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  • - Do you want 81 cents?

  • - Not if he's getting a dollar.

  • - What if he's getting 81 cents?

  • - Then I would still want the dollar (giggles).

  • (Venus laughs)

  • - [Venus] I'm Venus.

  • - [Serena] And I'm Serena.

  • - [Venus] And we are here,

  • - To explain it all.

  • (upbeat music)

  • - So you went pro so early at 14.

  • How did you have so much confidence

  • at such an early age?

  • - Basically, we were taught to be confident,

  • and also--

  • - This is an oddly familiar question, isn't it?

  • - Right?

  • - [Serena] Yeah.

  • - [Venus] That was what we were taught.

  • There was no other option,

  • but then again, when you put work behind what you've done

  • and you feel confidence in it,

  • and you see success,

  • then you do feel confidence that's earned.

  • - Should you be confident?

  • (both laugh)

  • - I'm confident.

  • And my dad will be here soon if you don't stop.

  • (Serena laughs)

  • - You want Mr. Williams here?

  • - No ma'am, no ma'am (laughs).

  • (Venus laughs)

  • (upbeat music)

  • - What's the importance of teaching Olympia

  • to be confident and how do you role model that?

  • - It's so important for her to be confident

  • because we live in a world where you have to be confident,

  • especially if you're gonna be different,

  • or if you look different

  • or you just stand out

  • and that's obviously gonna her because of us,

  • because of her mom and her dad

  • and I like that she looks up to me.

  • She told me yesterday, she wants to be like me,

  • and I told her, "All right,

  • but we still can't have snacks."

  • (giggles) She said, "Can we have snacks

  • 'cause it's girls' night?"

  • And I said, "Well, no, you don't wanna be like mama,

  • I want you to be better than mama."

  • She said, "Well, I wanna be like you so can we have snacks?"

  • (both laugh)

  • - So she let you know

  • that you shouldn't be snacking.

  • - Basically, yes.

  • - (laughs) That's funny.

  • (upbeat music)

  • - You're a role model for so many people

  • and you just pave the way

  • for so many athletes of all kinds.

  • How does that make you feel?

  • - It makes me feel good.

  • I never started out to be a role model.

  • You were actually always my role model.

  • I did everything that you did,

  • and even down to just how I behaved off the court

  • and how I behaved in life and decisions that I've made,

  • I wish you could have been

  • a better role model for me on the court.

  • I've done some things that were--

  • - You did everything perfect.

  • - I did everything perfectly perfect.

  • (Serena laughs) - Perfect, perfect.

  • - I really always tell people,

  • "Don't always look to the athletes or the stars

  • or whatever it is now, to have a role model.

  • Your role model could be right in your house."

  • (gentle music)

  • - Venus, most people don't know this about you

  • but you've earned your degree in fashion

  • and you went to the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale,

  • so what's your advice for people that wanna try something

  • just completely different?

  • - If you wanna try something different, don't be afraid.

  • And the way you get better

  • or succeed is in an uncomfortable place.

  • The times when we think about how we got better

  • those moments when you got better and you improved

  • and you achieved something,

  • it wasn't because it was super comfortable,

  • it was because you actually pushed yourself,

  • and kinda got outta your comfort zone.

  • That's where success lies.

  • (jazz music)

  • - You have incredible stats.

  • I think 2000 grand slam single titles,

  • couple thousand doubles,

  • number one for a couple millennia,

  • but everybody knows that (laughs)

  • (Serena laughs)

  • but what does it feel like to have those stats?

  • I've never actually asked you that?

  • What does that feel like?

  • - Yeah, honestly, I don't think about it.

  • And I think we were talking

  • about it earlier on the photo shoot,

  • we just live our lives day by day

  • and don't really think what we've done.

  • I don't think about what I've done.

  • I think that's when you get really satisfied and complacent.

  • I think there's gonna be a time

  • where I step back and I think about it more,

  • and, honestly, the King Richard movie that came out,

  • I really felt like that made me think

  • about a lot of things a lot more

  • than I would've ever, had it not come out.

