just so full of themselves. I always want to be down-to-earth, want to be a person like when you meet them, they're the same person that you think of them in the article or something.

With my website, I'm really interactive. I've written a lot of things about me.

I played pretty well in my twenties, don't get me wrong! But my consistency is better [in my thirties], my momentum is better, my wins are quicker.

Tennis just a game, family is forever.

I always say if I play my best it's difficult to beat me

I've developed a karaoke habit. I've become a crooner.

With a defeat, when you lose, you get up, you make it better, you try again. That's what I do in life, when I get down, when I get sick, I don't want to just stop. I keep going and I try to do more. Everyone always says never give up but you really have to take that to heart and really do never definitely give up. Keep trying.

Everybody who plays me plays me so hard because they always want to beat me.

All my life I'd woken up to tennis, tennis, tennis. Even if I don't go to practise, I'm thinking about it all day.

I just hate to lose. When I am on the court, it is like my life depends on it.

The red kind of symbolizes a lot of things I do in Africa, along with a lot of the work, like the red laces. Everybody that buys a pair can pretty much save a life in Africa.

When you lose, you get up, you make it better, you TRY AGAIN.

Hopefully, we can build a rivalry and we'll be able to do this a lot. Make a legacy, then retire champions.

I don't want to age myself.

There's one thing I'm really good at, and that's hitting the ball over a net, in a box. I'm excellent.

If anything, you know, I think losing makes me even more motivated.

I don't have a good British accent.

Legendary? I don't know. I'm just Serena.

I'm totally human.

No one likes getting their nails done more than I do.

I love designing dresses and tops.

I think my father is probably the best coach ever because if we talk about numbers, he's got a lot and he's only had two players.

You can't play well if you don't look good.

For the younger sisters, we always look up to the older sisters because they're always ahead of us and they always win.

We all know who the real number one is. Quite frankly, I'm the best in the world.

I went on the courts with just a ball and a racket and a hope ... and that's all I had.

I've been getting my reel together. I think they are looking at me more as an actress because I have a lot of potential and a lot of skills.

I'm definitely not a fearless individual.

I'm an unbelievable designer.

Hold serve,Hold serve,Hold serve. Focus,Focus,Focus. Be confident,Be confident,Be confident. Hold serve. Hold,Hold,Hold. Move Up, Attack, Kill. Smile. Hold!!!

I've thought it would be cool to have a baby young. You know, be my road dog - like my dogs, they travel the world - but there's always something you have to give up for success. Everything comes at a cost. Just what are you willing to pay for it?

The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another. We should raise each other up. Make sure you're very courageous: be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.

Everyone is from Russia. Sometimes I think I'm from Russia, too. All these new Ovas. I don't know anyone. I don't really recognise anyone. That's just how it is. I think my name must be Williamsova.

I'm so frugal, you wouldn't believe it.

What's going to make me happy is going on the court and holding up trophies, singles and doubles.

My goal in a couple of years is to try to build a successful fashion house like Armani or Versace. I want that more than anything.

The guy is the greatest male athletes of all time.

I definitely have found a balance. I've had so many offers in the past to do different movies or different things and I always choose tournaments over it.

I think you have to love yourself before you fall in love. I'm still learning to love myself.

When you travel so much, the best and most relaxing thing is to just sit on the couch and not move.

I'm really super feminine, and I'm really soft. I'm very sensitive, I realized.

I'm really exciting. I smile a lot, I win a lot, and I'm really sexy.

It's a lot of bling to play with. You got to have the bling.

I love going to movies.

I wanted to get really fit. I wanted to lose some weight. So I've been doing Pilates and yoga, trying to lean out my body so I won't be bulky.

Most people that do play nowadays hit really hard. It was good to get someone that hit really hard early on.

I've always enjoyed acting. When we were younger, my sisters and I would put on plays for our parents.

I think it's bad when people start booing between serves.

I don't want to end my career and then start something, I like to do something while my career is still hot and I've always enjoyed designing. There's plenty of time after my tennis to definitely go full-time fashion, when I have arthritis and all that fun stuff.

I always ask my dad, 'Why wasn't I a lefty?' Even when I was younger I wanted to be lefty. I could have been really good.

My smile is my favorite part of my body. I think a smile can make your whole body.

I think in life you should work on yourself until the day you die.

Family's first, and that's what matters most. We realize that our love goes deeper than the tennis game.

You have to believe in yourself when no one else does.

Everyone in this room knows that Venus is probably one of the greatest people on the tour. She's really great. She's super professional. Complete opposite of me.

Who says that your thirties is when you're supposed to be done? I would like to know who made that rule!

Victory is very, very sweet. It tastes better than any dessert you've ever had.

Tennis is my job, but it's not my life.

I can't become satisfied, because if I get satisfied, I'll be like, "Oh, I've won Wimbledon, I've won the U.S. Open. Now can I relax." But now people are really going to be fighting to beat me.

There's always another record, then there's always another person to catch up with or to pass.

I just never give up. I fight to the end. You can't go out and say, 'I want a bag of never-say-die spirit.' It's not for sale. It has to be innate.

If I step on a scale, I won't eat for five months.