From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Serena Williams made an impact.
Serena Williams is a highly accomplished American former professional tennis player, renowned for her dominance in the sport. She held the world No. 1 ranking for 319 weeks and concluded the year as No. 1 on five occasions. Williams has secured 73 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including a record-breaking 23 major women's singles titles in the Open Era, making her second overall. Notably, she stands as the only player to have achieved a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles.
By 1991, Serena Williams had a 46–3 record on the United States Tennis Association junior tour and was ranked No. 1 among under-10 players in Florida.
In October 1994, Martina Hingis turned professional, less than a year before Serena Williams did.
In 1994, Richard Williams became one of Serena Williams' coaches.
In October 1995, Serena Williams participated in her first professional event at the Bell Challenge in Quebec, where she lost in the first qualifying round.
In 1995, Serena Williams turned professional in tennis, marking the beginning of her illustrious career.
In 1996, Graf achieved the feat of holding the top ranking for the entire calendar year, a feat not accomplished again until Serena Williams in 2014.
In 1996, Serena Williams did not participate in any tennis tournaments.
In November 1997, Serena Williams won her first main-draw match at the Ameritech Cup Chicago, upsetting top players and reaching the semifinals.
In 2006, Serena Williams's ranking dropped to No.139, her lowest ranking since 1997. She also finished the year ranked No.95, her lowest year-end ranking since 1997.
In 1998, Serena Williams and Martina Hingis first played each other at the Miami Open, with Hingis winning in three sets.
In 1998, Serena Williams played her older sister Venus in their first professional match.
In 1998, Serena Williams played in her first Grand Slam main draw at the Australian Open and won mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open with Max Mirnyi.
In 1998, Serena Williams won two mixed doubles majors, marking an early achievement in her doubles career.
In 2005, Serena Williams failed to qualify for the year-end championship for the first time since 1998.
In February 1999, Serena Williams won her first professional singles title at the Open Gaz de France in Paris, defeating Amélie Mauresmo in the final.
In 1999, Serena Williams and Martina Hingis played on clay in Rome, with Hingis winning in straight sets.
In 1999, Serena Williams graduated from Driftwood Academy and signed a $12 million endorsement deal with Puma.
In 1999, Serena Williams used the Wilson Hammer Stretch range of rackets when she won her first Grand Slam title.
In 1999, Serena Williams won her first major singles title at the US Open, marking a significant milestone in her career.
In 1999, Serena Williams won the US Open, becoming the second African-American woman to win a Grand Slam singles tournament, and helped the US win the Fed Cup title.
In 1999, Serena Williams' rivalry with Jennifer Capriati began, initially with Capriati winning four of the first five matches.
In 2004, after losing in the Wimbledon final, Serena Williams dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since 1999.
During the 2000 Wimbledon semifinal, John McEnroe hinted at possible match-fixing due to Richard Williams' influence.
In 2000, Serena Williams and Venus Williams won the doubles title at Wimbledon and the gold medal in doubles at the Sydney Olympics.
In the 2000 Olympics, Serena and Venus Williams had a career record of 15-0 until the 2016 Olympics.
After losing to Venus at the Indian Wells quarterfinals in 2001, Elena Dementieva claimed that Richard Williams had decided the results of matches between the sisters, leading to speculation and crowd behavior during the final.
At the 2003 French Open, Serena Williams experienced her first loss in a Grand Slam tournament since 2001. She was defeated in the semifinals by eventual champion Justine Henin.
In 2001, Serena Williams and Venus Williams completed a Career Grand Slam in doubles. Serena also boycotted the Indian Wells tournament due to racist comments made to her father.
In 2001, Serena Williams competed in Indian Wells as the No.1 seed and reached the final for the first time.
In 2004, Serena Williams concluded the season without securing a Grand Slam singles tournament victory, marking the first instance of this occurrence since 2001.
Beginning with the 2002 French Open, Serena Williams began a dominant run, winning four major singles titles in a row, each time defeating her sister Venus in the final.
Beginning with the 2002 French Open, Serena and Venus played each other in four consecutive Grand Slam finals.
From 2002 to 2003, Serena Williams held all four major singles titles simultaneously, showcasing her dominance in women's tennis.
In 2002, Serena Williams and Martina Hingis played their last match at the Miami Open, which Williams won.
In 2002, Serena Williams won the Miami Masters and the title in Scottsdale, Arizona, showcasing her strong performance early in the year.
In 2002, Serena Williams won the US Open, defeating her sister Venus in the final, and finished the year ranked No. 1, marking a highly successful season.
In 2008, Serena Williams claimed victory at the Family Circle Cup, marking her first clay-court title since 2002.
