No matter how old you are, where you come from or what you do for a living, playing video games can be a perfect way to relax and unwind – and that's no different for tennis legend, Serena Williams.
A four-time Olympic gold medalist and one of the biggest – if not the biggest – tennis stars of her generation, Williams has sat down with People to discuss her history with Nintendo and the games she's currently enjoying on Switch.
"I always liked gaming when I was younger because it was really popular," she says. "This generation grew up with (video games). The generation before didn't have it, so (it was) just always part of my life, and I just kind of enjoyed that." She remembers enjoying early NES games like Metroid and Duck Hunt, and even the Power Pad, and eventually "ended up having all the Game Boys."
When it comes to Switch, it's perhaps unsurprising to hear that her go-to game is Mario Tennis Aces, in which she mains Mario himself. We say unsurprising not because of her profession, but thanks to her previous appearances in a $1 million Mario Tennis charity event and even an advert for the game – Serena serves (no pun intended) as a spokesperson for Nintendo, so Mario Tennis Aces is a natural fit.
As for other games, Williams says that she's "dabbled" in Zelda but doesn't feel she's very good at it. "I'm more like the Animal Crossing kind of gamer," she says. Other games she's enjoyed include the likes of Tetris, Just Dance and Mario Kart.
[source people.com]
Comments 50
Wow, a proper legend. I have no idea how she has time to play Switch 😂
Let me guess, Mario Tennis Aces?
Wii Sports Tennis against Serena Williams, the Dark Souls of sports games
Does it help with her anger management?
Everyone loves Mario Kart as it's a timeless classic!
@Judgedean : Let he who is without sin et cetera.
Nice. I’ve played animal crossing the most on the system, myself. It’s a great game to unwind to. I bet she’s super busy but hope she has a moment to relax when she can and chill on her island.
@Judgedean,
Yes an awesome winner, but horrible when she loses, which is a lot more often now.
Oh boy, i love these celebrity news articles!
They are so genuine and relevant!
Who knew that famous tennis player Serena Williams loves to play the smash hit videogame "Mario Tennis Aces™" on the Nintendo Switch™!
All sarcasm about this blatant ad aside, i think the weirdest is, that she apparently "mains Mario".
She's famous for her super aggressive power play.
I guess mentioning characters associated with that playstyle would have caused the tabloid readers to snap...
What a load of nonsense. This is a PR piece, lol... She works for Nintendo, what a happy coincidence she never had a Mega Drive or PlayStation!
@nessisonett doubt she does she's just paid to say so.
@Judgedean
No, they don't want it to. We live in a world that celebrates people throwing a tantrum.
@johnvboy @Judgedean Funny how nobody’s spreading the same rubbish about Djokovic, who threw a massive temper tantrum at the Olympics, is a Covid denier and held a tournament during the original wave that turned into a super spreader event, is a well-known sexist and has broken away from the players’ union to further his own agenda against the wishes of Federer, Nadal, Murray and many others. It’s very telling that people who don’t actually follow tennis at all spread this unwarranted rubbish about Serena Williams when there are a million other players who are a lot more hot-headed like Kyrgios, Djokovic, Nadal, bloody Andy Murray is the one of the angriest people on tour. People laugh about John McEnroe’s outbursts but clutch their pearls when Serena Williams does the same, if not less.
@Dindunuffin,
I remember the time she was playing kim clijsters in the U.S open, and she threatened the line judge, then when confronted she said she didn't, then a spectator who was courtside shouted she did, at that point realizing people had heard what she had said, she quit the match, which she was losing anyway.
@nessisonett,
True, but he is not part of the article, but both he and Nadal have some very poor gamesmanship when they are behind in matches, not to mention the constant time violations on serve.
And I agree with the others as well, but the article is not about them loving Nintendo, but yes some of those others are awesome at tantrums too.
John McEnroe’s were just so funny as well, and a clear attempt to put the other player off their game if they were winning.
By the way I do follow tennis.
I remember reading about this before (her Nintendo fanmanship). Quite interesting actually. Definitely a fierce competitor but certainly not any more an angry or aggressive sportsperson than many others IMO.
