Former tennis superstar Serena Williams has swapped championship matches for corporate meetings, but her competitive drive remains as fierce as ever.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner is featured prominently in Prime Video’s latest docuseries “The CEO Club,” which debuts Monday and follows successful female executives as they navigate the challenges of running major businesses while juggling family obligations and personal struggles.
Williams stepped back from professional tennis competition following the 2022 U.S. Open, describing her departure as an “evolution” from the sport. Though she recently re-entered the official drug-testing program, making her eligible to return to competition, her future playing plans remain uncertain.
The tennis legend now channels the same determination that dominated courts worldwide into her entrepreneurial ventures, finding striking similarities between athletic competition and business leadership.
“I think the biggest lesson is just never give up, and you have to keep trying,” Williams explained. “As a CEO, you don’t win everything. You have to make really hard decisions. Just like in sport and in tennis, you have to show up every day. You might lose, but you just have to show up again the very next day.”
Williams joins an impressive lineup of female leaders in the eight-episode series, including Latin music star Thalia, former model turned fashion designer Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger, Market America and Shop.com CEO Loren Ridinger, supermodel Winnie Harlow, wellness entrepreneur Hannah Bronfman, and jewelry designer Isabela Rangel Grutman.
In addition to starring in the show, Williams took on executive producer duties through her production company Nine Two Six Productions, a role she says allows her to maintain control over storytelling.
“Being in the public eye for so long, you really want to control the narrative and make sure the truth gets out there,” Williams stated. “Not only for me, but for these amazing women that are in the show as well, it’s super important that the right story is told.”
Market America CEO Loren Ridinger emphasized how the series reveals the hidden realities of executive leadership that the public rarely witnesses.
“Everybody thinks you’re just like an overnight success. They don’t realize it took 34 years to get where you’re at,” Ridinger noted. “Leadership is not that easy. You have to make tough decisions, tough calls. You’re not always a fan favorite of people who you’re working with.”
Ridinger stressed that successful business management while maintaining personal relationships requires strategic prioritization and unwavering discipline, especially for executives balancing professional responsibilities with family commitments.
“You cannot become a slave to emergencies,” Ridinger advised. “You have to learn how to prioritize. And the way I do that is very simple. I do the hardest things first every day.”
Both business leaders highlighted the critical importance of building strong support networks, describing this as a central theme woven throughout the documentary series.
“The curation of a positive circle is just part of life that we need to have,” Ridinger observed. “You’re not going to associate with somebody that doesn’t believe in what you do.”
Williams credits her athletic background with providing the mental toughness necessary to handle the pressures and criticism that come with leadership positions.
“When you’re the best, most people want you to not do so well,” she reflected. “You just have to lean into making those decisions anyway.”
