You’re about to see Serena Williams like you’ve never seen her before.

Nude.

Singing.

And, erm, touching herself.

You see, Serena Williams is the face of a new Berlei bra ad which aims to raise awareness about the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

Watch the exclusive clip of Serena singing ‘I Touch Myself’…

In the video, the US Open star strips down and sings The Divinyls’ 90’s power ballad, I Touch Myself.

In the ad, Serena Williams holds her breasts, to encourage women to check their boobs for early signs of breast cancer.

In addition to the video, Serena Williams is also the face of Berlei’s new snakeskin print bra, “The Chrissy“.

The Chrissy Bra is named after Chrissy Amphlett, front woman of Australian band The Divinyls’, who lost her battle to breast cancer in 2013.

Created as part of the I Touch Myself Project, the words ‘I Touch Myself’ are printed on the bra, to remind women to regularly check their breasts.

“I’m really passionate about women’s health and just speaking up for women,” Williams recently told Mia Freedman in an exclusive No Filter interview, recorded just three days after the US Open final.

Williams explained on the podcast that Amphlett was also involved in a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of early detection of breast cancer.

“Early detection can literally save your life,” she said.

Listen to Mia’s full conversation with Serena Williams below, or subscribe to the No Filter podcast here.

“I just thought – wow – this was something I wanted to get involved in – because it was a great cause – and I wanted to be able to continue to champion her message.

“Sometimes you have to be able to say a message loud and clear – in order to get it through,” she explained.

“And the way that Berlei wanted to do the ad was super intimate and super loud, and it would really create a lot of attention for a good cause.”

In the interview, Serena Williams also told Mia Freedman the first thing she did once she left the stadium after that US Open final.

“Besides cry, I don’t know, it was interesting,” she said. “I got in the car, and Olympia was in the car. It was so weird, and she started giving me kisses, she never gives me kisses. She doesn’t even know to give kisses, and she just grabbed me, and I was like this little baby is so smart. It’s just hard to be too down when you have a little one… when you have someone to take care of.

“Like I have to take care of this person, and I have to do this type of stuff, it puts everything in perspective.”

Williams said she was doing, “okay, [but] not great” in the wake of the media attention around the US Open final. Her behaviour on the court immediately after the controversy was both praised and vilified, almost in equal measure.

“I’m doing the best that I can to try and move forward,” she said. “But most of all, spending time with Olympia, she’s here in the background… you realise the most important things that really matter.”

For more on Serena Williams, check out these posts on Mamamia.

Serena Williams tells Mamamia the first thing she did when she left that US Open court.
What Serena Williams whispered to Naomi Osaka as the crowd booed after her US Open win.
“I am truly perplexed.” Serena Williams’ husband rips into an Australian newspaper editor.

Throughout Williams’ interview with Freedman, the sounds of one-year-old Olympia babbling can be heard clearly. It’s apparent that she’s close by, playing with mum, while she works.

Freedman asked Williams about the way she’s made lifting women up her “mission,” even during a particularly low point at the US Open. Her public support of Naomi Osaka, certainly, was no accident.

“For me I feel like we should lift each other up and support each other, and not tear each other down, and that’s something I’ve always tried to do,” Williams said. “I’ve always tried to… fight for equal prize money and fight for equal playing time, and fight for all sorts of equality, and you know I feel like it’s one thing to fight for it and then not do it.”

It’s a value, however, that is entirely authentic to Williams. “It’s just me,” she said. “It’s just super, super, super, super natural.”

“Like oh my God let me help this girl out even though I feel like cr*p. Let’s figure this out.”

For Williams, the US Open final was one example of inequality she couldn’t look past. Being an advocate for women comes instinctively, and perhaps her actions, putting her arm around Osaka, and publicly supporting her, spoke even louder than her words.

As part of the I Touch Myself Project, Berlei  are donating 100% of profits from the sale of The Chrissy bra to Breast Cancer Network Australia. Buy yours now at berlei.com.au/THECHRISSY