Portrait of Serena Williams
- 3 years ago
Serena Williams is an American professional tennis player born on September 26, 1981 in Saginaw, Michigan.
The youngest of 5 sisters, Serena and her sister Venus were to become great tennis champions.
Serena’s father, Richard, taught her and Venus to play the game from what he learned in books and videos.
Serena and Venus were trained to become professionals since the age of 3.
Serena changed women's tennis with her signature style and game.
Serena turned pro in 1995 and 2 years later she was already No. 99 in the WTA ranking.
In 2002, Serena won the French Open, the US Open and Wimbledon defeating her sister Venus in the finals of each tournament.
In 2003, she won the Australian Open for the first time, making her one of only six women in the Open Era to complete a career Grand Slam.
She won all four titles simultaneously, she calls it “The Serena Slam”.
She then saw her ranking dropped to No. 139 following a knee surgery and the murder of her sister Yetunde Price.
After a life changing journey to West Africa to renew her competitiveness, she won in 2008 the US Open and by 2009 she won Australian Open singles for the fourth time, and Wimbledon singles for the third time.
After an injury and speculations of her retirement, she comes back and wins the gold medal at the 2021 Summer Olympic Games.
She beat Steffi Graf’s record for most wins in the Open Era.
She proves that she was much more than a tennis player and extends her brand into film, television and fashion and was called one of the country’s 50 Most Inspiring African Americans.
The youngest of 5 sisters, Serena and her sister Venus were to become great tennis champions.
Serena’s father, Richard, taught her and Venus to play the game from what he learned in books and videos.
Serena and Venus were trained to become professionals since the age of 3.
Serena changed women's tennis with her signature style and game.
Serena turned pro in 1995 and 2 years later she was already No. 99 in the WTA ranking.
In 2002, Serena won the French Open, the US Open and Wimbledon defeating her sister Venus in the finals of each tournament.
In 2003, she won the Australian Open for the first time, making her one of only six women in the Open Era to complete a career Grand Slam.
She won all four titles simultaneously, she calls it “The Serena Slam”.
She then saw her ranking dropped to No. 139 following a knee surgery and the murder of her sister Yetunde Price.
After a life changing journey to West Africa to renew her competitiveness, she won in 2008 the US Open and by 2009 she won Australian Open singles for the fourth time, and Wimbledon singles for the third time.
After an injury and speculations of her retirement, she comes back and wins the gold medal at the 2021 Summer Olympic Games.
She beat Steffi Graf’s record for most wins in the Open Era.
She proves that she was much more than a tennis player and extends her brand into film, television and fashion and was called one of the country’s 50 Most Inspiring African Americans.