Serena Williams: When I'm On the Tennis Court, I'm Playing for Me

Tennis legend Serena Williams gets her close up on the cover of The New York Times Magazine‘s latest issue.

Here’s what the 33-year-old athlete had to share with the mag:

On why she plays the sport: “I play for me, but I also play and represent something much greater than me. I embrace that. I love that. I want that. So ultimately, when I am out there on the court, I am playing for me.”

On being high up on Forbes’ lists than Maria Sharapova and Eugenie Bouchard: “If they want to market someone who is white and blond, that’s their choice. I have a lot of partners who are very happy to work with me. I can’t sit here and say I should be higher on the list because I have won more. I’m happy for her, because she worked hard, too. There is enough at the table for everyone. We have to be thankful, and we also have to be positive about it so the next black person can be No. 1 on that list. Maybe it was not meant to be me. Maybe it’s meant to be the next person to be amazing, and I’m just opening the door. Zina Garrison, Althea Gibson, Arthur Ashe and Venus opened so many doors for me. I’m just opening the next door for the next person.”

For more from Serena, visit NYTimes.com. Bigger cover inside…