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  • THE UNSTOPPABLE VENUS WILLIAMS IS HERE TONIGHT.

  • THERE SHE IS.

  • HOW ARE YOU, VENUS?

  • >> SO GOOD.

  • IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU.

  • >> James: IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU.

  • WHERE ARE YOU WROINING US FROM AND HOW IS THE ANGEL-- ANKLE.

  • HOW ARE YOU HOLDING UP.

  • >> I'M IN JUPITER, FLORIDA, BEST PLACE ON EARTH.

  • AND ANKLE IS BETTER SINCE GIVING IT THAT CRAZY TWIST LAST MONTH,

  • LAST MONTH NOW YEAH.

  • >> James: I MEAN YOU WERE IN THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN, AND

  • OBVIOUSLY AUSTRALIA, DEALT SO BRILLIANTLY WITH COVID.

  • HOW DID IT FEEL TO BE OUT PLAYING IN FRONT OF THOUSANDS OF

  • FANS AGAIN?

  • >> I THINK, I MEAN I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

  • IT WAS JUST SURREAL.

  • AND ALSO JUST THAT MOMENT WHERE YOU APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE BEFORE

  • YOU TOOK IT FOR GRANTED.

  • I DON'T TAKE IT FOR GRANTED ANY MORE.

  • IT WAS JUST NICE TO BE HUMAN AND ALSO IT FELT GOOD TO JUST FEEL

  • SAFE WALKING AROUND AUSTRALIA.

  • YOU WEREN'T AS NERVOUS ABOUT GETTING COVID.

  • ANYTHING COULD HAPPEN, OBVIOUSLY BUT IT WAS JUST LIKE I FEEL

  • SAFE, SO LEAVING AUSTRALIA WAS ACTUALLY HARD BECAUSE WERE YOU

  • KIND OF GOING BACK TO, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF THE WORLD OF COVID.

  • >> James: SURE.

  • NOW VENUS, THE OLYMPICS ARE THIS SUMMER IN JAPAN.

  • YOU HOLD THE JOINT RECORD FOR THE MOST NUMBER OF MEDALS IN

  • TENNIS.

  • YOU HAVE WON FIVE MEDALS AT THE OLYMPICS, FOUR OF THEM GOLD.

  • ARE YOU HOPEFUL THAT YOU WILL GET TO COMPETE IN ANOTHER

  • OLYMPICS?

  • >> HONESTLY, OF COURSE THE FIRST PRIVILEGE OF BEING AN OLYMPIAN

  • IS SOMETHING NO ONE CAN TAKE AWAY FROM YOU.

  • WHEN I PLAYED MY FIRST OLYMPICS IT WAS JUST THIS MOMENT OF PURE

  • JOY.

  • I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT TO YOU.

  • I'M SURE YOU HAVE GONE TO ONE AND THAT MOMENT OF TOGETHERNESS

  • AND PEACE AND JOY AND PURENESS OF THE COMPETITION IS BEAUTIFUL.

  • SO BEING HONORED TO COMPETE AGAIN, GOD WILLING.

  • >> James: ARE YOU HOPEFUL YOU WILL DO IT THIS SUMMER?

  • >> YEAH, I MEAN 2021 IS HERE, IT WAS SHOW SO SHOCKING WHEN

  • EVERYTHING WAS CANCELLED AND THE OLYMPICS WERE CANCELLED.

  • I THINK THAT IS WHEN IT REALLY SETS IN, LIKE, THIS IS NOT GOING

  • AWAY, RIGHT.

  • >> James: SURE, WILL YOU AND CERTIFICATEENA DO THE DOUBLES.

  • >> WE WOULD LOVE TO I HAVE STO ASK HER IF SHE WILL STILL DANCE

  • WITH ME AND BE MY PARTNER.

  • >> James: CERTIFICATEENA WILL YOU HAVE THIS DANCE.

  • >> James: SHE HAS TO.

  • WHEN ARE YOU AT THE OLYMPICS AND IT IS YOU AND SERENA DOING

  • DOUBLES, AND YOU SORTED OF SEE THE PEOPLE, WHO ARE YOU PLAYING

  • AGAINST, DO YOU IN ANYWAY FEEL SORRY FOR THEM?

  • JUST BE LIKE DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN.

  • I FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE U.S.A.

  • IN BOLT LOOKING AT ME SAYING THIS IS WHO ARE YOU RUNNING

  • AGAINST, IT WOULD BE LIKE OH, BUDDY, BECAUSE YOU AND

  • CERTIFICATEENA ARE SO IN-- SERENA ARE SOIN CREDIBLE

  • TOGETHER, YOU ARE JUST FOR MIDDABLE.

  • >> YOU KNOW, SHE IS THE BEST PORT PARTNER YOU COULD BE BORN

  • WITH, I HAVE BEEN PLAYING WITH HER SINCE WE WERE LITTLE, SINCE

  • YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE DAY.

