Tennis legend Serena Williams practices what she preaches when it comes to keeping a healthy state of mind.
In a candid conversation with Selena Gomez on Monday, the 23-time Grand Slam champion revealed that “mental fitness for me is just really learning to shut down.” The conversation was part of Gomez’s mental health channel, Wondermind.
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"And you know I did this years ago, before even mental health was a topic among everyone's mind. It was more just like, alright, I'm shutting myself down today. Just subconsciously, it was something I've always done,” Williams added.
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The 40-year-old has been vocal in the past about dealing with anxiety regarding news conferences and facing stress after playing matches.
“And so now that I know that it's so important to just put yourself first, especially mentally, I always have shut down moments. I have serious boundaries and I don't let anyone cross those boundaries,” Williams said. "For me, it's so important to make sure, every day, I have a period of… at least prioritizing what I need to do. And then when I'm turned off, I'm turned off."
The conversation comes just days after the tennis icon announced that she was “evolving away” from tennis sometime after the U.S. Open.
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Williams, who has spent 27 successful years on tour, is set to take on Emma Raducanu at the Western & Southern Open on Tuesday night.
