Shot by Norman Jean Roy, Serena Williams slays on the latest cover of Glamour Magazine. In the accompanying interview, Williams talks with scholar Melissa Harris-Perry about life, her career, the media, and Black Girl Magic.

MHP: You and Venus were the original black-girl magic. People who do not know you feel a personal stake in every match you play.

SW: That’s something. I meet people who say, “Girl, I watch every match, and I pray for you.” I feel that energy and those prayers. Sometimes when I’m down on the court, in the back of my mind, I’m thinking, “They want me to win. Is there anything else I can give?” It encourages me to do better, to fight harder.

Read more at GLAMOUR.