Serena Williams hopes her new campaign can "empower young women athletes", says she was glad to have the right support growing up

A series of unfortunate injuries might have derailed Serena Williams' 2021 season, but the 23-time Grand Slam champion has kept herself busy with her off-court projects.

Last month, Williams joined hands with the Women's Sports Foundation and a leading deodorant line to launch the 'Just #WatchMe campaign'. The project is aimed at reducing the percentage of young girls dropping out of sports at an early age.

In a recent interview with Elite Daily, Williams spoke about what motivated her to join the campaign. The American, who was coached by her parents during the early parts of career, said that having been in the shoes of these young girls, she understands how important it is to have mentors to look up to.

Williams also pointed out that she is lucky to have had the support of her friends, family and fans, who have cheered for her over the years. The 39-year-old added that such encouragement can make an athlete feel "seen" and help them reach a "new level".

"How can we support these young athletes? Well, by showing up, by being a mentor to them … those are just some ways that you can show support," Williams said in the interview. "It goes a long way just to be able to be there."

"I know, for me, it was always cool to have my mom and my dad, my sisters, and my friends, or even … to have people come to the matches and really be there to support," she added. "That [type of support] is what it’s all about; it just takes you to a new level."

Serena Williams at the 2018 US Open Kids' Day.

Serena Williams also highlighted the issues of underfunding and underrepresentation that further pushed athletes, young girls, in particular, to drop out of sports.

She said the campaign aims to empower these young women and encourage more fans and family members to "show up" in support of the athletes.

"The campaign is focused on improving the statistics of young girls dropping out of sports at twice the rate of young boys, due to [...] issues surrounding underfunding and underrepresentation," Williams said.

"[It’s all about] empowering young women athletes to keep going in the sports they love, and it really encourages everyone to show up and 'just watch' these athletes," she added.

Serena Williams to skip WTA 1000 event in Indian Wells

Serena Williams will not be playing at Indian Wells this year.

Serena Williams has not been seen in action since she picked up a leg injury at Wimbledon. The 23-time Slam champion was forced to retire from her first-round encounter against Aliaksandra Sasnovich after sustaining the injury during an awkward fall.

Williams pulled out of the recently-concluded US Open and is not on the entry list for the season's final WTA 1000 event, the BNP Paribas Open, scheduled to be played in Indian Wells in early October.

It is unclear when Williams plans to return to action.