"I'd like other people to be like me" - Interview of 11-year-old Serena Williams resurfaces, fully showcasing her confidence
Serena Williams has not played a competitive match since the 2021 Wimbledon Championships. Williams was forced to withdraw from her first-round match at the tournament after injuring her leg during an awkward fall, and she has been on the sidelines ever since.
The American has been making the most of her time away from tennis, and was last spotted vacationing with her friends and family in Puerto Rico. Williams' legion of fans, meanwhile, have used this time to share her highlights and archival interviews on social media platforms.
Amongst one of the most widely shared of these posts is an interview featuring Serena Williams and her older sister Venus, from the time when they were just 11 and 13 years old respectively.
Interviewer: “If you were a tennis player, who would you want to be like?”
11-year-old Serena Williams: “Well, I’d like other people to be like me”
https://t.co/ElAd2F5VT0
The nine-second-long video starts with the interviewer asking Serena Williams to name a tennis player that she would like to emulate on the court. The then-11-year-old responded by saying that instead of being like someone else, she would rather have other players wanting to be more like her.
"Well, I’d like other people to be like me," Williams said on being asked who she would to emulate on a tennis court.
The quick-witted response from the youngster managed to win over not only the interviewer - who can be heard exclaiming "that's a good answer" - but a wide range of social media users as well.
Several fans have since reshared the post and added positive comments complementing Williams' confidence. Comments on the now-popular Twitter post range from "a champion already" to "so confident at such an early age".
Serena Williams falls to No. 41 in the latest WTA rankings
Serena Williams' continued absence from the WTA tour has led to a sharp fall down the rankings ladder. The American started the year by making a return to the top-10, but her stint at the top was short-lived as she slid down following an early exit in Roland Garros.
Last month, Williams dropped all of the points she was carrying from her 2019 US Open final appearance under the frozen rankings system. Needless to say, that adversely affected her standing even further.
The 40-year-old has slipped to No. 41 in the rankings, her lowest since July 2018. Williams has also withdrawn from the upcoming BNP Paribas Open, and it is unclear as to when she plans on returning to action.
Most believe she is unlikely to play again this year, which would mean a comeback at the 2022 Australian Open.