STANFORD, CALIF. — Not only did Serena Williams come out of the closet with revelations of a near career-ending injury, she declared that she has her eyes on a run at the White House. Well, sort of.
Williams recently revealed that the first major injury of her career came not on a tennis court, but on the dance floor. It wasn’t exactly “Dancing With the Stars.” It was more of an Elaine Benes moment a la “Seinfeld.”
“Sometimes a rash or stupid act can derail your plans in a big-time way,” said Williams, who was partying with friends at an L.A. nightclub in ’02 when, dancing in heels, she tweaked her left knee.
Serena, who later underwent surgery to repair a partially detached quad muscle, said, “I went into this little spin move out there on the floor and I could feel something go in my knee. I did my move and thought, ‘Oh, no, Serena. This can’t be good.'”
So embarrassed was Williams that, until now, she never told anyone how the injury really occurred. When IT reminded her that she had only recently revealed the true nature of her knee injury, she said, “Oh, so I did come out, I did come out. I don’t think my mom knows that yet.”
You might think Serena would shy away from heels these days, but, ironically, it was her heels that made the biggest impression on President Obama during the Wimbledon champ’s July 14 visit to the White House.
“This is going to sound really shallow, but really the best part was when he said to me that he liked my shoes,” Serena told IT at the Bank of the West Classic. “I was really excited because I just bought them that day. And I love shoes. He noticed them… I felt really, really good. I love my shoes.”
And, as if aware of her previous mishap in heels, President Obama warned, “Aren’t they a little high for your career? Be careful.”
It was Serena’s first meeting with the 44th president.
“I thought he was amazing,” she said. “I’d never met him because I’m always out of the country for the inauguration, the election, everything. I also got a chance to meet Michelle, who I love. What a great personality she had. I had no idea she had such an amazing sense of humor. Her mom was there. They are such a real family. Then I got to meet the kids. They were so young and so small. They all play tennis. I said I would move in and be their coach if they wanted me to. I love the décor of the White House…I wouldn’t have to pay for my lodging. I would be perfect.”
In addition to meeting the First Lady, Serena, a renowned canine lover, also met the First Dog, Bo, a Portuguese water dog. “The dog was nice,” said Serena. “It’s hypoallergenic. It was a big dog. I’m used to little dogs. My girls [Jackie and Bambi] would have to move in with me, or that’s a deal-killer.”
Serena may just be the only professional athlete to have met both President Obama and Nelson Mandella.
“There was so much honor and grace and class with Mr. Mandella, as well as President Obama,” she said. “There was no pretense — just niceness. Very genuine.”
