- 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)