Serena Williams expresses support for Caitlin Clark: 'Continue doing what she's doing'

Tennis star Serena Williams understands the pressure that Caitlin Clark is facing and is glad that the Indiana Fever rookie tries to avoid social media.

"If people are negative, it's because they can't do what you do," said Williams, who won 23 Grand Slam titles.

Williams was speaking at the recent Tribeca Film Festival in New York for the premiere of "In the Arena: Serena Williams," which will air next month on ESPN+.

"I was bullied," Williams says of her experiences when entering professional tennis. "Things that I had to go through, now people would be canceled."

Clark faces a lot of attention as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft after a record-setting college career at Iowa.

People weighed in about her being left off the U.S. Olympic team and Clark last week said "it's diappointing" that people were using her name to promote agendas.

Williams says she doesn't pay attention to social media, either.

"I just love that she tries to stay grounded," Williams said of Clark, adding, "It's just so important to continue doing what she's doing, no matter what other people do."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Serena Williams expresses support for Caitlin Clark: 'Stay grounded'