Serena Williams' shocking claim about Black women in sports & why she thinks Naomi Osaka & Coco Gauff don't face the same brutal hate

Serena Williams has suggested today's top Black female athletes don't face the same unwarranted hate as she and players of her generation did. The 23-time Major champion is the cover star of PORTER magazine's December 2025 issue, and touched upon the topic of race in sports.

During the early stages of her career, Williams, as well as her sister Venus, were subject to brutal taunts regarding their bodies, among other things. The sisters famously boycotted the Indian Wells Open for more than a decade after bearing the brunt of racial jibes directed towards them in 2001.

Speaking to the magazine, Williams opined that today's Black female stars, including Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka, are fortunately exempt from such hateful chatter. However, the world has evolved, and she sympathizes with today's players having to deal with internet trolls.

"It’s changed. No one’s calling these girls the [things] I was called. People would say we were like men and all this other stuff," Williams said.

“I’m not going to let anyone bring me down,” she says stoically. “I put enough stress on myself. The last thing I’m going to allow is someone else to do that. But I’m so happy that girls nowadays don’t have to go through it as much. I mean, I think internet trolls are different. So, you have that to deal with…” she continued.

Williams was often on the receiving end of comments which had racist undertones. As her career progressed, the hate she received toned down. However, she was still subject to racial discrimination in the twilight of her career.

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Serena Williams experienced varying degrees of racism towards the end of her career

Serena Williams at the French Open 2018. (Photo: Getty)

The Williams sisters boycotted the Indian Wells Open for more than a decade after being subject to racist abuse in 2001. While things began to improve slowly over the years with respect to the hate received by them, it never really disappeared.

When Serena Williams announced her pregnancy in 2017 after winning the Australian Open, Ilie Nastase made an inappropriate comment regarding her unborn child. He received a four-year ban from the ITF for his comment.

When Williams returned from maternity leave in 2018, her choice of attire courted controversy at the French Open. She donned a catsuit during the tournament, which was specifically designed to help her with her blood clot issues. The tournament organizers found it to be inappropriate, although players had worn something similar in the past. Their reasoning was alleged to be rooted in racial bias.

Williams also frequently made a point about how she was tested for drugs more often than her White counterparts. Despite the hardships, she played with her head held high, and cemented her position as one of the very best to ever play the sport.