“My parents were big proponents of mental health — not just self-care, but proactivity” -Venus Williams
The release of the biographical film 'King Richard' has provided Serena and Venus Williams with plenty of opportunity to reflect on their long and illustrious careers.
Told from the perspective of Richard Williams, Serena and Venus's father, the film focuses on the legendary duo's formative years. The film spends a significant amount of time exploring one of the strongest aspects of Venus Williams's game, her mental strength,
Speaking of the same, Venus Williams, in a recent interview with The New York Post, said her parents had always been "big proponents" of mental health and encouraged her to focus on "self-care" and "proactivity".
“My parents were big proponents of mental health — not just self-care, but proactivity,” Williams said. “It was about realizing that the world is a beautiful place, but it’s also a challenging place."
"You have to prepare mentally to be able to handle the pressures," she continued. "I was able to succeed in places where others [didn’t] because I had that support from a young age.”
Williams also spoke about the importance of mental wellness in the interview, saying that having it was irreplaceable in the pursuit of a wholesome life.
The American went on to say that for her, meantal wellness meant having "peace of mind" and a "sense of being free".
"Nothing can buy that, nothing can replace it, either," Williams said of mental wellness. "For me, mental health means being in a place where you have that peace of mind, that happiness, that sense of being free, of having the ability to dream big and go for it.”
"I love that this next generation can take care of their mental health” - Venus Williams
Williams also briefly spoke about her partnership with the Women's Tennis Association for the BetterHelp initiative, which provided $2 million to help players with free therapy.
She recently tweeted about the initiative.
"If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to bet on yourself," Williams wrote in the caption
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s to bet on yourself 💜
Go to betterhelp.com/venus to be matched with a licensed therapist for one free month @betterhelp 👏
#BettterHelpxWTA #sponsored https://t.co/qsnUpZjdQD
The former World No. 1 said she was happy that the current generation had the opportunity to be "proactive" and take care of their mental health.
“There are no barriers,” Williams said. “You just need a phone or a laptop and access to the Internet.”
“People are talking to each other about their therapists," she continued. "And not just in person, on social media, too. I love that this next generation can have the opportunity to be proactive and take care of their mental health.”
Also Check Out: Updated Tennis Schedule 2022