  • So otherwise I don't really think too much.

  • - I feel the same way.

  • - Yeah. - Forward. Forward.

  • (upbeat music)

  • - So what has been your favorite moment

  • in your career thus far?

  • I always like to think my favorite moments are ahead of me.

  • I love being able to reach something

  • but then for me it's like done,

  • it's not how I measure myself.

  • I measure myself on what I'm achieving at that moment.

  • How, if I'm getting better, if I'm improving,

  • if I'm constantly like reaching that challenge,

  • and if I don't feel that, I'm not living on past pictures.

  • But with that being said, of course,

  • all of our moments on court together were just amazing,

  • and I really understand the gratitude of it all right now.

  • - [Serena] Yeah.

  • (gentle, cheerful music)

  • Oh man, so we have competed

  • against each other 31 times, which is nuts.

  • So, outside of tennis,

  • what are you looking forward to competing in?

  • Like, just in life?

  • - Well, I do like it when

  • we're on this team together best (giggles).

  • - Me too (giggles). - Right?

  • - After competing against each other so much, right?

  • - You never serve soft (laughs),

  • it always comes in hard.

  • - You never cease to get that slider up the tee

  • on that side (laughs).

  • Why? How can she get that?

  • (both laugh)

  • - But what would we compete against off of the court?

  • I don't know 'cause we don't compete off the court.

  • I mean, I am preparing to make a banana cake.

  • - Oh.

  • - So, d'you want a banana cake competition?

  • - Sure.

  • - Sure. Let's do that. Banana.

  • (both laugh)

  • (jazz music)

  • So, Serena from a really young age,

  • you were involved in so many worthy causes,

  • lending your name to it,

  • and most of all, speaking up, which isn't always easy.

  • What makes you step up to the plate?

  • - I don't step up. I don't try to step up.

  • I just do it if I feel connected to it.

  • I think that some things you have to speak up on

  • and have to just not stay silent.

  • Well, you were really instrumental

  • in making sure that women tennis players got paid equally.

  • You're the reason why we have equal prize money

  • in women's tennis.

  • You were the one that really enforced it,

  • and that was huge.

  • And now you're doing more with the gender pay gap in general

  • and also privilege tax,

  • so, what connects you to that?

  • - Privilege tax is an initiative that I work

  • with with "EleVen", active work company,

  • and our focus is to close the gap which would be

  • what women are making compared to men.

  • And so, in the States, it's typically, on average,

  • 81 cents to the dollar.

  • So most people don't even know that.

  • You have to imagine that outside of the US

  • that number can get even bigger,

  • and so being part of equal prize money for women

  • was something that it was an honor to be a part of,

  • and I look forward to helping women to be equal

  • in the States, across the world,

  • and have that opportunity,

  • because we really do help our communities

  • and we help our families and women are powerful

  • and it's not about the money, but it is about the money.

  • And when you have money you do

  • have economic freedom that gives you opportunity.

  • - Well, if you have the same job

  • then you should have the same pay.

  • - You should have the same pay,

  • but that doesn't always happen.

  • (jazz music)

  • So what's your ultimate advice to young women

  • and girls who are trying to break into sports?

  • - Keep going. We need girls in sports.

  • It gives you confidence, it gives you discipline,

  • and there comes a time where you might not wanna do it

  • but keep doing it

  • 'cause it is something that's super special

  • and you won't regret it.

  • - Yeah, and I always tell people,

  • "Put your daughter in sports."

  • It's important for all kids, I believe, to be in sports

  • but especially daughters.

  • With the pressure that women and girls have today

  • to look a certain way or whatever,

  • when you really focus on what you're doing for your body,

  • the confidence that you're building,

  • it like puts a lot of that stuff in the background.

  • You actually get the lessons in life

  • that you need to get.

  • It talks about knowing yourself.

  • Girls should always play sports.

  • (jazz music)

- Do you want 81 cents?

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