"It's not always easy" - Serena Williams pens heartfelt note on her journey of becoming an entrepreneur and following her passion post retirement

Serena Williams recently opened up about her journey of becoming an entrepreneur and following her passion post-retirement.

The former World No. 1 called time on her illustrious career after a defeat in the third round of the 2022 US Open and has focused on her life as an entrepreneur ever since. She is the founder and CEO of Serena Ventures, a firm that aims to help startups.

Williams founded the firm in 2014 alongside Alison Rapaport Stilman, a Harvard Business School alumni. This was after she got to know at a JP Morgan Chase Conference that women-led startups received only 2.4% of venture capital funding. She also became aware of the issue of racial disparity between white people and all the others in venture capital firms across the world.

In her latest Instagram post, Williams opened up about her transition from a tennis player to a full-time entrepreneur. She explained how she found the journey to be gratifying as she was pursuing her passion.

"Being an entrepreneur is not always easy. My days often begin at the break of dawn and extend well into the night. But in the end, I love reinventing myself in different and authentic ways. Transitioning from a tennis player to a venture capitalist has allowed me to pursue my passion for investing in women," she wrote.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion then spoke about the importance of being courageous and asked people to share their stories with her:

"It’s important to invest in us and not be afraid to showcase our stories and businesses. I have some exciting things coming soon so you have to stay tuned. I would love to hear your entrepreneurial stories. Please share! @serena.ventures Investing in women since 2012."

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Serena Williams' net-worth

Serena Williams bids adieu to tennis

Serena Williams, in addition to being one of the greatest tennis players of all time, is also considered a global icon.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion has always been keen to explore other fields aside from tennis in her life, be it entertainment, business, charity, or fashion. She is a minority owner of the Miami Dolphins in the NFL and Angel City FC in the National Women's Soccer League.

The 42-year-old also enjoys endorsement deals with companies like Gucci, Nike, Gatorade, etc, and also runs her clothing line

All of this coupled with her illustrious tennis career brings Serena Williams' net worth to a staggering $300 million in 2024 (via Parade).