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Serena Williams tells women to 'dream big' in open letter

Serena Williams, who has 22 major singles titles, advocates for women and girls. CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images

Serena Williams penned an open letter addressed to "all incredible women who strive for excellence" for Porter Magazine, and it was reprinted by The Guardian.

Williams' letter took aim at gender discrimination, including the pay gap in professional sports, and discussed embracing her endless possibilities. "I learned not to be afraid. I learned how important it is to fight for a dream and, most importantly, to dream big," Williams wrote. "But as we know, too often women are not supported enough or are discouraged from choosing their path. I hope together we can change that."

Williams also highlighted how she is often referred to as one of the best "female" athletes of all time, a distinction not placed on her male counterparts. "Do they say LeBron is one of the world's best male athletes?" she asked. "Is Tiger? Federer? Why not? They are certainly not female. We should never let this go unchallenged. We should always be judged by our achievements, not by our gender."