Serena Williams on Managing Money, Whether You're Broke or a Tennis Superstar

On the eve of the U.S. Open tournament, the tennis great spoke to young people about the importance of learning how to manage their money

Serena Williams
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Tennis superstar Serena Williams, who rose from modest beginnings to earning millions during her luminous career, says her outlook on money has not changed: Be responsible and manage your spending.

That was the overall theme of her message to college students of historically Black colleges and young professionals during a webcast focusing on money management.

Williams, who used the JPMorgan Chase Chats for an open conversation about money with a young adult audience from across the country, said her family was not well off growing up, but managing spending was emphasized when she was a kid.

“My family wasn’t wealthy, but we were always taught that when you work hard, you reap the benefits as a result,” Williams told NBC News via email. “I think it’s important for young people to really understand how to spend money — including how to better self-evaluate needs and wants — to make truly informed decisions versus spending from pure emotion. This is still something that’s true for me, and an approach I believe is incredibly important for parents to teach and model, as well.”

Read the full story on NBCNews.com

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