The last couple of days have been pretty huge for Serena Williams. Not only did she make her tennis Grand Slam comeback, which she won of course, but she was also announced as the cover for Harper's Bazaar UK.
And we weren't just treated to one cover, we were treated to two of them.
In the accompanying interview, which was a part of the "power of women" issue, Serena got real about her body struggles growing up and how she would compare herself to her sisters.
"People would say I was born a guy, all because of my arms, or because I’m strong," Serena told the magazine. "I was different to Venus: she was thin and tall and beautiful."
The abuse and jokes at her expense led to the heartbreaking revelation that in 2004, Serena wrote a list of goals for herself. Top of that list was winning Wimbledon, the French Open, and the Italian Open. Following that was the goal to get down to a size four.
Although Serena admitted it was tough, she's now managed to ignore the pressures she once felt, saying: "I’ll never be a size 4! This is me, and this is my weapon and machine."
Serena now only sees the positives, saying that her experiences will make for valuable lessons she can teach her daughter. "I can show Olympia that I struggled, but now I’m happy with who I am and what I am and what I look like."
Serena Williams – a queen on and off the court.
