Powerful Video Of 12-Year-Old Sharing How Serena Williams Inspired Her To Play Tennis

Photo via: Melissa Isaacso

There’s another tennis player straight outta Compton you should be on the look out for. Her name is Kalli Minor and her biggest inspiration is Serena Williams. 

From the very moment Kalli first saw Serena play on television at the age of five, she knew that she wanted to play tennis one day “like that brown girl who’s so good.” Well not just play, but dominate the sport like Serena has done for the last two decades. 

Since being inspired by Serena, Kalli made a trip with her dad in 2015 to witness Serena’s greatness first hand at Indian Wells after her 14-year hiatus, and was personally invited by the Williams sisters to watch Serena’s 2016 U.S. Open final. 

Photo via: Melissa Isaacson

Plus, with a message from Serena herself saying “you can be better than me,” Kalli has set her sights on breaking records and blazing her own trail in the sport. The now 12-year-old recently got another message from Serena, who wrote on Instagram: 

“@kalliminor and I have a lot in common—we both love tennis, and we both know what it’s like to be a young girl growing up in Compton. This courageous 12-year-old is launching a quarterly tennis clinic to give kids just like her the opportunity to learn how to play. Kalli knows equality doesn’t just happen, you have to make it happen. With kids like her in the game, it’s only a matter of time until we all win.”

After watching the video below, you’ll see just how much representation matters. 

Serena posted the video ahead of her successful return to the Australian Open, where she earned her record 23rd grand slam singles title in 2017 while she was eight weeks pregnant.