Serena Williams brings athlete discipline to business leadership in 'The CEO Club' series

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Serena Williams may have traded match points for meetings, but the hustle doesn’t stop — even during interviews.

When Williams logged onto Zoom for an interview with The Associated Press, she was already mid-glam, toggling between touch-ups and business talk. It was a snapshot of the multitasking life she now leads beyond tennis after stepping away from professional competition in four years. The 23-time Grand Slam champion, business investor and producer is among the featured leaders in the new Prime Video docuseries “The CEO Club,” which premieres Monday.

Williams has not competed since the 2022 U.S. Open, when she said she was “evolving” away from tennis. Earlier this month, she became eligible to return to competition after reentering the sport’s drug-testing pool, although it remains unclear whether she plans to play again.

For Williams, the transition from elite athlete to entrepreneur draws on the same competitive principles that defined her tennis career.

“I think the biggest lesson is just never give up, and you have to keep trying,” said Williams, who stars in the series alongside Latin singer Thalia; former model and fashion designer Dee Ocleppo Hilfiger; Market America and Shop.com CEO Loren Ridinger; supermodel Winnie Harlow; wellness entrepreneur Hannah Bronfman; and Isabela Rangel Grutman, founder of ISA Grutman jewelry. The eight episode season follows the prominent executives navigating high-stakes decisions, family responsibilities and personal challenges while building global brands.

“As a CEO, you don’t win everything. You have to make really hard decisions,” Williams continued. “Just like in sport and in tennis, you have to show up every day. You might lose, but you just have to show up again the very next day.”

Beyond appearing in the series, Williams also served as an executive producer through her company Nine Two Six Productions, a role she said felt natural after years in the public eye.

“Being in the public eye for so long, you really want to control the narrative and make sure the truth gets out there,” she said. “Not only for me, but for these amazing women that are in the show as well, it’s super important that the right story is told.”

Ridinger said the series highlights the realities behind leadership that audiences often don’t see.

“Everybody thinks you’re just like an overnight success. They don’t realize it took 34 years to get where you’re at,” she said. “Leadership is not that easy. You have to make tough decisions, tough calls. You’re not always a fan favorite of people who you’re working with.”

Ridinger said building a business while balancing personal responsibilities requires prioritization and discipline, particularly for leaders managing both professional demands and family life. She said maintaining focus often means making intentional decisions about how time and energy are spent each day.

“You cannot become a slave to emergencies,” Ridinger said. “You have to learn how to prioritize. And the way I do that is very simple. I do the hardest things first every day.”

Both women emphasized the importance of surrounding themselves with trusted supports systems. They said that's a common theme that runs throughout the series.

“The curation of a positive circle is just part of life that we need to have,” Ridinger said. “You’re not going to associate with somebody that doesn’t believe in what you do.”

Williams said the mental resilience required in sports has also prepared her for the pressures of leadership.

“When you’re the best, most people want you to not do so well,” she said. “You just have to lean into making those decisions anyway.”