Serena Williams has never been shy in citing her faith as one of the factors behind her competitiveness as a tennis player, helping her become one of the greatest of all time.
The 41-year-old, who won 23 tennis grand slam tournaments during her career, has seen her faith become a talking point on a number of occasions.
When her daughter Alexis Olympia was approaching her first birthday in 2018, Williams took the opportunity to say that she and her husband Alexis Ohanian would not be throwing a party as it would be against their faith.
Williams and Ohanian are Jehovah’s Witnesses and the former U.S. Open champion said at the time: “Olympia doesn’t celebrate birthdays. We’re Jehovah’s Witnesses, so we don’t do that.”
According to the official website for Jehovah’s Witnesses, followers don’t believe in celebrating birthdays “because we believe that such celebrations displease God.”
Since announcing her retirement from tennis in 2022, Williams has reportedly taken time to study more about her religion and a video was posted to Twitter on January 8, showing the sporting legend being baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness.
Serena Williams, the famous Tennis player got baptized today at the Jehovah’s Witness Assembly in West Palm Beach Florida.
According to the Governing Body of the religious sect in Watchtower 2019, study 40, paragraph 14, only baptised Witnesses will be saved. pic.twitter.com/wd9E897pFL
— Uptown Press NG (@RealMoshudKarim) January 8, 2023
The video was captioned: “Serena Williams, the famous Tennis player got baptized today at the Jehovah’s Witness Assembly in West Palm Beach Florida. According to the Governing Body of the religious sect in Watchtower 2019, study 40, paragraph 14, only baptized Witnesses will be saved.”
Williams has long turned to religion during her tennis career. In 2003, when her oldest half-sister Yetunde Price was killed in a shooting, Williams took time off from the sport to attend Witness meetings.
She reportedly attended Bible studies three times a week during that time and a few years later, she told The New York Times: “I tried to develop a better relationship with God.
“You have a strong solid foundation, the Bible says, you won’t crack, but the man who built his house in the sand, his house went down spiritually. I have a really strong foundation. That’s how I was raised.”
It hasn’t been smooth sailing for the tennis star, however. Williams found herself having to answer questions after she allegedly threatened a line judge during the 2009 U.S. Open.
Williams was disqualified after she reacted badly to a call going against her and church elders reportedly called on her in the days after the game.
She said about that time: “What bothered me most was that I was representing my religion. I just felt like anyone who knew I was a Witness was stumbled. And I really don’t want to stumble anybody … They had to have a talk with me.”
During an interview with Vogue in 2017, Williams spoke about her faith and also the support of her husband: “Being a Jehovah’s Witness is important to me, but I’ve never really practiced it and have been wanting to get into it.
“Alexis didn’t grow up going to any church, but he’s really receptive and even takes the lead. He puts my needs first.”
Williams is a close friend of Meghan Markle and was invited to her wedding with Prince Harry at Windsor Castle in May 2018.
The tennis star said it was a bold step by the couple and recalled the day, saying: “To have her culture represented at that wedding. Amazing, I loved it. I thought it was really courageous breaking boundaries but not trying to.”
Williams has also spoken publicly about her faith, usually after a tournament win. After receiving the Australian Open trophy in 2015, she told the crowd from the court: “I have to thank Jehovah God for this.
“I was down and out and he helped me today. I just said prayers, not to win but to be strong and to be healthy, and in the end, I was able to come through so I have to give the glory to him first and foremost.”
Williams and her four older sisters became Witnesses after their mother, Oracene, converted to the faith in the early 1980s.
The tennis star has said that as well as attending church, she has gone door-to-door to hand out tracts and evangelize, as Witnesses are required to do.
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