Serena Williams and Gayle King: On tennis, love and motherhood
With her legendary spirit and unstoppable serve, tennis legend Serena Williams has become one of the world’s most enduring athletic superstars. Full bioGayle King - Journalist
Gayle King is a co-host of "CBS This Morning” and Editor-at-Large of the award-winning O, the Oprah Magazine. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
bathing suit last week
all I could think of was,
til we sat onstage for TED?"
supposed to see that picture.
actually, it was an accident.
just taking some time for myself,
where I've been checking my status
to see how far along I'm going --
I have just been saving it,
you press the wrong button and --
my phone doesn't ring that much --
I missed like four calls,
and I was like, oh no.
just five or six more days -- that's OK.
Serena, because it only said 20 weeks,
a whole lot of information on it.
what I've been doing all this time.
I'd just take a picture and save it,
When you heard the news,
Were you afraid? Were you worried?
the beginning of the Australian Open,
two days before, and I knew.
to just focus right there
sometimes in the first 12 weeks or so,
Ms. Williams, you won.
for another handicap, so ... no.
knowing you were pregnant?
about people when they're pregnant,
and so I haven't.
and they get really stressed out,
like I didn't have time
any extra anything,
it's actually much bigger news.
that's a big story.
I had to really take anything negative
that I was feeling at that point
what the next step for me to do was.
You have a lot of love.
people stopped me at the airport.
the pilot, "Guess where I'm going?"
we're so glad she's pregnant."
these cranky Yankees.
was telling me about Ilie Nastase,
dare I say racial things.
to dignify what he said,
very inappropriate comments,
really supportive of my peers
to hold women up,
they'll want to take pictures with me,
and a good example for them.
to say about me and my peers,
for us to stand up for each other
really important for me to say,
I'm not going anywhere,
a place for everything.
wasn't the time and the place.
you're not going anywhere,
Baby's coming, 36.
age is always important,
that you're coming back.
Two years will she be gone?"
to defy the odds, you know,
I'm not done yet.
and that's something that --
he's a little bit older than me
so I'm like, I know I can do that too.
especially recently,
it's something I want to do.
how this is just a new part of my life,
not crying too much.
letter to your baby yesterday
to the youngest one,
I can't wait for you to get here.
because I think about your life, Serena.
in a six-month time:
your love life? Da da da."
He's a nerdy, kinda geeky guy.
to you about that, yes.
I said, "I know him!" He's awesome.
with a nerdy geek,
with you, I didn't either,
when others have failed?
this is the one for me?
and my mom says he's very considerate,
make a huge difference in life.
we have a show every year,
I was running around like crazy,
of this shirt that he had,
that I had the same one,
ought to put a ring on it"?
never felt pressure to get married
I'm the marrying type of person.
anything to interfere with that.
in the middle of my training season,
the Australian Open.
"No, I can't go to Rome." OK.
on reaching my goals
one player that I wanted to pass.
that winning is addictive to you.
is superaddictive.
I was only 17 years old,
of your first championship.
in the world like that.
is a wonderful experience.
like I loved that feeling,
the feeling of losing. I feel like --
say you're a very bad loser.
no champion likes to lose.
you are very, very, very bad at it.
so you know, that's all I can say.
between you and Venus,
and has followed the story
in whatever you do,
when you're playing her,
because you want to do something for her
because you want to crush her.
playing her or easier?
is like playing myself,
we grew up practicing together.
that has been difficult,
the ball before I hit it,
when I go out there,
and I have to say to myself,
but today I have to be better.
if it's my sister or it's my friend,
and I have to be better
than anyone else at this moment
do you fall back for Venus?
it was always Venus and Serena.
has surpassed older sister.
is always going to be Venus and Serena.
she's my best friend,
or else I would have shared them,
in a stroller on a tennis court,
money on the ice cream truck and stuff,
and give it to me at school
and she would go without,
she actually is
respect for each other
to realize you can be successful
a wonderful relationship.
we are best friends again.
a day later for me,
where you hit the ball
when you did the blah blah blah"?
those moments,
anything bad to me,
I'm the younger sister.
anything bad to you? Really?
