Even the GOAT Isn’t Safe From the Thin Ideal
- Wendy JIMJAMM Welsher
- Aug 25
- 3 min read
It makes me furious — and heartbroken — that even the greatest athlete of all time has to battle the same toxic narrative: that her body isn’t good enough. Serena Williams, a woman who redefined what power, dominance, and athleticism look like, has spoken about being told to lose weight. Not by tabloids or trolls, but by her own coach — a French white man, the very person who knew her training, her work ethic, her discipline. He knew she was doing everything right. And still, the message was: shrink.
Let’s pause here: this is Serena Williams. The most decorated tennis player in history. The GOAT. The woman who changed the game forever. If she isn’t safe from white, thin-centered ideals of what a female athlete “should” look like, then what does that mean for the rest of us?
The System Is Rigged Against All Bodies
Serena’s story isn’t about her personal choice — she has every right to decide what she wants for her body. This is about the system she exists in, the same system we all live in. A system that insists women — especially Black women, women in larger bodies, and women who don’t fit Eurocentric beauty standards — must shrink to be considered enough. No number of championships, medals, or records can shield you from the demand to conform.
And here’s the other layer: Serena had resources. She had money, trainers, recovery tools, and the world’s best support systems. Yet even with all of that support, she was still pressured to change her body. That pressure says everything about the system — not about her. Because if the most dominant athlete in the world can’t escape these demands, what does that mean for the rest of us? What about people without access, without money for coaches, healthcare, or recovery? The ones already excluded because of size, race, or class? This system doesn’t just harm Serena — it harms everyone.
The Coach, The Power, and The Problem
We can’t ignore the power dynamic here. A French white male coach telling a Black female athlete — the most accomplished of all time — that her body is wrong? That’s not simply advice. That’s control. And it’s also a reflection of how Eurocentric, white-centered standards of beauty and athleticism have been enforced for generations. Serena’s story isn’t about one coach’s comment — it’s about the weight of an entire culture that polices bodies, even legendary ones.
Why This Matters Beyond Tennis
This isn’t just about Serena. It’s about every girl who leaves sports because she doesn’t look like the “right” kind of athlete. It’s about every person who steps into a gym and feels judged before they even start. It’s about every doctor’s visit where someone is told to lose weight instead of being heard. It’s about how deeply these ideals are woven into how we define health, fitness, and worth.
Serena deserved better. We all do. Until we dismantle the white, thin-centered standards that police bodies — even the most legendary ones — we will keep losing athletes, talent, joy, and lives to a system that tells us shrinking is the only way to be accepted.
The greatest of all time should have been enough. And so should you.
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