Serena Williams may have traded match points for meetings, but the hustle doesn’t stop — even during interviews.
When Williams logged onto Zoom for our interview, she was already mid-glam, toggling between touch-ups and business talk. It was a snapshot of the multitasking life she now leads beyond tennis after stepping away from professional competition. The 23-time Grand Slam champion, business investor and producer is among the featured leaders in the new Prime Video docuseries “The CEO Club.”
Williams has not competed since the 2022 U.S. Open, when she said she was “evolving” away from tennis. This month, she became eligible to return to competition after re-entering the sport’s drug-testing pool, although it remains unclear whether she plans to play again.
‘Never give up’
For Williams, the transition from elite athlete to entrepreneur draws on the same competitive principles that defined her tennis career.
“I think the biggest lesson is just never give up,” says Williams, who stars in the series alongside Latin singer Thalia; former model and fashion designer Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger; Market America and Shop.com CEO Loren Ridinger; supermodel Winnie Harlow; wellness entrepreneur Hannah Bronfman; and Isabela Rangel Grutman, founder of ISA Grutman jewelry. The eight-episode season follows the prominent executives navigating high-stakes decisions, family responsibilities and personal challenges while building global brands.
“As a CEO, you don’t win everything. You have to make really hard decisions,” Williams continues. “Just like in sport and in tennis, you have to show up every day. You might lose, but you just have to show up again the very next day.”
Beyond appearing in the series, Williams also served as an executive producer through her company Nine Two Six Productions, a role she said felt natural after decades as a public figure.
“Being in the public eye for so long, you really want to control the narrative and make sure the truth gets out there,” she says. “Not only for me, but for these amazing women that are in the show as well, it’s super important that the right story is told.”
Tough decisions
Ridinger says the series highlights the realities behind leadership that audiences often don’t see.
“Everybody thinks you’re just like an overnight success. They don’t realize it took 34 years to get where you’re at,” she says. “Leadership is not that easy. You have to make tough decisions, tough calls. You’re not always a fan favorite of people who you’re working with.”
Ridinger says building a business while balancing personal responsibilities requires prioritization and discipline, particularly for leaders managing both professional demands and family life. She says maintaining focus often means making intentional decisions about how time and energy are spent each day.
“You cannot become a slave to emergencies,” Ridinger says. “You have to learn how to prioritize. And the way I do that is very simple. I do the hardest things first every day.”
Both women emphasize the importance of surrounding themselves with trusted supports systems. They say that’s a common theme throughout the series.
“The curation of a positive circle is just part of life that we need to have,” Ridinger says. “You’re not going to associate with somebody that doesn’t believe in what you do.”
Williams says the mental resilience required in sports has also prepared her for the pressures of leadership.
“When you’re the best, most people want you to not do so well,” she says. “You just have to lean into making those decisions anyway.”