Never a dull moment with Serena Williams, who continues to steal the spotlight both on and off the court. After completing her gold rush, she is on her way to accomplish another goal: to add a few more Olympic pins to her growing collection. Despite her retirement from the sport, Serena continues collecting pins as she enjoys her time at the Paris Olympics village, emphasizing how old habits die hard.

Rafael Nadal and Serena took center stage for the lighting of the Olympic cauldron on Friday night in Paris, as the world’s eyes turned to the City of Lights for the opening ceremony of the 2024 Olympics. But following the major event, the 23-time Grand Slam champion talked candidly about her collection of pins that she had amassed over the years while touring the Olympic village.

“I am a first-class pin collector. Okay, so I had a lot of fun. It all started in Sydney. I didn’t play singles in Sydney; shockingly, I didn’t qualify. But I took that opportunity to trade pins, and so it was great,” Serena stated. The 42-year-old also opened up about different country pins she would never trade in her life.

“There are a few Thailand ones. I never trade. I finally, finally was able to adapt the North Korea pin, and when was that? In Rio. So, I would never ever trade that nice. Yeah, there are even countries, I think that don’t exist anymore, that did exist, during Sydney. But I kind of have to go through my collection to see,” Serena further added.

For many years, the former world number one ruled the Olympic circuit on the court, but she was also a skilled player in the pin-swapping game off the court. Her collection, which began with the Olympics in Sydney in 2000, has been expanding over time. And at the Paris Olympics, the veteran is still excited about expanding her outstanding collection.

Nevertheless, the pins capture the energy and camaraderie of the Games and are treasured souvenirs of the athletes’ Olympic journey. Serena has kept her pin collection going even while meeting other athletes during her time in the Olympic Village in Paris.

Serena Williams exchanged pins at the Paris Olympics village

Serena Williams, after talking about her pin-collecting passion, shared a few stories on her Instagram account where she was spotted trading pins and taking photos with the other athletes. The 23-time Grand Slam champion uploaded a video of them exchanging pins.

Serena exchanged pins with the Hungarian swimmer Boglárka Kapás and the Afghan cyclist Masomah Ali Zada, sharing a special moment with them. These exchanges demonstrate her admiration of the customs that give the Olympic Games their unique charm and her eagerness to foster relationships with other athletes through this valued activity.

Nevertheless, what are your thoughts on Serena’s pin collection? Do let us know in the comment section below.