Serena Williams, one of the greatest female tennis players ever, has revealed that she failed to deposit a $1 million cheque from an early career win at a drive-through ATM. Williams turned professional at the age of 14 and soon joined the WTA Tour, where she won 23 major championships, the most in the Open Era.
Williams admitted about unsuccessfully depositing her first million-dollar winners check at a local bank’s drive-through during her early WTA career.
She said during an appearance on Hot Ones: “I got my check and it was a million dollars, and I was like ‘ok, I’m gonna go deposit it.’”
“I’d never really spent a lot of money, I was so serious. I don’t know what happened to me, I used to be serious. So I went to the drive-through and the guy was like, ‘Uh… I think you need to come inside for this.’ And I was like, ‘oh ok!”’
Despite amassing numerous prize checks throughout her illustrious career, Williams insists she was never driven by money. She often forgot about the various winnings on the court.
“I never played for money, I played cause I loved the sport,” the tennis legend added. “I don’t even know if I wanted to play to be the best, I wanted to win.
“So my tax guy, he would be like, ‘You didn’t get your money?’ And I’d be like, ‘Oh, I didn’t get that one in Zurich. Oh, I forgot that one in Moscow.”’
“I was just playing to win, and if I didn’t win, I wasn’t thinking. I was just so angry, that I wanted to find a way to get better and win the next time.”
Williams, the first tennis player in history to complete a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles, is still financially secure two years after retirement, with an estimated $300 million.