I can think of some stuff I've done bad.
to forget them.
I know is very pure. I know that.
to be superclose,
and we were always so close.
the two of you don't get together
to go out there and -- there's nothing?
Before the Australian Open,
my camera while she was changing.
which is totally inappropriate,
And I was just laughing at her.
that we have, and like I said,
definitely mortal enemies,
and moments before, we're just --
because at the end of the day,
I've been playing forever,
I'll be playing in 50 years, say?
There's never been anybody like you.
never been anybody
gender and race the way you have,
and the scrutiny that you have.
did you say, "I want to be like that"?
are looking at you
to be like that" for you?
and I'm glad you brought that up.
I always wanted to be the best,
you've got to emulate the best.
when I was really young,
I would see Monica Seles,
to a lot of the other players,
the technique that he did,
that to be the best,
that are the best,
that's not at the top level.
nobody works as hard as you.
GK: That's what I heard.
she's talented, she's athletic."
I was really small for my age.
why I fight so hard and I work so hard
really, really, really small.
for whatever reason.
people talk about is your body.
and women to their knees.
it's masculine, it's glorious,
when you were growing up?
comfortable with your body?
when you're a teenage female
comfortable in my body.
reach goals that I wanted to reach,
am I happy with my body,
and other young girls
what I've experienced
too much, too little --
losing has brought me here today.
is because of my losses,
for me to lose again
or if something happens --
in business or in school --
live in the present,
mistakes in the future.
that I always try to live by.
is it a destination wedding
or are you going to do it in Florida?
We don't want to do too big,
say no to this person, this person.
and we're just thinking --
Hopefully you can see that today.
for Serena Williams is what?
and kind of come back and play tennis
of one or the other.
we are cheering you on!
GK: You're welcome.
SW: Thank you so much.
ABOUT THE SPEAKERS
Serena Williams - AthleteWith her legendary spirit and unstoppable serve, tennis legend Serena Williams has become one of the world’s most enduring athletic superstars.
Why you should listen
Serena Williams sits at the top of the tennis world; she's won 23 career Grand Slams, which is the most Grand Slam singles titles in history, with her most recent win at the 2017 Australian Open. In some analysts' eyes, she's quite simply the greatest athlete of all time.
But Williams has extended her influence far beyond the tennis court. Through her activism, high-profile endorsements, TV and film appearances and writing (including a guide to life written with her sister, Venus), Williams inspires millions of fans worldwide.
Serena Williams | Speaker | TED.com
Gayle King - Journalist
Gayle King is a co-host of "CBS This Morning” and Editor-at-Large of the award-winning O, the Oprah Magazine.
Why you should listen
An award-winning journalist who has worked across television, radio and print, Gayle King is a co-host of CBS This Morning and Editor-at-Large of O, the Oprah Magazine.
King previously hosted The Gayle King Show, a live, weekday television interview program on OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network. The program, which featured a discussion of a broad variety of topics that include politics, cultural developments, was also broadcast on XM Satellite Radio, where it premiered in 2006.
Before moving into print and radio, King worked for 18 years (1982–2000) as a television news anchor for CBS affiliate WFSB-TV in Hartford, Conn., during which period, she also hosted her own syndicated daytime program. Prior to joining WFSB, King worked at several other television stations, including WDAF-TV in Kansas City, Mo. (1978-1981), WJZ-TV in Baltimore, Md. (1976), and WTOP-TV in Washington, D.C. (1975).
King has received numerous awards for her extensive work as a journalist. In addition to three Emmys, she was honored in 2008 with the American Women in Radio & Television Gracie Award for Outstanding Radio Talk Show and in 2010 with both the Individual Achievement Award for Host-Entertainment/Information and the New York Women in Communications' Matrix Award.
Gayle King | Speaker | TED.com