Behind the Scenes with Serena Williams

Thursday, August 13, 2009 by Liz Doyle.

I'll admit it: Professional athletes have always fascinated me. Whether tennis stars, swimmers or marathon runners, they are all finely tuned machines designed for optimum performance. So what goes into getting these athletes to the highest level? Is it all in the training, or is it just part of their DNA?

Our August cover story (on planes, in bookstores and online) focuses on the mental edge it takes to win, but very few people have been invited to witness the day-to-day life of a champion. Although I haven't had the opportunity to swim a few laps with Michael Phelps or ride through the French countryside with Lance Armstrong, I can now say that I have hit the courts with Serena Williams.

And when I say "hit the courts," I mean that I hit the sidelines in time to watch her workout with hitting partner Sasha Bajin, a darling German gent whom Serena hired in Munich a few years back. Is that the secret—playing across from a guy that looks like he stepped out of a Hugo Boss campaign? If so, I would be willing to brush up on my serve!

We were lucky enough to get a little time in-between practices to shoot our August cover.
Even though we were shooting at the courts at the BallenIsles Country Club (the Williams' home club while in Florida), we needed a spot for hair, makeup and wardrobe to set up, plus lunch, so we made the sisters' house our home base for the afternoon.

What's it like to be invited into the house of the current Wimbledon Champion? I wasn't sure what to expect and was a little nervous about invading her space, but when I arrived in the kitchen to find Venus eating lunch, surrounded by a cast of characters, I realized that adding a few people to the mix was nothing. The house was already buzzing with everyone from the cleaning lady to the massage therapist, and the sisters are used to it—that's part of what it takes to make this operation run smoothly. The trophy room, the home gym, the Pilates reformer off the kitchen . . . this sport is their life, and their home reflects it. Even in the midst of a photo shoot, it was evident that the Williams' home life is a balance of tennis practice, physical therapy, fitness workouts and massage—not to mention the meetings for each of their respective clothing lines and Serena's new partnership with HSN. I sat down and soaked it all in.

Although I didn't come to any groundbreaking conclusions about what it takes to reach their level of talent during my afternoon there, I did get to witness the level of dedication it takes to be considered the best. (Not to mention an extremely good-looking hitting partner!)