Tennis legend Serena Williams dropped a bombshell revelation alongside her retirement announcement, admitting she wasn’t a natural talent at the sport in her youth. This disclosure sheds new light on her upbringing with her father, Richard Williams, the controversial figure depicted in the biopic “King Richard.”

Serena, in a heartfelt essay for Vogue, debunked the image of a prodigy emerging effortlessly onto the court. She acknowledges her older sister Venus, 42, received earlier opportunities, but this lack of head start fueled Serena’s determination.

“I wasn’t good at tennis when I was little,” Williams writes. This revelation might surprise fans familiar with the narrative of Richard’s strict training methods propelling his daughters to greatness.

However, Serena reframes this disparity as a catalyst for her fighting spirit. “It turned me into a savage fighter,” she declares. Learning from both her own defeats and by observing Venus’ losses, Serena honed her analytical skills.

“I described myself as a good mimic,” she explains, detailing how she gleaned valuable lessons from her sister’s experiences. This competitive environment became a defining aspect of her career. “If I hadn’t been in Venus’s shadow, I would never be who I am,” she acknowledges.

Serena embraces her fiery personality, stating, “When someone said I was just the little sister, that’s when I got really fired up.” This drive to prove doubters wrong became a core principle: “To me, that’s kind of the essence of being Serena: expecting the best from myself and proving people wrong.”

Williams also touches on her emotional intensity, revealing a childhood anecdote about striving for perfection when learning to write. “I remember learning to write my alphabet for kindergarten and not doing it perfectly and crying all night,” she shares. This relentless pursuit of excellence is a recurring theme throughout her message.

While Richard Williams’ impact on his daughters’ careers has been widely acknowledged, his methods remain a topic of debate. Serena’s revelation adds another layer to the complex story, showcasing the unique challenges and strengths that shaped a tennis icon.