“As we know, women have to break down many barriers on the road to success.”
In an open letter for *Porter Magazine*, world No. 2 Serena Williams delivered a message of empowerment and inspiration for all women. In her missive, Williams wrote that family has played a crucial role in helping her achieve her goals of being the greatest tennis player in the world (not greatest female, greatest, period.)
“I was fortunate to have a family that supported my dream and encouraged me to follow it,” she wrote. “I learned not to be afraid. I learned how important it is to fight for a dream and, most importantly, to dream big.”
Williams also noted that “women are not supported enough or are discouraged from choosing their path.” In her own life, when personal attacks or discouraging words have been directed toward her because of her race or gender, Williams said she uses that as motivation.
Equality, on and off the court, is also addressed.
“People call me one of the ‘world’s greatest female athletes.’ Do they say LeBron is one of the world’s best male athletes? Is Tiger? Federer? Why not? They are certainly not female,” she wrote. “We should never let this go unchallenged. We should always be judged by our achievements, not by our gender.”
It’s clearly a mission that’s close to Williams’ heart, as she also just took part in JPMorgan Chase’s “Women on the Move Symposium.”