Serena talks ambition, motherhood on Meghan Markle’s new podcast

WATCH: Tennis Channel Live discusses the expectations for Serena heading into the US Open

Playing in her comeback Grand Slam tournament at the 2018 French Open, Serena Williams recalls she didn’t get much sleep the night before—not because of nerves or pre-match jitters, but due to a harrowing experience with daughter Olympia that involved an early morning trip to the hospital.

“I don't think I've ever said anything about it publicly,” Serena said, in one of several revealing anecdotes that the former world No. 1 recently shared with longtime friend Meghan Markle on the first episode of Archetypes.

A new Spotify podcast series hosted by the Duchess of Sussex, ‘Archetypes’ revolves around the negative labels and tropes that “hold women back”—like “ambitious”, "bossy", “diva” and “crazy”—with the goal of breaking down those stereotypes and changing perceptions.

The first episode, “The Misconception of Ambition with Serena Williams”, goes deep on topics like the pitfalls of fame and the challenges of becoming a working mother while in the celebrity spotlight. The pair also dished on their long friendship, which began at a New York City pre-Super Bowl party in 2014 and has seen both women scale to global heights in fame and success.

But even for the likes of Serena and Meghan, the negative stereotypes were still alive and well in tabloids and media coverage.

“We're the same age and we grew up both in L.A…. [British press] said, ‘Harry's girl is straight outta Compton’. I was like, are they talking about Serena?” Meghan recalled, with both women breaking out in laughter.

“I'm like, I'm not from Compton. I've never lived in Compton. My mom doesn't live in Compton. But by the way, what's wrong with Compton? My girl Serena’s from there!”

The pair also touched on the double standards that women often face for performing the same behaviors that men are usually praised for—like throwing a racquet during a tennis match, or returning to work soon after becoming a parent.

“I can't win being someone different, I have to win being Serena,” she recalled. “And sometimes that’s more fierce. But is it fierce when guys are saying ‘come on’ and pumping their fists? It's pretty exciting. But for me, it's aggressive.

“Oh my goodness, I'll never forget. There's one article that said this guy was passionate and I had a meltdown and I was like, wait, how do I have a meltdown? But this guy's passionate.”

The conversation prompted a hilarious audio compilation of ATP player meltdowns for comparison: “Some of that was funny!” Serena replied, “I love Andy [Murray].”

Click here for more from “The Misconception of Ambition with Serena Williams”. Episode 1 of Archetypes, a 12-part series, is out now.