people biographies · Ages 6-8

Serena Williams Hit the Ball Like a Question

Serena Williams trained with focus and power, answering doubts with one strong tennis match after another.

The whole story

1. One sunny afternoon, Serena Williams stood on a tennis court with a racket in her hands. She wanted to hit the ball so hard and true that it would surprise the sky.

2. Her father, Richard, showed her where to place her feet. Serena bent her knees and watched the ball. The first swing missed.

3. The second swing missed, too. Serena sat on the court and pressed her lips together. Richard said, “A miss is a question. Your next swing can answer it.”

4. Serena tried again. She watched the ball, planted her feet, and held the racket steady. This time, the ball met the strings.

5. The ball flew over the net. Serena smiled, then picked up another ball. One strong answer was not enough.

6. So Serena practiced her serve. She practiced her footwork. She practiced until her arms were tired and her feet knew what to do.

7. Soon, Serena entered her first big match. The court seemed wide. The net seemed tall. A few doubtful whispers seemed taller still.

8. The match began. Serena missed one ball and lost the next point. She tapped her racket on her shoe and took a slow breath.

9. Then Serena found her rhythm. Her feet moved to the right place. Her racket met the ball with a deep, clean crack.

10. Point by point, Serena answered. When the match ended, she shook hands with her opponent. Then she looked at the court, ready for the next question.

11. Serena trained with focus and power, answering doubts with one strong tennis match after another.

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