The greatest tennis player in the open era without any shadow of a doubt. Number of titles speaks for itself. The fact that she's had to battle sexism and racism every step of the way makes her achievements even more significant. I'm happy she is enjoying gaming on her Nintendo Switch. Her daughter is three, so not long now until they are enjoying Mario Aces and Mario Kart together.
@Einherjar my main problem is that even if these celebs say the truth, which is possible.
The fact they get paid to say it doesn't make me believe it at all.
Terrible sportsmanship and a bad loser.
If she wins, she's the star. If she loses...but if course she doesn't lose, it's fixed by men. Serena is a goddess who can never lose and it's only magical (male) lizards who control the ball making her lose.
I guess she cheats at it.
I always hoped Venus would continue to be the better player... she is an absolute class act from what I can tell.
Serena... not so much.
@nessisonett Finally, a person who isn't talking complete BS, just to get on the Serena hate bandwagon.
Thanks for telling the truth mate. Have a like.
@DevinRex,
He said other players acted as badly as she did at times, hardly a truth bomb, and the reason people were mentioning Serena's outbursts was it was related to the article, where the other players were not, and it's not hate to merely point out a players faults.
@HamatoYoshi,
Do agree with this, it's been pointed out that other players not mentioned in this article also misbehave at times, but with Serena it's different, and always seems to put her as the victim in whatever issue she has on court.
As I mentioned the Kim Clijsters incident, but the final where Naomi Osaka was on the verge of her first major grand slam was awful, took all the spotlight off what should have been the best moment of Naomi's tennis career.
@johnvboy Other players have acted as badly. In a comment chain of nothing but BS one-sided opinion, pointing that out is the biggest truth bomb I've heard so far. Don't try to gaslight Serena as the only Tennis player with anger issues. I respect a guy more who sees through bandwagoning for likes and tells it like it is. Again, I'm glad someone went out and said it into the echo chamber.
The "I hate Serena" camp is the most resentful, pathetic, tired group of #cancelculture individuals I've had the displeasure of knowing within the sport community. Many players have anger issues. Everyone has flaws. Let it go.
@DevinRex,
Like I said the reason Serena has been highlighted is because the article is about her, nobody on here has suggested she is the only player to act badly at times, but as I have stated the article was not related to those other players, not sure why you are finding this so difficult to understand.
If the article had been on Novak Djokovic for instance I would have said similar things, but it wasn't.
And to be honest why should I care if you respect me or not, my views on the subject are my own, and just as you are entitled not to agree with them, I am allowed to have them.
@johnvboy The reason Serena is highlighted is because she's playing the Nintendo Switch.
Point out in the article where it talks about her "Anger issues"? I'll wait.
Gaslighting. Again, she has anger problems, we get it. Many tennis players do. Many celebrities and athletes in general do. Has nothing to do with the fact that she's enjoying a Nintendo Switch. Stop the petty "Serena hate train". You're allowed to have your opinion, as I'm allowed to call it BS, have my opinion that you Serena haters need to grow up and to let it go.
@DevinRex,
Telling people to grow up, calling them pathetic for having different views to yourself, sounds just so.............mature.
So if you can tell me where somebody in the comment section said Serena Williams is the only tennis player ever to have an outburst, I will totally agree with you.....will be waiting for your measured response.
@johnvboy I'm not the one replying to every person who isn't on the "Serena hate train."
Find a mirror. No one cares about your hate-bone for Serena. This is a Nintendo switch article showcasing her enjoyment of the console. Let it go.
@DevinRex,
You seem to be replying a lot for someone that does not care.
@johnvboy And you seem to be acting pretty petty on a Nintendo article about an off-topic non-issue, which has nothing to do with her enjoyment of the Nintendo Switch.
Once more. Let it go.
@DevinRex,
And like I said the article was about Serena enjoying the Nintendo Switch, and you will always get good and bad comments, some will be over the moon with the news, some will simply believe it's more PR from Nintendo, and others might just suggest she is a sore loser at times, not that that takes away from all the titles etc.
