When we see Serena Williams dominating on the tennis court, it’s easy to forget the obstacles she overcame to get there.

“Nothing Stops Serena,” a new advertisement for wireless headphones from Beats By Dre, pays tribute to the story behind her meteoric rise and the hard work, skill and sweat that put her on top.

Interspersing shots of one of Williams’ intense workouts with bits of footage from Compton, California, where she grew up, the video ad illustrates how greatness seems just a matter of course for Williams, as a result of years spent on tennis courts and in the gym. A verse from 2 Chainz’s “Black Unicorn” provides a fitting soundtrack: “And when you spiral through the atmosphere, all they see is motion. They never see the tears, they never feel the pain,” the song begins.

Williams first learned how to play tennis at age 4 in Compton, a city south of Los Angeles known for its gang violence. According to a New York Times profile from 2012, she and her sister, fellow tennis champ Venus Williams, learned when they were elementary school-aged how to drop to the tennis court floor at the sound of nearby gunshots. (It’s worth noting that rapper Dr. Dre, who co-founded Beats Electronics, the company responsible for the headphones in the video ad, is also from Compton.)

Today, Serena Williams is ranked first in women’s singles by the Women’s Tennis Association. She won her sixth U. S. Open and her 18th Grand Slam title on Sept. 7.

Her Beats By Dre ad reminds us just how far raw talent and a strong drive — or serve — can get you.