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Serena Williams recalls trying to cash $1MILLION check at drive-thru

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Serena Williams recalls trying to cash MILLION check at drive-thru



Serena Williams has recalled the moment she tried and failed to cash a $1million check from one of her early tennis wins at a drive-through ATM.

Williams, considered by many as the greatest female tennis player of all time, first competed professionally at the age of 14 and eventually joined the WTA Tour a few years later.

The eventual Hall of Famer went on to win a staggering 23 major championships in her career, the most in the Open Era, while also amassing a reported $95million in prize money along the way.

And when the first of those millions came in her early years as a WTA pro, Williams admits she tried to deposit her winnings check at the drive-through of a local bank – albeit unsuccessfully.

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.”

Serena Williams has recalled trying and failing to cash a $1m check at a drive-through ATM
Williams won a staggering 23 major championships in her legendary career, while also amassing $95m in prize money along the way

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‘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 collecting winners’ check after winners’ check throughout her illustrious career, Williams insists she was never motivated by money as a player.

So much so, in fact, that she often forgot about various prize funds she won 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.

During an appearance on Hot Ones (pictured) the 42-year-old admitted she tried to cash her first million-dollar check at a drive-through
Serena Williams wins the 1999 US Open
Williams was just 17 when she won her first major

‘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 is the only player in tennis history to accomplish a career Golden Slam – winning all four majors in the same calendar year – in both single and doubles.

The 42-year-old is still understood to be worth an eye-watering $300m two years after bringing the curtain down on her legendary career.

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