Serena Williams Tried to Cash $1 Million Check at a Drive-Thru ATM

Serena Williams reminisced about attempting to deposit her first $1 million check from tennis winnings via a drive-thru ATM.

In the Thursday, July 4 episode of Hot Ones, Williams, 42, confirmed to host Sean Evans that this is, in fact, a true story. The former tennis star explained, “I never really spent a lot of money. I was just so serious. I don’t know what happened to me. I used to be serious.”

“So I just went to the drive through, and the guy was like, ‘Uh, I think you need to come inside for this,’” she said, before chalking the incident up to being one of life’s many “lessons to learn.”

During the interview, where the host and guest eat chicken wings that progressively get spicier, Williams also reflected on her early career, sharing that she played purely for the love of the sport, often forgetting about her prize money.

“I never played for money. I played because I loved the sport. I wanted to be the best. I wanted to win. I didn’t even know at the time if I wanted to be the best. I just wanted to win,” the retired athlete said.

“My tax guy, he would be like, ‘You didn’t get your money,’ and I was like, ‘You didn’t get your money,’ and I would be like, ‘Oh, I didn’t get that one in Zurich, I forgot that one in Moscow.’ I was just playing to win, and if I didn’t win, I was just not thinking,” she continued. “I was just so angry I wanted to just figure out a way to get better and win the next time.”

Williams — who shares daughters Olympia, 6, and Adria, 11 months, with husband Alexis Ohanian — has retired from the tennis court professionally, but fans can still catch her when she takes the stage as the host of the 2024 ESPYs. The honor makes her one of the few women to hold this prestigious role, alongside the likes of Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird and Danica Patrick.

“I couldn’t be more excited to host the ESPYs,” Williams shared in a statement in May. “This is a dream come true for me and something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember. It has been a sensational year for sports and an unprecedented one for female athletes. I can’t wait to celebrate everyone on stage in July.”