But you and nessisonett seem to be suggesting anyone who dared post anything negative should have done so with some sort of caveat.
For example I believe Serena is a bad sport at times, but so are many other players, would this have been somehow better, not sure it makes the initial statement any different however, or somehow makes here a good sport.
@DevinRex,
You keep saying "Let it go", you don't have shares in Frozen by any chance.
So it's petty if someone does not agree with you, which by definition means you are also being petty.
This article made my morning
@johnvboy
I'm here for Nintendo news. I'm not here to play TMZ and whine about the behavior of someone who doesn't even know (or care) that I exist. I'm glad she's enjoying the Nintendo console. Mario Aces is a great game, and seeing a legendary tennis player promoting it puts a smile on my face.
We get it, you hate Serena. You made that clear. Not sure how she hurt you so badly, but you truly have my pity. You obviously prefer to stay being petty and immature, so I'm going to end it with you here and I bid you adieu.
@DevinRex,
When you say "we" get it, who are you talking about?, yourself, a group of people with you?, I have no issues with Serena at all, I and others merely suggested she was a bad sport at times.
And just because other players have also acted badly over the years, still does not detract from her actions when she has had her anger issues on court.
So she can play a Nintendo Switch or with my little ponies for that matter, and she will still be the greatest ever women's tennis player, but at times has acted badly, it's a fact so get over it.
Or Just let it go.
Serena is the original rage-quitter, confirmed!
@NEStalgia,
Don't say that on here though.
@johnvboy No one is stopping you from saying anything. If someone doesn’t like what you are saying, that’s okay too. There does seem to be a focus on Serena and her anger issues regardless of the subject at hand.
@anzzjam,
Totally agree with you, but that other guy was getting pretty upset about the fact it was brought up in the first place, I have no issues with people not agreeing with me, or the other people that also mentioned it on this thread.
@anzzjam Thank you. Well said. I 100% agree. +1
@Judgedean Hopefully, she skipped the Wii. Every time the computer scored she'd have put one of the controllers through her TV and scream "Is it because I'm a woman?!!?"
@johnvboy Yep. Pretty sure John McEnroe was good at tennis and had the same, if not worse, attitude. Sometimes it just goes along with that competitive personality. Nobody can take away from her talents as a player. If anything she, like many of us, is just her own worst enemy sometimes.
Cue the Brie Larson completing Breath of the wild post whilst balancing on her head in 3..2..1.......
In all honesty its good to see "famous" people playing video games. Then again i dont follow the sport so cant comment on on court sportsmanship etc.
@tseliot,
Said she was the greatest female tennis player of all time, but said she had anger issues, and just because other players have similar or worse does not detract from that fact.
The reason I and others mentioned it on this comment section was the article was about her, had it been about those other players, I would have said the same.
@johnvboy yes but the point is why bring that up when it's not related to the article at all, no matter which tennis player was promoting the game. You want to bring up human flaws for no reason.
You are being very passive aggressive as a means to let your bad behavior be unchecked. So @DevinRex was right, LET IT GOOOO......! Don't be a French toast narcist.
@Sanangelo89,
It's up to me what I post as long as it breaks no direct forum rules etc, and I stand by my comments, many others also pointed the same thing out, you and others can disagree all you want, not sure why it bothers you guys so much.
And when you post things like
" You are being very passive aggressive as a means to let your bad behavior be unchecked. So @DevinRex was right, LET IT GOOOO......! Don't be a French toast narcist."
I tend to think it's you that have some deeper issues not me.
@johnvboy I don't have some deeper issues. You are the one attacking someone for no reason and than being defensive on your own basing it on your freedom of speech. Your entitled to bash her as are we to criticize your unneeded bias towards her. And same goes for other people doing the same thing. This can be a continuous cycle you started.
@Sanangelo89,
People do not always realize they have deeper issues, and I would suggest this must be the case as you seem very defensive towards your idol.
As for this being unrelated to the article, there are also people on the comment section praising her, is this also not allowed, as it is unrelated to her playing the Nintendo Switch?.
Never attacked anyone, if anything it was name calling from her defenders.
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