3 Lessons from Serena Williams

She was a copycat in her early years.

Her favorite color was her big sister’s. She liked the same animals. Her goals were identical.  

But when it came to tennis, she couldn’t really keep up.

“I was never supposed to be good,” the little sister would later say. “I was never the one who was supposed to be a great player, but I was determined not to become a statistic. That’s the only reason I played tennis.”

Nearly 30 years after just trying to hold her own, Serena Williams is one of the most-dominant athletes in recent memory.

She won her second-round match on Wednesday night at the U.S. Open, the last Grand Slam tournament she will compete in before she retires. Over the past few decades, she’s given young women, sports fans and leaders of all walks countless lessons in hard work and consistency.

There are three we might be wise to apply to our own lives:

1. A slip isn’t a failure

In addition to her dominant serve and powerful backhand, part of what made Williams elite was her mentality that she never viewed her setbacks as permanent. She actually despises the word “failure” and views undesired results as “slips” rather than fatal disappointments.

“I’m my best player every time I lose,” she once said. “I think sometimes people are afraid to lose… or they're afraid to fail.”

Mistakes and disappointment are inevitable, but to her, it was always about studying a loss, learning and moving on to the next challenge. 

2. Everyone gets anxious

From her teenage years to turning 40, Williams has acknowledged she feels “insanely nervous” before matches. But the metaphor she uses to get through is a bottle, and as soon as she walks onto the court, she puts those nerves in it and tosses it away, readying her mind for what’s ahead.

The key is not to dismiss fear or pretend it doesn’t exist. It’s to channel it in the right ways and know when it’s time to fall back on our preparation. 

3. It’s not about luck

Has Williams caught a break or two at some point? Sure. But her 23 Grand Slam wins and her ability to play at a high level well beyond the age of most of her peers is more a testament to her resiliency, her preparation and an unquenchable thirst to get better.  

“Luck has nothing to do with it,” she once said. “I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come."

Williams undeniably had physical gifts, but what elevated her to the top of the sport was a relentless work ethic and a constant desire to find a higher mountain to climb.

And those lessons are relevant far beyond any tennis court.