Serena Williams is known by many as one of the greatest tennis players to ever step foot on the court. She is seen as a superstar and icon by many, and she has influenced countless tennis players while changing the way tennis is viewed around the entire world. Her star-studded career had many highlights, which we have decided to spotlight, in an effort to bring attention to her spectacular, game-changing mastery of the sport.

Serena Williams was born in Saginaw, Michigan on September 26, 1981 to Oracene Price and Richard Williams. Serana was the younger child, at first being overshadowed in the professional spotlight by her older sister Venus, but that would quickly change as Serena solidified her position as the greatest tennis player in the family.
Part of Serena’s passion for the game came from the influence of her father, who coached her for hours a day in even the worst conditions throughout her youth. The first professional match she ever played was in 1995 at a tournament in Quebec City when she was fourteen years old. The match resulted in a loss, however it inspired her to test her limits and strive to succeed.

After the practices with professionals and tournament wins in her youth, Serena was ready to advance further in the world of tennis. In 1999 at the US Open, Serena Williams beat Martina Hingis in 2 sets, marking her first Women’s US Open championship. If that wasn’t enough, she and her sister, Venus, won the doubles crown at the 1999 US Open, after defeating Chanda Rubin and Sandrine Testud in three sets.

Serena Williams went on to win 23 single Grand Slam titles and 14 doubles Grand Slams titles in her career, an astounding achievement. In 2017, Williams won the Australian Open against her sister while 8 weeks pregnant. Serena Williams continued her dominant reign over the tennis world by winning multiple Grand Slams and was the first tennis player to win a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. A Golden Slam is when a player wins all four major tournaments in singles and doubles as well as a Gold medal in the Olympics.

Serena Williams is the most recent woman to hold all major singles titles in a year and the most recent player to hold all major doubles titles in a year, having achieved this with her sister and constant competitor, Venus Williams. The undisputed champion, Serena Williams is first for most combined major singles titles ever in the Open Era.

Williams recently claimed her match dominance in the US Open after winning her 108th singles match in the tournament, making her the winningest player in singles matches in the US Open. Her longevity in tournaments is unparalleled, as she is the oldest player to ever win a Grand Slam, at the age of 35 years, 4 months, and 2 days.
Serena Williams changed the game of tennis by shifting the world view on female tennis players, bringing respect and a new form of athleticism to the game. She revolutionized the game using her pure athleticism to deliver powerful, deadly serves and unreturnable ground strokes.

Many young tennis players speak on how Serena Williams inspired them to continue to fight for greatness in the sport, some of them even playing against her in matches, showing her perpetuity in women’s tennis and the sport overall. Serena Williams showed her compassion and humanity off the court as well, promoting women’s equality in sports, being a significant part of the Black Lives Matter Movement by backing other activist athletes, and also by spreading body positivity, particularly in sports.

Overall, Serena Williams has made her mark on the world of tennis, shifting global perspective and defining herself as one of the greatest to ever do it. Serena Williams finalized and solidified her greatness by retiring with an outstanding overall match record of 858-156, and a Grand Slam record of 367-56. From being coached by her father on run-down, aging courts, to being the number one tennis player in the world for 319 total weeks, Serena Williams beat the odds with her successful career, upstanding character, and outstanding work ethic.