Tennis phenom Serena Williams says she understands why WNBA rookie Kaitlyn Clark avoids social media and hopes the Indiana Fever star will banish any negativity.
Williams, winner of 23 Grand Slam tournaments, spoke to the media Thursday at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York at the premiere of “In The Arena: Serena Williams,” an eight-part docuseries that will air on ESPN+ starting July 10.
“I was bullied. If people said now what I had to go through, I would be canceled,” Williams said of the scrutiny she and her sister Venus received from fans, media and other players when they entered the world of elite tennis.
“As a teenager, growing up, I needed some kind of protection to keep me sane. I just [getting] There was so much press and everything I was doing and traveling around the world every year. It was every week. “I was confused.”
Williams was asked about the attention Clark, a No. 1 WNBA draft pick, is receiving now as a first-year professional. Clark has been at the center of numerous media and social media controversies and discussions, including why he was not included in the U.S. Olympic basketball roster for the Paris Games this summer.
“I like that she tries to stay grounded. She says she doesn’t look at herself socially. [media]. All right. Me too,” Williams said of her Clark. “I think it’s very important for her to keep doing what she’s doing. It doesn’t matter what other people do. Because if people are negative, you can’t do what you do. “I hope she can continue doing what she’s doing now.”
Clark said she often tries to stay off social media. She said online Thursday that she opposes a racist and misogynistic “agenda.”
“People shouldn’t be using my name to push that agenda,” Clark said before the Fever’s game Thursday. “It’s disappointing. It’s unacceptable. I think treating every woman in this league with the same respect is a basic human thing that everyone should do.”
