Serena Williams Says She Has Been ‘Underpaid And Undervalued’ For Her Entire Career

When one of the greatest sports stars to ever live says they have been 'underpaid and undervalued' in their career, you know something's not right.

Despite her continued success spanning across three decades, 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams insists her time as a professional hasn't come without its challenges - both on and off the court.

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Speaking to British Vogue, the 39-year-old mother of one revealed what it's like being a high-profile black athlete during this current period of growing racial tensions (and a global pandemic for that matter).

When asked about her thoughts on her career as a whole, Williams simply said: "Underpaid, undervalued."

"[But] I've never been a person that has been like, 'I want to be a different colour' or 'I want my skin tone to be lighter.' I like who I am, I like how I look, and I love representing the beautiful dark women out there. For me, it's perfect. I wouldn't want it any other way."

Williams has never been one to sit back and not use her platform to full effect.

Unlike some high-profile athletes, she has been a central figure in sparking broader conversations and driving social change - in particular ones of racial injustices.

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Following the tragic death of George Floyd in Minnesota, the Black Lives Matter movement has continued to have a voice globally - one which Williams hopes can continue long into the future.

"Now, we as Black people have a voice - and technology has been a huge part of that," she said.

"We see things that have been hidden for years; the things that we as people have to go through. This has been happening for years. People just couldn't pull out their phones and video it before.

"At the end of May, I had so many people who were white writing to me saying, 'I'm sorry for everything you've had to go through.' I think for a minute they started - not to understand, because I don't think you can understand - but they started to see. I was like: well, you didn't see any of this before? I've been talking about this my whole career. It's been one thing after another."

Topics: Black Lives Matter, Tennis, Serena Williams, blm, US Open, Australia

Max Sherry

Max Sherry is a journalist for SPORTbible Australia. After migrating Down Under from London as a teenager, he instantly fell in love with Aussie sport and its culture. From NRL to AFL, cricket to rugby — you name it, Max watches it (with a beer in hand, of course). During his time at Fox Sports, he worked in the football department covering the Premier League, A-League, Socceroos and Matildas. Born a stone's throw away from West Ham's training ground, Max is obviously a die-hard Liverpool fan.

@maxysherry