Serena Williams opened up about how she dealt with mental stress. The 41-year-old admitted to often becoming anxious during matches.
Williams was one of the most intense and fiery players on the WTA Tour throughout her career. She did not shy away from showing emotions on the court, and many fans admired the American's authenticity.
The tennis legend's emotions sometimes created controversy, though. For example, umpire Carlos Ramos docked her a game in the 2018 US Open final against Naomi Osaka, whom Williams then accused of sexism.
However, that and any other controversies do not diminish Williams' status as one of the greatest tennis players. Millions of fans worldwide were devastated when the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion bid farewell to professional tennis at this year's US Open.
Williams' retirement means she can now reflect on what made her so mentally strong and how she dealt with challenging moments. Although the seven-time Wimbledon winner could be fiery, few other players in tennis history stepped up so regularly in big moments.
The American spoke about her mentality during a recent interview. Williams admitted she tends to become anxious but has learned how to deal with that and shut everything else out of her mind.
"Mental fitness, for me is just really learning to shut down. You know, I did this years ago, even before mental health was like a topic among everyone's mind. It was like, all right, I'm shutting myself down today, just subconsciously and it is something I've always done."
"Now that I know that it's so important to just put yourself first, especially mentally. I always have shut down moments. I have serious boundaries and I don't let anyone cross them."
"So I do have a tend to become anxious. But I really learned over the past that for me prayer works a lot, just really realizing the bigger picture and it really is helped in my anxiety."
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