Speaking with reporters at the Tribeca Film Festival, tennis legend Serena Williams was asked about what advice she would have for Caitlin Clark.
“I just love that she tries to stay grounded and she said she doesn’t… what did she say? She doesn’t have a social? She doesn’t look at her social?
“I get it. I don’t either. I think it’s so important to just continue to do what she’s doing. No matter what other people do, then if people are negative, it’s because they can’t do what you do, basically. Hopefully, she’ll continue to do what she’s doing,” Williams said.
Williams knows a thing or two about what it means to be one of the sport’s elite. Regarded as one of the top athletes in history, Williams is a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.
For Clark, it has to be great for someone of Williams’ stature to applaud her professional approach to her career in the WNBA.
Williams was at the Tribeca Film Festival where her docuseries “In the Arena: Serena Williams” premiered earlier this week.
Before Williams was asked about Clark, Williams discussed some of the challenges she faced early in her career.
“I was bullied,” Williams said. “I was and things that I had to go through, now people would be canceled for saying back then. It’s crazy.”
As one of the world’s biggest sports stars, Williams can relate to what Clark has been dealing with in terms of the media attention.
Williams also has been an outspoken advocate for the growth of the WNBA. In April, Williams told CNN that she would consider owning a WNBA team.
“I absolutely would be. I think with the right market, I think I would definitely be super interested in that,” Williams said.
Williams said women’s basketball and the WNBA’s growth just needed the right
“I think the moment’s been happening. We just needed the right catalyst and the right people and I think that’s kind of been happening over the past two years. I think women’s sport is having a moment that it should have always had.
“I feel like tennis has had its moment and it’s international and it’s huge. It’s always going to be there. Now it’s time to lift up other sports, women’s soccer, women’s basketball. There’s so many other sports that women do so great. Let’s put it on that platform that tennis is on and I feel like women’s basketball is getting there. It’s arrived and that’s super exciting,” Williams said.
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