"I desperately wanted to be a gymnast" - Serena Williams makes honest admission during candid conversation with Gabby Thomas

Tennis legend Serena Williams recently admitted wanting to be a gymnast as a young girl. Williams is one of tennis's all-time great players with having earned 23 grand slam titles. She has dominated the sport with her incredible resilience and determination.

Williams began playing tennis at the age of three under her father Richard Williams' guidance. He left his job and moved to Compton, California, to begin coaching his two daughters, Serena and Venus. Although Williams became a tennis great by committing to the sport at a young age, she also maintained her interest in gymnastics.

In the Stockton Street podcast, hosted by herself and her sister, Venus, when Olympic medalist Gabby Thomas admitted wanting to join gymnastics, at a young age, the decorated tennis player also reflected on her alternate childhood dream. Williams explained how her father refrained from the idea, which crushed her heart.

"For the record, I desperately wanted to be a gymnast. One day, my dad was like, he was like, he would always say, 'What would you do if it doesn't work out in tennis and I would always say, I want to be a gymnast.' And one day my dad took me aside, and he's like, 'You can't say that anymore,' and I also was like 10 years old, and when I tell you that I was devastated, my heart sank and I felt like, 'You crushed my dream of being a gymnast." (4:20 onwards)

Following her retirement, Serena Williams is embracing her other passions, including fashion, business, and acting.

"She’s 35 years old, mentally" - When Serena Williams praised legendary gymnast Simone Biles

Simone Biles and Serena Williams at the 2025 Met Gala in New York City. (Photo by Getty Images)

Serena Williams once praised the legendary gymnast Simone Biles for her incredible aura and mental approach. After Biles won four gold and one bronze medal at her debut Olympics in Brazil in 2016, Williams highlighted her mature mentality and wished she could have been like her at that age.

"I think all of the women are so poised. I really find them so amazing, especially Biles. Her comments, her performance, I feel like she’s 35 years old, mentally. She’s just so incredible. If anything, I wish I could be like her when I was younger. Same with miss Manuel. It could be that society’s changed and there are so many things that are different now."

Serena Williams and Simone Biles enjoy a strong and fun-filled friendship.

Edited by Janhavi Shinde