Here’s what Serena Williams has to say about not being paid equally to male athletes

It’s no secret that Serena Williams is the ultimate queen in the sports world. In December, she was officially announced as Sports Illustrated‘s Sportsperson of the Year — the first time in over three decades that the mag honored a female athlete on her own.

However, despite her immense success, she’s had to deal with a TON of sexism and harassment, like being told that she “rides on the coattails” of men and that the “main reason for her success is that she’s built like a man.” Perhaps one of the biggest issues she and other women in sports have to face is the wage gap, where male athletes are paid more regardless of whether they’re outperforming their female counterparts. But now Serena is awesomely speaking out about the inequity in sports.

In a recent interview with Glamour, Serena was asked about the U.S. women’s soccer team, which has been challenging their grotesquely large wage gap. In tennis, women make 80 cents for each dollar men earn.

“These sports have a lot of work to do,” Serena told Glamour. “And I really hope that I can be helpful in that journey because I do believe that women deserve the same pay.”

Explaining that women work “just as hard as men do,” Serena continued:

Serena also took the time to acknowledge the “great pioneers that paved the way” — including her own sister, Venus. “[She] fought so hard for Wimbledon to pay women the same prize money they pay men,” Serena added.

All the props to both Selena and Venus for constantly making the world a better place not only for female athletes, but for women all over the world.