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Serena Williams.
- Serena Williams, considered the queen of tennis, admitted how tough it was been to read internet conspiracies claiming she was born a man.
- Williams wrote an open letter to her mother to thank her for her support over the issue last year.
- In a recent interview with Harper's Bazaar, the 23-time Grand Slam champion seems to have embraced her muscular physique.
- Williams refers to her biceps as her "weapons" and is currently flexing them at the 2018 French Open.
For an interview with Harper's Bazaar, Serena Williams wore an outfit containing the words "Queen. Don't be afraid to rule like a king."
And Williams has ruled the tennis kingdom for decades. The 36-year-old has banked over $84 million in career earnings, has an extraordinary overall winning ratio of 85.6%, and is a 23-time Grand Slam champion.
Williams is, quite rightly, considered the queen of tennis - the best to ever do it.
But the internet is filled with conspiracy theories that she was born a man. Theories that Williams is well aware of as she wrote an open letter to her mother, thanking her for her support over the issue, last year.
Speaking to Harper's, Williams admitted that the ordeal "was hard" for her. She said: "People would say I was born a guy, all because of my arms, or because I'm strong.
"I was different to Venus: she was thin and tall and beautiful, and I am strong and muscular - and beautiful, but, you know, it was just totally different."
Williams returned to Grand Slam tennis this month for the first time since her 2017 Australian Open victory - a tournament she won while eight weeks pregnant.
Williams is currently cruising through the opening stages of the 2018 French Open and has attracted attention for her Black Panther style catsuit, an outfit that makes her feel "like a warrior princess" from Wakanda.
It is clear Williams has learned to handle the criticisms and has even embraced her strong and muscular body.
She now calls her bulging biceps her "weapons" and her "machine."
Williams arms her weapons for battle on Thursday, when she takes on Ashleigh Barty in the Round of 64 at Roland-Garros. Williams beat Kristýna Plíšková in the Round of 128 on Tuesday.