Oprah Talks to Venus and Serena Williams

Oprah: And you, Serena?

Serena: I want to be a giving woman and just a nice person in general. Mostly, I'd like to be a spiritual person.

Oprah: What does spiritual mean to you?

Venus: For me it means sticking to my religion.

Oprah: And being connected to the essence of who you are?

Venus: Yes. Even after you become a doctor, you have to continue studying. The same is true with the Bible. You study and learn—and then you don't just give it up and put it in the cupboard. You keep reading every day, and you become stronger as you make it part of your life. You do your personal best, and God reads the heart.

Oprah: Whoo—that's big! You've been quoted as saying that fame and money are great, but they don't bring you happiness. What does?

Venus: My family. Laughter. Being able to decide what I want to do. My health.

Oprah: Do you worry about your health from January to November?

Venus: If I get sick, I just have to pull out. The tournament will still be there after I retire. But it's up to me to care of myself.

Oprah: Do your strong bodies come just from playing tennis?

Venus: It might not seem fair, but we're just like this. The tennis does supplement it, but ever since Serena was small, she was—

Oprah: Built! It must be in the genes. Do you work out off the court?

Serena: We go to the gym to stay ahead.

Venus: And to stay uninjured.

Serena: Yes—but we don't lift lots of weights. We mostly use those rubber exercise bands.

Oprah: Do you have a special diet?

Venus: No. We love McDonald's.