  • AND I ALWAYS PLAY THE BACK HAND, SHE ALWAYS PLAYS THE FORE HAND,

  • THAT IS HOW WE ARE BORN ON THOSE SIDES SO WE JUST HAVE THIS

  • CLOSENESS AS SISTERS BUT THEN SHE HAS A SICK SERVE THAT IS 130

  • MILES AN HOUR AND THAT HELPS TOO.

  • SO NO, WE DON'T FEEL SORRY FOR THEM.

  • AND IF ANYTHING, IT'S UPSETTING WHEN YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T BEAT

  • SOMEONE HARDER, DOES THAT SOUND BAD?

  • >> James: NO, NOT AT ALL.

  • I GET IT NOW YOU SAID THAT ONE OF YOUR PRIORITIES THIS YEAR IS

  • TO QUOTE GET A LIFE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT, WHAT DO YOU PLEEN?

  • >> I HAVE DONE TENNIS AND MORE TENNIS AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE

  • OF COMPANIES.

  • AND THEN THAT'S PRETTY MUCH MY LIFE.

  • SO JUST TO DO SOMETHING ELSE, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GETTING A

  • LIFE.

  • SO THAT TAKES TIME AND I'M WORKING ON IT AND THEN COVID

  • HAPPENED AND THEN IT IS LIKE OKAY, SO EVENTUALLY I WILL DO

  • SOMETHING OTHER THAN TENNIS I THINK ONE DAY.

  • >> James: HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

  • DO YOU THINK ABOUT, WHEN YOU SAY GET A LIFE WHAT SORT OF STUF ARE

  • YOU EXCITED TO DO OUTSIDE OF TENNIS?

  • >> TAKE A VACATION, GO TO IBIZA.

  • >> James: OH.

  • >> KIDDING.

  • LIKE IN THE SUMMER HAVE I TO SHALL-- THE TENNIS SEASON IS

  • FROM JANUARY TO OCTOBER AND THEN I TAKE FOUR WEEKS OFF AND THEN I

  • HAVE TO TRAIN SIX WEEKS TO GET READY FOR THE NEXT YEAR.

  • SO THERE, THAT IS EF LEE YEAR.

  • AND SO THEN I LOOK IN LIKE "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE OR WHATEVER

  • AND I SEE PEOPLE IN THE SUMMER ON A VACATION.

  • AND THEY GO TO IBIZA AND I'M LIKE I WISH I COULD DO THAT.

  • SO I DON'T EVER GO.

  • >> James: YOU ARE LIKE OLAF ON FROZEEN, JUST WONDERING JUST

  • DREAM OF WHAT YOU WILL DO IN SUMMER.

  • >> THAT IS MY FAVORITE SONG IN FROZEEN.

  • >> James: THERE YOU GO.

  • >> EXACTLY.

  • >> James: YOU DO KEEP YOURSELF INCREDIBLY BUSY, LAST YEAR WITH

  • ALL OF YOUR BUSINESS AND YOU, YOUR BUSINESSES AND YOU INTERIOR

  • DESIGNED SERENA'S HOUSE.

  • NOW WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

  • THAT IS A LOT OF PRESSURE, DID SHE AGREE ON ALL OF THE CHOICES

  • THAT YOU MADE?

  • >> NO.

  • SHE DIDN'T.

  • AND THAT'S FINE, BECAUSE IT IS HER HOME.

  • WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT IS THAT SHE GOT A PLACE THAT SHE LIKED

  • SO THAT WAY SHE COULD LIVE IN A HOME THAT MATTERED TO HER AND

  • ALSO TO HER HUSBAND.

  • BECAUSE SHE GOT MARRIED.

  • SHE HAS A LIFE, ACTUALLY.

  • SPEAKING OF LIVES.

  • SO I WANTED HER TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND IF SHE SAID NO,

  • THEN I RESPECTED THAT.

  • BUT IT WAS A LOT OF FUN AND MY INTERIOR DESIGN COMPANY

  • STAR-- MY MIDST MIDDLE NAME IS STAR WITH A DOUBLE R, SHE WAS

  • ONE OF OUR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS.

  • WE USUALLY DON'T ALWAYS DO RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS.

  • WE DO LIKE HOTELS OR CONDOMINIUMS OR SPORT CENTERS.

  • SO IT WAS COOL TO KIND OF GO BACK TO A HOME.

  • >> James: WHAT STUFF DID SERENA ASK FOR, WHAT DID SHE

  • WANT.

  • >> SHE WOULD SHOW ME A FLOOR PLAN EVERY WEEK AND SHE MADE A

  • LOT OF CHANGES, I WILL BE HONEST.

  • BUT THEY WERE-- AND THEN SHE WOULD START TO DRAFT THE CHANGES

  • AND THEN SHE HAD LIKE AN INCREDIBLE UNDERSTANDING OF

  • SPACE.

  • AND SHE COULD VISUALIZE IT SO SHE WOULD TAKE THE FLOOR PLAN

  • AND START THE DRAFTING AND THEN IT WOULD BE ALL TO SCALE AND I

  • WAS IMPRESSED.

