Serena Williams was one of many speakers at the Shop.Org conference in Las Vegas on Friday.

 

The 36-year-old tennis pro, who wore her hair in a ponytail, looked business chic in a pencil skirt and sneakers that she paired with a plain white tee.

 

Williams, who didn’t take questions from the audience, spoke with Flywheel’s CEO, Sarah Robb O’Hagan, about ‘the importance of a great team, hard work, and taking risks.’

 

 

Keynote: Serena Williams was one of the many speakers at the Shop.Org conference in Las Vegas on Friday

 

 

Natural beauty: The 36-year-old tennis pro wore her hair in a ponytail for the appearance

 

The public appearance comes just days after Serena was defeated by Japan’s Naomi Osaka at the U.S. Open in NYC.

 

And while the on-stage talk was mostly geared towards fashion, O’Hagan did touch on Williams’ dispute with the match umpire.

 

The 23-time Grand Slam champion received three code violations and was penalized one game for slamming her racket and arguing with the ump. She was later fined $17,000.

 

 

Boss babe: Williams, who didn’t take questions from the audience, spoke with Flywheel’s CEO, Sarah Robb O’Hagan, about ‘the importance of a great team, hard work, and taking risks’

 

 

Tough loss: The public appearance comes just days after Serena was defeated by Japan’s Naomi Osaka at the U.S. Open in NYC

 

‘It isn’t the first time you have had to deal with unfair judgment against you, and yet you have this amazing ability to come back with such courage and grace,’ Sarah said.

 

Serena responded:  ‘I feel it’s really important to stand up for what you believe in. Especially if it can affect the future and affect a lot of people in the future. That’s what it’s all about.’

 

To no surprise, the incident drew a volley of commentary in recent days.

 

Tennis icon Billie Jean King said she believes tennis applies a double standard to women compared with men, and that a similar outburst by a male player would have drawn no repercussions.

 

 

Making headlines: While the on-stage talk was mostly geared towards fashion, O’Hagan did touch on Williams’ dispute with the match umpire. The 23-time Grand Slam champion received three code violations and was penalized one game for slamming her racket and arguing with the ump. She was later fined $17,000

 

 

‘I feel it’s really important to stand up for what you believe in,’ Serena said in reference to the U.S. Open incident. ‘Especially if it can affect the future and affect a lot of people in the future. That’s what it’s all about’

 

Williams also talked having a 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 and making her career ‘comeback’ as O’Hagan called it.

 

‘Really it’s just about having a great team and rolling up your sleeves and hard work,’ she explained.

 

‘I work really, really hard at my game. And then I work super hard at my fashion business. And I’m working incredibly hard at being a mom.’

 

Serena is mom to daughter Olympia, age one. She shares her firstborn with husband Alexis Ohanian.

 

 

Tennis legend: Williams also talked having a 𝚋𝚊𝚋𝚢 and making her career ‘comeback’ as O’Hagan called it. ‘Really it’s just about having a great team and rolling up your sleeves and hard work,’ she explained

 

 

Party of three: Serena is mom to daughter Olympia, age one. She shares her firstborn with husband Alexis Ohanian