The Run-Through with Vogue

Episode: Serena Williams's New Normal Is About Confidence
Date: August 28, 2025
Hosts: Chioma Nnadi & Chloe Malle
Guest: Serena Williams

Episode Overview

In this episode, Vogue revisits their very first Run-Through interview with Serena Williams from 2022, reflecting on her evolution as a retired tennis icon, mother, businesswoman, and advocate for confidence and authenticity. The conversation delves into Serena’s lifelong love of comics, her journey into motherhood, fashion as self-expression, her business acumen with Serena Ventures, and her honest thoughts about navigating life post-tennis.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Serena’s Childhood Passions and Comic Book Obsession

• Serena’s early love for comics: She reveals a deep connection with both DC and Marvel, sharing that her introduction started as a child with older Superman issues, then deepening into Marvel fandom with the rise of the cinematic universe.

• Representation & Superheroes: Serena emphasizes identification with Black Panther and Iron Man, noting the cultural and intellectual aspects that resonate with her.

  "I love Black Panther because someone I can relate to—he’s black, and that was kind of cool. It makes you think of Africa and what could have been if Africa was able to hold their resources, their natural resources."
  — Serena Williams (03:51)

Family, Motherhood & Confidence

• Olympia’s budding interests: Serena laughs about navigating age-appropriate comics and Olympia's early love of dress-up and fashion.

• Honesty about the challenges of motherhood: She details her internal struggles with “mom guilt,” and the surprising ways her relationship with her own mother has evolved now that she is a parent.

  "Being a mom is so much about... you know how to swim, but you’re just thrown in the deep end, and you just have to swim, and you have to survive."
  — Serena Williams (13:45)

• Balance between career and parenting: She describes the ongoing process of negotiating time for family and work—especially as she transitions out of tennis.

  "I'm still trying to find that balance."
  — Serena Williams (14:49)

Fashion as Power and Play

• Superhero-inspired fashion: Serena recounts how her famous Wakanda catsuit at the French Open blended function (support for blood clots after childbirth) and superhero confidence. Similarly, for the 2021 MET Gala, Serena collaborated with Gucci to channel a superhero look.

  "[The Gucci cape] was superhero, because it was kind of the inspiration…I look at that cape every day."
  — Serena Williams (08:19)

• Matching mother-daughter looks: Olympia loves to get dressed up (“same, same!”), a joy Serena shares on social media.

• Attitude toward Fashion Regrets:

  "Fashion is about time…things you wore in the 90s or the 2000s—that was cool at the time and it was amazing … I don’t have any fashion regrets."
  — Serena Williams (23:49)

Identity, Entrepreneurship & Impact

• Serena Ventures and investing with purpose: Serena describes the shock of learning how little venture capital goes to women and people of color, prompting her to invest with a mission to change those statistics.

  "The only way to change that 2% number is to have women writing checks and writing the big checks and having women invest. Because like attracts like."
  — Serena Williams (19:13)

• Mentorship & Support Networks: She highlights the importance of both male and female mentors, and the evolving dynamic with her husband as they both operate in high-level business spheres.

  "We need not only women to believe in us, but we also need men to believe in us as well because they're in different positions, and they can advocate for us in a different way." — Serena Williams (20:50)

Finding Her “New Normal”

• Life post-tennis: Serena is candid about the uncertainty and self-discovery involved in her current phase, from adjusting fitness routines to spending more time with family and defining a new day-to-day structure.

  “I’m just, like, trying to figure out my new normal. But I’m excited. I’m really excited to figure out my new normal and spend time with Olympia.”
  — Serena Williams (23:05)

• On future priorities: She’s eager to take a real vacation (without tennis rackets) and explore life beyond relentless performance.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Whenever you can kind of be a superhero in your mind, it just kind of is cool… or you just have this feeling of something greater.”
  — Serena Williams (03:21)

• On childhood confidence:

  “How did I say that? Why did I say those things at that age? Like, wow, that was so insightful. I always say I was way more mature when I was younger.”
  — Serena Williams (06:22)

• On fashion risk-taking:

  "I've worn some really awful things, but, you know, that’s what I was expressing at the time. And I’m leaning into that."
  — Serena Williams (23:51)

• Desert island pick:

  "I would do, like, a wrap, like just a lot of material. So I can make a dress out of it. I can make a skirt out of it. I can make a sarong out of it…see, that's the designer in me."
  — Serena Williams (24:33)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [00:03] – Introduction and context for 2025 headlines around Serena’s post-retirement, health, and confidence
• [02:19] – Serena’s comic book obsession; love for DC/Marvel and superhero representation
• [05:23] – Reflections on hosting a private Black Panther screening and championing representation
• [06:22] – Early confidence and social media rediscoveries of her young self
• [07:23] – The iconic Wakanda catsuit and fashion's functional and symbolic power
• [08:19] – MET Gala superhero inspiration and the Gucci collaboration
• [11:50] – Parenting Olympia and playful mother-daughter style moments
• [12:58] – The reality of “mom guilt” and support systems in parenting
• [18:12] – The origin of Serena Ventures and investing to empower women and underrepresented founders
• [20:50] – The value of diverse mentorship
• [21:54] – What a “day-to-day” post-tennis looks like (work, fitness, family)
• [23:49] – Goofy wrap-up questions on fashion regrets and desert island wardrobe choices

Episode Tone & Final Impressions

The conversation is warm, candid, and wry, blending nostalgia, humor, and vulnerability. Serena’s perspective is rooted in self-reflection and a deep awareness of her cultural visibility; she encourages confidence, embracing imperfection, and the value of forging your own path—on the court, in the boardroom, and at home.

This episode is both a celebration of Serena’s extraordinary journey and an honest exploration of what comes next beyond public greatness—anchored by her commitment to family, community, and unapologetic self-expression.