US tennis star feels some people don’t want Black players to succeed
The world No 1 says some critics of black tennis players, especially in the US, do not want their sport to take off like it could and that some are jealous of their achievements.
An emotional Serena Williams, the world No 1, has said the US is not always the “best” tennis nation for black athletes.
Williams, in response to critics, admitted to her belief that there is “not enough opportunities” in the US for black players, but added: “I think there are people who don’t respect us coming from the US.
“They don’t want to see us as successful, as they can see us succeed.
“I think there are people who are jealous of us from the US and I think that has to stop.”
Williams, who won her first major in December, said the criticism has been levelled at all black players not just her, despite their success.
“There has been a lot of focus on me recently.
“I think it has been on me for a lot of reasons.
“All the black women that you see, tennis has taken off in the US,” she said.
“I think all the tournaments, all the tournaments have been really great because I have seen the improvement from the top [generally speaking] and it is a lot of hard work.
“It is a lot of work to get to the top of your game, so it has taken a lot of time for me to get to where I am at.
“I think there are people that are jealous of our success.”
Williams said she does not pay attention to the public backlash, “but I do know that people are jealous.”
Serena Williams has just won her first Major title at the US Open
The 23-year-old said the criticism has been “laid at my feet” but now recognises it was a wake-up call for her.
“I am very proud of my accomplishments. It was hard work, it was hard sacrifices to get to where I am at.
Serena Williams’ tennis career has seen her win more Grand Slam titles than any other player in the Open era
“I was jealous of the women that I knew