  • I WAS LIKE YOU'RE HIRED.

  • SO SHE IS GOOD, SHE IS REALLY LIKE, SHE IS A VISIONARY SWRZ

  • LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS.

  • ONE OF YOUR PROJECTS THAT TAKES YOU AWAY FROM THE COURT, YOU

  • FOUGHT FOR AND WON BRILLIANTLY THE RIGHT FOR EQUAL PAY FOR

  • FEMALE PLAYERS IN GRAND SLAMS.

  • HOW DID YOU DO THIS?

  • HOW DID YOU MAKE THAT HAPPEN?

  • >> WELL, IT WASN'T EASY.

  • IT WAS NOT EASY AND SINCE PROFESSIONAL TENNIS STARTED IN

  • 1968, WOMEN HAD NOT HAD EQUAL PRIZE MONEY AT THE FOUR MAJORS

  • SO WE WITH GO INTO THE GRAND SLAM MEETING EVERY YEAR, ALL THE

  • FOUR MAJORS WERE THERE.

  • U.S. OPEN, FRENCH OPEN, WIMBLEDON AND HAVE A MEETING,

  • ASK FOR EQUAL PRIZE MONEY AND THEY WOULD SAY NO.

  • THIS WAS GOING ON FROM 1968, FAST FORWARD 30 PLUS YEARS.

  • AND REALLY WE STARTED TO HAVE A REALLY STRATEGIC CAMPAIGN OF NOT

  • JUST ASKING IN JULY, YOU KNOW, IN BETWEEN THE FINALS AND

  • SEMIFINALS OF THE TOURNAMENT AND SAID WE WENT AND HAD A CAMPAIGN

  • OF LET'S REALLY DO THIS, LET'S VE LET'S HAVE EQUAL PRIZE MONEY,

  • AND THAT HAS BEEN A REALLY CAT LIST FOR WOMEN IN OTHER SPORTS

  • BUT THE FIGHT IS NOT OVER.

  • THERE IS STILL INEQUALITY ON ALL LEVELINGS FOR WOMEN.

  • AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT IS VERY SOBERING, WOMEN EARN 81

  • CENTS TO THE DOLLAR THAN MEN EARN.

  • AND SO MEN MAY NOT EVEN KNOW THAT.

  • SO MEN ARE BROTHERS, OUR SISTERS, THEY ARE DADS, TO

  • DAUGHTERS, THEY HAVE MOTHERS, AND SO I'M SURE THAT THEY DON'T

  • WANT THEIR FAMILY AND THE ONES THEY LOVE TO BE TREATED IN THIS

  • WAY.

  • SO IT'S ABOUT OPENING THAT CONVERSATION AND LETTING PEOPLE

  • KNOW THEY CAN BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION.

  • >> James: YOU HAVE TAKEN EQUAL PAY BEYOND THE TENNIS ARENA AND

  • CREATED, IT IS A COMPLETELY BRILLIANT THING YOU HAVE DONE.

  • THE PRIVILEGE TAX INITIATIVE.

  • >> YES.

  • >> James: TELL US WHAT IT IS AND HOW CAN WE GET INVOLVED.

  • >> SO THE PRIVILEGE TAX INITIATIVE REALLY ACKNOWLEDGES

  • ESPECIALLY DURING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH THAT WOMEN, WHILE

  • WE HAVE HAD GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

  • WE HAVE JOINED THE WORKFORCE IF DROVES ESPECIALLY SINCE THE

  • '80S, THERE IS STILL SO MUCH WORK TO DO.

  • AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE ONLY EARNING 81 CENTS TO THE DOLLAR,

  • SO THE PRIVILEGE TAX IS SOMETHING THAT STARTED BY ACTIVE

  • PA WEAR COMPANY AND WE HAVE AMAZING PARTNERS, NORDSTROM,

  • TP12, SO MANY GREAT PARTNERS THAT ARE HELPING US TO RAISE

  • MONEY.

  • SO ON OUR WEBSITE YOU CAN GO ON AND CLICK THAT CHECK BOX TO

  • DONATE THAT 19 CENTS TO MAKE THE DIFFERENCE AND THAT MONEY IS ALL

  • DONATED TO GIRLS INC. LOS ANGELES.

  • AND IT IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT HELPS GIRLS TO BE STRONG, BOLD,

  • AND POWERFUL.

  • AND WE'RE STARTING TO HELP WOMEN AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL TO GO

  • AHEAD AND RISE UP.

  • SO ST AN AWESOME INITIATIVE, NEAR AND DEAR TO ME HAVING

  • EXPERIENCED INEQUALITY AND BEING A GIRL WANTING TO WIN WIMBLEDON

  • AND GETTING THERE AND REALIZING I'M NOT PAID EQUALLY, I'M

  • CONSIDERED LESS.

  • >> James: ST COMPLETELY BRILLIANT, YOU CAN SIGN UP AT

  • ELEVEN OOPT VENUS WILLIAMS.COM.

THE UNSTOPPABLE VENUS WILLIAMS IS HERE TONIGHT.

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