Serena Williams in Essence July 2013: My Figure is in Style

She's dubbed as the number one female pro tennis player in the world, but even Serena Williams can admit she has had body struggles in the past.
In the latest issue of Essence magazine, the 31-year-old star opened up about her new healthy lifestyle and how the media portrays her figure.
Check out a few highlights from Miss Williams' interview below. For more, be sure to visit Essence magazine!
On pushing through her past health struggles:
"I feel lighter, I feel healthier, and even though I’m 31—which really isn’t old, but for an athlete, particularly a tennis player, it’s old—I promise you, my body has never felt better. Considering how much I’ve played and how much I’ve done, I feel fine. I’m strong…"
On feeling more confident with her body:
"It can be a bit weird. Before it was, 'Serena has a big butt,' and that was all. Now there are way more people who feel comfortable with themselves and they're saying, 'I'm a woman, and this is what I look like.' I always say, 'We're popular now! We're finally in style."
On her body advice:
"It's important to look in the mirror and say, 'I love myself.'"

Serena Williams: Stuck Down at Wimbledon

She’s been on a serious winning streak as of late, however even Serena Williams has an off day once in a while.
The #1 ranked tennis pro fell to #23 German Sabine Lisicki with a score of 6-2, 1-6, 6-4, bringing an end to her 34-match run.
Following the win, Lisicki told press, "I'm still shaking. I'm so happy. Serena played a fantastic match. She's such a tough opponent. Just an amazing feeling to win this match."
Williams was also the topic of conversation for Maria Sharapova in a recent interview, responding to remarks Serena made in Rolling Stone magazine. "Obviously I have a tremendous amount of respect for Serena and what she's achieved on the court. If she wants to talk about something personal, maybe she should talk about her relationship and her boyfriend that was married and is getting a divorce and has kids."