10 Celebrities on How Serena Williams Inspires Them

Serena Williams is the definition of bad*ss. Not only is the tennis star one of the greatest athletes of our time—she’s got 23 Grand Slam titles under her belt, NBD—but she's also one of the most inspiring women (on and off the court) to bless our generation. She’s a pioneer who champions black female excellence, an activist who continues to fight for women’s rights, and a philanthropist who gives back through her Serena Williams Fund (which has worked with organizations like the Caliber Foundation to stop gun violence). And did we forget to mention she even has a new fashion collection called Great (that even includes extended sizes)?

With all those accolades to her name, it's no surprise we're not the only ones gushing over Serena. In the more than 20 years she’s spent in the limelight, the superstar athlete has gained supporters across the globe. Those fans include countless celebs like Kendrick Lamar, Gigi Hadid and former First Lady Michelle Obama, who have each spoken publicly about Serena as an inspiring figure. As Janelle Monáe put it, Serena is "the epitome of what it means to be a QUEEN today."

Below, read what 10 celebrities have to say about our December/January cover star Serena Williams.

Michelle Obama

Former First Lady Michelle Obama has been a long-time supporter of Serena. Following her history-making sixth win at Wimbledon in 2015, Michelle took to Twitter to congratulate the athlete, tweeting, “We’re all so proud of you! What you did this year was amazing.” As advocates for women’s rights, the change-making women have recently teamed up on philanthropic efforts like Girls Alliance, an initiative that supports the education of adolescent girls around the world.

Kendrick Lamar

Musician Kendrick Lamar and Serena Williams both grew up in Compton, California, and Kendrick told Sports Illustrated in 2012 that seeing Williams go from playing tennis on the courts of Compton to playing pro tournaments was a major inspiration for him in middle school.

“She's always represented her community and represented her struggle,” he said. “The amount of drive that she has, to overcome the roadblocks and obstacles that she's had in her personal life and to see through her dreams and to still get where she wanted to be, that's what separates Serena from everybody else.”

Naomi Osaka

21-year-old Naomi Osaka took home her first title of Grad Slam champion in September when she defeated her idol Serena at the 2018 U.S. Open Tennis Championships. Here’s what followed the controversial match: the crowd booed, a confused, teary-eyed Naomi accepted her trophy, and Serena soon after stepped in to shut down haters while offering words of encouragement to Naomi on her monumental win.

For Naomi, who had grown up watching and admiring Serena, these words meant a lot. “I thought it was really cool when she did that, especially since it was my first final,” she told Teen Vogue. At the time of the match, she added, "It was always my dream to play Serena in the US Open finals so I'm really glad I was able to do that."

"When I step on the court, I'm not a Serena fan — I'm just a tennis player playing another tennis player," she said at a press conference. "But when I hugged her at the net, I felt like a little kid again."

Janelle Monáe

Grammy-nominated artist Janelle Monáe praised Serena's support of Naomi (and her courage in standing up to officials) by thanking Serena for being a leader and role model for women everywhere.

“The epitome of what it means to be a QUEEN today. QUEENS stand up for the greater good of US ALL and LEAD BY EXAMPLE every chance they get,” she tweeted. "I’m thankful for you! I stand with you."

Billie Jean King

Pioneering tennis legend Billie Jean King was one of many who voiced her support for Serena after she received what she called “sexist” penalties during the U.S. Open Finals. Billie tweeted, “When a woman is emotional, she’s ‘hysterical’ and she’s penalized for it. When a man does the same, he’s ‘outspoken’ & and there are no repercussions. Thank you, @serenawilliams, for calling out this double standard. More voices are needed to do the same.”

Shonda Rhimes

TV mogul and creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, Shonda Rhimes, also chimed in on Twitter following Serena's match in the finals of the U.S. Open.

Shonda thanked Serena for being an exceptional athlete, and overall human, who stands up against acts of hatred and ignorance. “The history of sport, hell the history of AMERICA, is extraordinary citizens rising in triumph again & again in the face of sexism and/or racism," she tweeted. "Champions despite ignorance & hatred. @serenawilliams is one of our best champions. I hang on to that when it becomes hard to breathe."

Karlie Kloss

Supermodel and philanthropist Karlie Kloss sits on the board of Verizon subsidiary Oath with Serena, and spoke highly of her friend in an interview with the New York Times from march 2018. “Serena is one of the most extraordinary women on the planet,” she told the NYT. “She challenges the status quo in so many ways, and I learn from her constantly.”

Virgil Abloh

Days after Serena was banned from wearing her blood-clot-preventing catsuit at the French Open this year, she stunned in blue and black tutu dresses at the U.S. Open. They were made by none other than fashion’s pop design prince, Virgil Abloh, in collaboration with Nike. After the match, Virgil shared a photo of Serena in one of the dresses with a heartfelt caption: "Willing to design dresses for her for life."

“My interest in fashion isn’t sort of about clothing, it’s about people," Virgil shared in an interview with CNBC. "And I think [Serena’s] beyond, you know, an amazing athlete. She’s a muse of a generation."

Gigi Hadid

Model Gigi Hadid has been a fan and friend of Serena Williams for years. In July 2018, Serena even interviewed Gigi for V Magazine’s July 2018 “Fearless” issue. In the interview, Gigi shared her favorite memory of her and Serena's friendship.

“I love seeing you win,” said Gigi. “I think every woman feels like they win when they watch you play, or at least that ‘s how I feel.” The interview also touched on working in the same field as their sisters. “It’s rare to have what Bella and I have in fashion, and what you and Venus have in tennis,” said Gigi.

Venus Williams

Although older sister Venus Williams and Serena have faced off more than once throughout their legendary careers, there are no hard feelings between the two athletes. Most recently, the sisters went head to head at this year’s U.S. Open, and even though Serena defeated Venus, her big sister sounded more impressed than anything. “She played so well, I never got to really even touch any balls,” Venus told ESPN. “When your opponent plays like that, it's not really anything to be upset about.”

In a recent interview, Venus was asked to name a woman whose career she admires. Without missing a beat, she answered, "Serena Williams."

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