Tennis is often seen as more of a mental battle than a physical one. Serena Williams has been on the “battlefield” for about 27 years and has become the largest in this period. During a recent virtual reunion for Wondermind, Williams and Selena Gomez discussed mental health issues, among other topics.
Wondermind is a startup co-founded by singer and actor Gomez. The main goal of the platform is to raise awareness and “democratize and destigmatize mental health globally.” When Gomez asked Williams what mental health meant to her, the 23-time Grand Slam champion said that over the years she had developed a habit of shutting herself off. down.
“For me, mental fitness is really learning to stop,” Williams said. “You know, I did it years ago, before mental health was even a topic on everyone’s minds. It was more like, ‘Alright, I’m shutting down today.’ hui.” Subconsciously, it was something I did. “I always did. And now that I know it’s so important to prioritize yourself, especially mentally, I always have downtime. “
The tennis icon added that when she shuts herself down, she builds boundaries that no one is allowed to cross.
“I have serious boundaries and I don’t let anyone cross those boundaries over time. For me, it’s so important to make sure that every day I have a period of, like…and that’s so bad, because I really don’t. “I don’t do anything for myself, I’m terrible at that. And I’ve said many times that I’m working on it. But more or less, at least prioritizing what I need to do. And then when I’m off, I’m off,” Williams added.
Serena Williams’ match with Emma Raducanu postponed
Serena Williams and Emma Raducanu were to meet in the first round of Cincinnati Masters Monday. However, the match was postponed by a day and will now take place on Tuesday. A spokesperson for the WTA 1000 tournament said the change was made “due to a number of scheduling factors.” The winner will face the Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in the second round.
It will be the first and likely last time Raducanu faces his idol, who is expected to retire after the US Open. The 19-year-old Briton is delighted to share the court with the American legend, call the opportunity a “great gift”.
“I think it’s going to be an exciting match. It’s an incredible opportunity to play probably the best tennis player of all time. It will probably be my last opportunity to play her. Whatever happens, I think it will really be an exciting match. “It’s a good experience for me and something I will remember for the rest of my life. It’s a great gift to play the best when leaving the sport,” Raducanu said.
