“The guy [at the bank] was like, ‘Uh, I think you need to come inside for this,’” the retired tennis pro recalled on ‘Hot Ones.’

Serena Williams learned an important banking lesson early in her career.

The renowned tennis star, aged 42, appeared on the latest episode of Hot Ones and shared a memorable moment from her early tennis career. She recalled trying to deposit her first $1 million prize money through a drive-thru ATM.

“I never played for money,” Williams admitted when host Sean Evans inquired about the truthfulness of the story. “I played because I loved the sport. I don’t even know if I wanted to play to be the best; I just wanted to win.”

She went on, “My tax guy would ask, ‘You didn’t get your money?’ and I’d say, ‘Oh, I didn’t get that one in Zurich,’ or ‘I forgot that one in Moscow.’ I was just playing to win. If I didn’t win, I wasn’t thinking about the money; I was just so angry and focused on getting better and winning the next time.”

Remembering her first significant paycheck, Williams detailed, “I never really spent a lot of money.” She added with a laugh, “I went through the drive-thru, and the guy was like, ‘Uh, I think you need to come inside for this,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, OK.’”

Williams, who shares daughters Adira, 10 months, and Olympia, 6½ years old, with husband Alexis Ohanian, retired from tennis in September 2022.

During an interview at the Tribeca Film Festival during the premiere of her new docuseries, In the Arena: Serena Williams, the athlete shared insights about her life as a parent and how she satisfies her competitive nature in her new roles.

“You don’t, and I can’t. I have to be the best mom,” Williams said. “I have to go to all of Olympia’s school events. I literally show up for everything.”

Williams mentioned that she finds motivation in her beauty brand Wyn. She stated, “I invest in women. I invest in people of color, and that keeps me very competitive.”

In the Arena: Serena Williams is available to stream starting July 10 on ESPN+.