Serena Williams Recalls Trying to Deposit Her First $1 Million at a Drive-Thru

Serena Williams may be the highest-paid female athlete in the world, but the star says she doesn't let the millions impact her game.

During an appearance on the finance show Kneading Dough, part of LeBron James's Uninterrupted network, Williams recalled the experience of making a million-dollar bank for the first time.

"Not once did I think about a check," the 23-time Grand Slam champion shared. "I've actually never played for money—I just thought you would go out there and hold a trophy."

As for her many titles and accolades, the all-star athlete credited them to one simple factor: "I just played for the love of the sport."

The mom-to-be, who admitted that she "never ever ever felt broke," attributed her smart money skills to her parents and her upbringing.

"Looking back, I'm like, wow, we lived in a two-bedroom house with seven people ... I don't know how my parents were able to make me feel that way, but they did, and that was something really special," she said. "So I never felt when I came into money that I needed to go buy this [or that] because I never wanted it, so it was a great way [to grow up]."

So when the time came to cash in her first million dollars, the 35-year-old hilariously recalled being at a loss on the protocol.

"I never touched [the money]—just put it in the bank," she recalled. "And I remember I went through the drive-thru to deposit my check, and then they were like, 'I think you need to come in for this,' and so I ended up going inside."

It's safe to say that the lesson she learned that day has been used many times over since then.