Venus Williams is all about the strength and power of women—just don't ask her to put a label on it.
Considered one of the all-time greatest tennis players, the 37-year-old athlete has demonstrated time and time again how much women are capable of on and off of the tennis court. However, in a new interview with Elle U.K., Williams revealed she doesn't identify with the term "feminist."
"I don't like labels," she told the magazine. "Though I do think as women we have much more power and opportunities in our hands than ever before. We truly don't know how powerful we are. There's nothing like a powerful woman walking into a room; her presence is like nothing else."
While she doesn't identify with "feminist," Williams does pride herself on standing her ground.
"There are so many emerging forces; there's been so much growth for women in sports. It's very exciting. You have to be able to stand up for what you believe in and I think I've done a good job. I guess I don't have too many regrets," she told the magazine.
According to the star athlete, "the conversation [around equality] was never there."
"There are always challenges that you have to overcome on a daily basis," she explained. "Unfortunately, people have the tendency to want to dominate one another, but fortunately, there are people who want to build other women up. It's up to those people who want to build to hopefully eliminate all that negativity."
Williams has been that person to her younger sister, Serena Williams.
"I have a lot of memories of Venus, mostly of me doing whatever she did. She always set an example for me. I remember playing with Venus in the yard when we were kids. It was back when we were in elementary school, and some of the other kids were picking on me. I was a grade younger than her and was about to defend myself, but I hadn't even opened my mouth and she was somehow there—it was so weird," the new mom recalled to the magazine. "That's how it's been my whole life. Venus has been there. Protecting me."
'The full interview appears in the June issue of Elle U.K., on sale May 9.