Tennis legend Serena Williams was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness and has never shied away from citing her faith as a factor in her extraordinary success on and off the court.
For those who don’t know, Jehovah’s Witnesses are a Christian religious group with over eight million members worldwide who share a unique faith. They believed that Jesus was not on the same level as God. According to them, Jesus was created by God and did not coexist with God.
They do not consider the Holy Spirit to be equal to the Father. Instead, they believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine energy. The Witnesses also do not celebrate Christmas, Easter, national holidays and birthdays because, according to their official website, “such celebrations displease God.”
News that Seren Williams was a Jehovah’s Witness first came to light in 2018, when her eldest daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., was about to turn one. Year old. The 42-year-old said she and husband Alexis Ohanian will not celebrate their daughter’s birthday because it goes against their beliefs.
“Olympia doesn’t celebrate birthdays. We’re Jehovah’s Witnesses, so we don’t do that,” Williams said at a news conference during the 2018 U.S. Open.
Serena Williams, who has long turned to religion in her career, began attending The Witnesses after her half-sister Yetunde Price was killed in a 2003 shooting. s meeting.
In a 2015 interview FashionWilliams spoke openly about his religious beliefs, saying:
“Being a Jehovah’s Witness was important to me, but I never really practiced it and always wanted to join one.”
Serena Williams was later baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness in January 2023. Later, videos and photos of a Jehovah’s Witnesses gathering ceremony in West Palm Beach, Florida, surfaced online.
This comes after the American ended an illustrious career that included 23 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals at the 2022 US Open, among other achievements.
Serena Williams has revealed she was ‘troubled’ by being a Jehovah’s Witness following 2009 US Open controversy
At the 2009 U.S. Open, Serena Williams was fined a record $82,500 for threatening a linesman who fouled her.
Defending champion Williams faced unseeded and unranked Kim Clijsters in the Flushing Meadows semifinals, who won the first set 4-6. In the second set, the score was 5-6. When the 23-time Grand Slam champion was serving for the decider, he was penalized for a foot error on his second serve. Clijsters gained a double match point.
The American then argued with the offending linewoman and yelled at her, threatening her to “put this ball down your throat.” The referee then awarded a one-point penalty for Clijsters’ outburst, and Clijsters eventually won the game.
Later in an interview in 2012 New York TimesSerena Williams shared that she was “troubled” by her actions as a Jehovah’s Witness and felt she was living up to her religious beliefs.
“What bothers me the most is that I represent my religion. I just feel like anyone who knows I’m a witness is tripped up. I really don’t want to trip anyone up,” she said.
The American then received a call from a witness asking about the controversial incident, which she knew was about to happen.
“They have to talk to me. I knew it was coming. But, I feel really bad because it’s like, that’s not me,” Serena Williams said.