In An Interview With Selena Gomez, Serena Williams Discusses Her Mental Health

In a meaningful talk for the former Disney star’s mental health initiative, Wondermind, the two dived into the issue of “psychological health” in an Instagram video Selena Gomez posted on Monday.

Williams, 40, said, “Mental strength for me is just basically trying to shut down.” And as you are aware, I did this years ago, when mental health was even a hot topic.

“It was more along the lines of, “Okay, I’m going to shut myself off today.” It was something I’ve always done, just unconsciously, “She went on. “I always have shut-down moments even though I know how crucial it is to prioritize your mental health. I have strict boundaries that I won’t tolerate anyone crossing.”

“I actually cannot do anything for myself, I’m awful at it, so it’s very crucial for me to ensure I have a time of, like… it’s so terrible that I have every day,” she said. And I’ve repeated it numerous times: I’m focusing on it. Williams continued, “But more or less, at least prioritizing what I need to accomplish, and then when I’m shut off, I’m turned off.”

Williams’ declaration that she is “developing away” from tennis in a first-person essay for the September 2022 cover of Vogue precedes the discussion with Gomez, 30, by a few days.

Williams stated, “I have never enjoyed the word retirement. “To me, it doesn’t seem like a contemporary word. I’ve been referring to this as a transition, but I want to be careful how I use that word since it has a very particular and significant meaning to a group of people. Perhaps the easiest way to sum up what I’m doing is to call it evolutionary.”

I’m here to inform you that I’m shifting away from tennis and toward other priorities. Williams continued, “I have to go on from playing tennis,” adding that she has been hesitant to admit this to either herself or those around her.