Serena Williams on 'proving people wrong': "You're going to regret what you just said'

Serena Williams opened up about how she deals with the negativity of life in the public eye in a recent interview with Insider.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion is no stranger to the critical nature of living a public life, as the tennis star's meteoric rise from underdog to world champion has played out in front of millions. But at a point, it did get to Williams.

"Growing up in the public eye, you really are affected by what people say," she said.

From her outfit choices to her decisions to do more than just "shut up and play," Williams's life choices have made critics bold when it's come to sharing their opinions. But Williams said she has long since made peace with the presence of haters.

"There was a point where I said, 'I don't care what people think.' God made us able to make our own decisions, and if people don't want to like me or what I do, that's okay. Get in line — there's going to be a long waiting list," she said.

This unbothered persona has helped Williams weather even the most difficult of media storms — and there is a part of her that actually draws inspiration from proving the naysayers wrong.

"I'm like, 'Oh that's what I needed to hear. You're going to regret what you just said," she shared.

And at 40, Williams is still continuing to expand her already broad horizons.

Her latest project, Serena Ventures, is an investment firm bridging the equity gaps in venture funding. She said she got involved in the industry after learning that less than 2% of women and less than 1% of people of color received venture-capital funding.

"The only way that people can get funding is if people like me, women and people of color, are actually writing the checks," Williams said. "Otherwise it's going to be the same boys' club, except not for a lot of Black people."

In addition to her ever-growing list of titles. Williams is, of course, a mother to 4-year-old Olympia — and the star athlete is not immune to the day-to-day struggles of balancing work and motherhood.

Carving out time for family will always be a priority for the champion, but she does admit to suffering from a bit of "mom guilt.

"Mom guilt is real. I always feel so guilty when I'm doing something on my own," she said, noting that, while she devotes any extra time to her daughter, she doesn't claim to have all the answers.

"I don't know if I'm a good mom, and I don't know if my method works, but I'm very hands-on with my daughter," she said, "and it was the same with our parents."

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