Life In The Spotlight Has Serena Williams Juggling
by Christopher Gerby

If you've walked past a magazine stand or turned on a television this year, it's likely you've seen Serena Williams. The 1999 US Open champion and her sister Venus stayed busy during the off-season, taking part in a variety of extraccuricular projects. In her February 16th media conference call, Serena fielded more questions about those off-court activities than her tennis.

Perhaps the most unusual appearance the Williams sisters have made recently was on the animated series The Simpsons. Being immortalized in cartoon form sat well with Serena. "It was pretty exciting... I love The Simpsons. I thought it was funny. We did a great job." She was also pleased with her first foray into the world of music videos, appearing in one for rapper Jay-Z. "I looked really, really stunning in it," Williams said, with her trademark lack of modesty. Serena said she and her sister also look good in their new Avon campaign, which is now blanketing the airwaves. "I like it a lot. It turned out really nice... We're really feeling great about the whole deal. It's what we wanted." And then there are the magazine photo spreads. When asked to pick a favorite, Serena mentioned liking the cover shoot she did for Teen People, but decided that teaming up with Venus for the January issue of fashion magazine Elle "takes the icing on the cake."

As fond as she is of all this media exposure, Serena admits that it represents a drain on her time and energy. "I enjoy what I do. Sometimes, though, it does get a little hectic... I'm actually overbooked every day of my life." That means having to say no to some tempting offers. For instance, the Williams sisters "really wanted to do Saturday Night Live. They wanted us to host it and I just didn't have time." Serena also turned down an invitation to co-host Regis Philbin's morning talk show a few weeks ago.

On top of everything else, Williams is trying to balance her tennis career with her education. On this day, she was busy with an online class (in writing composition) that was not going well. "I don't know how to get around. It's very, very tough," she remarked with obvious frustration, adding that she's usually "pretty good at getting around online." However, she makes a point of not visiting chat rooms. "Next thing you know you get porn letters and I don't want that. The Internet is a dangerous place, if you ask me."

Lest you think there's no time left in her schedule for tennis, Serena says she's "been doing a lot of training" since returning home from Australia. Her regimen also includes watching tapes of her matches. "It's very tough for me to watch the losses. When I lose, usually it's because I beat myself." One exception was her epic quarterfinal defeat at the hands of Martina Hingis last month in Melbourne, which Serena chalks up to a bad case of food poisoning. "That was a different situation. I was barely alive out there."

As for the immediate future, Serena's next tournament will be in Scottsdale. "Arizona's a great place and I look forward to going there." After that, she plans to play both singles and doubles at Indian Wells ("great site; wonderful stadium") and Miami ("it's my hometown and a lot of people come out to see me there"). Odds are Serena Williams is hoping her draws in those events will be easier to navigate than her online writing class.