You’d think being a seven-time Wimbledon champion and one of the best athletes in the world – ever – would be enough to shield you from petty questions about your outfit or on-court grunting. But no, not even the racket god herself Serena Williams is immune to the volley of sexist bullshit female sports players face on a daily basis.
And frankly, she’s had enough.
In a video filmed in conjunction with her Glamour magazine July coverstory, Williams takes aim at the “obnoxious things that men sometimes say” to female tennis players by firing tennis balls at a male heckler.
“I’m doing this for all womankind,” she says to camera. “I’m kind of doing it a little bit for me too, on the low.”
A poor Glamour employee stands in as the scapegoat for the fellas, serving insults and receiving a blistering close-range serve in return. But don’t worry. He’s wearing protection – full-body padding, in fact.
“You’re really good. For a girl,” he yells. Bang. One straight in the stomach.
“You know, you should smile more.” Slam. Square in the chest.
“C’mon Serena, can’t you show some more skin on the court?” Boom. Right. In. The. Groin.
Ouch. via Glamour.
The 34-year-old's pinpoint accuracy in the video (and recent Wimbledon title) lend credibility to the claim she that she's playing better now than ever before.