During the spring of 2003, Serena Williams captured singles titles at the Open Gaz de France and the Sony Ericsson Open. Her 21-win streak ended at the Family Circle Cup. At the French Open, she lost in the semifinals to Henin, amidst controversy over sportsmanship. Serena rebounded at Wimbledon, defeating Venus for her second consecutive title there, before undergoing knee surgery in August and ending her season prematurely.
From 2002 to 2003, Serena Williams held all four major singles titles simultaneously, showcasing her dominance in women's tennis.
In 2003, Oracene Price was one of Serena Williams' coaches.
In 2003, Serena Williams defeated Venus Williams at the Australian Open, marking her fourth consecutive Grand Slam tournament final against her sister. This victory made her the sixth woman in the Open Era to achieve a Career Grand Slam and the fifth woman to simultaneously hold all Grand Slam singles titles, a feat celebrated as the "Serena Slam". The Williams sisters also secured their sixth Grand Slam doubles title at the same tournament.
In 2003, Serena Williams posed for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
In 2003, Serena Williams received a Celebrity Role Model Award from the Avon Foundation for her work fighting breast cancer, and won the "Young Heroes Award" from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater L.A. and Inland.
In 2003, Serena Williams won the Australian Open, completing a non-calendar year Grand Slam, later nicknamed the "Serena Slam".
In 2007, Serena Williams finished the year as the top-ranked American for the first time since 2003.
In 2008, after capturing her third US Open title, Serena Williams returned to the No.1 ranking for the first time since 2003.
In March 2004, after eight months away from tennis, Serena Williams started her comeback at the NASDAQ-100 Open, winning the title for the third consecutive year.
In 2004, Serena Williams arrived at the US Open in a denim skirt and knee-high leg wraps that looked like boots, which she was not allowed to wear during matches.
In 2004, Serena Williams defeated Sharapova in the fourth round of the Miami Open, marking their first encounter. Also, in 2004, Sharapova defeated the defending champion Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final.
In 2004, Serena Williams posed for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.
In 2004, Serena Williams signed a five-year deal with Nike for $40 million.
In 2004, Serena Williams withdrew from a match due to an injury after besting Sharapova 18 consecutive times.
In 2004, Serena Williams won the "Family Circle and Prudential Financial Player Who Makes a Difference Award". Also, Serena and Venus visited hospitals and played tennis matches to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House charities.
In 2004, Serena Williams won the China Open, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova. She also reached the final of the Tour Championships, but lost to Sharapova after suffering an abdominal injury. It was her first season since 2001 without winning a Grand Slam singles tournament.
In 2004, at the US Open, Serena Williams faced Capriati in a controversial quarterfinal match. A bad call by umpire Mariana Alves favored Capriati, leading to arguments and ultimately a loss for Williams. This incident helped spur the adoption of new technology like the MacCAM and Hawk-Eye systems in tennis.
In 2005, Serena Williams briefly switched to the Wilson nCode racket.
In 2005, Serena Williams won the Australian Open, defeating Lindsay Davenport and claiming her seventh Grand Slam singles title. However, she faced challenges with an ankle injury, missed the French Open, and had an early exit at Wimbledon. She finished the year ranked No.11.
In 2005, Serena and Venus Williams authored the book Venus & Serena: Serving From The Hip: 10 Rules For Living, Loving and Winning, which was written with Hilary Beard.
In 2005, Serena and Venus Williams visited hospitals and played tennis matches in predominantly Black cities to raise funds for the local Ronald McDonald House charities.
In 2014, Serena Williams suffered her earliest Wimbledon elimination since 2005, losing in the third round to Alizé Cornet.
In 2006, Serena Williams experienced a challenging season marked by injury and depression, leading to a six-month hiatus from tennis. She sought therapy and made her return in Cincinnati, with her ranking at No.139. By the end of the year, she had risen to No.95.
In 2007, Henin was the last person to defend the WTA Championship title, a feat later matched by Serena Williams in 2013.
In 2007, Serena Williams aimed to return to the top of the rankings, facing skepticism. Before the Australian Open, Nike threatened to cancel her sponsorship if she didn't reach at least the quarterfinals.
In 2007, Serena Williams won the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami for the fourth time. She faced challenges at Wimbledon, including an acute muscle spasm during a match. She finished the year ranked No.7 and as the top-ranked American for the first time since 2003.
Starting in 2007, despite continued injuries, Serena Williams gradually returned to form, reclaiming the world No. 1 singles ranking.
In 2008, Serena Williams reached the Wimbledon finals for the first time in four years, losing to Venus, but won the doubles title with her sister. She and Venus won the gold medal in doubles at the Beijing Summer Olympics. She captured her third US Open title, returning her to No.1 for the first time since 2003. She ended the year ranked No.2.
In 2008, Serena Williams started by winning the Hopman Cup for the US. She experienced a quarterfinal losing streak at Grand Slam singles tournaments, but also secured multiple titles, including her fifth Miami title and her first clay-court title since 2002. A back injury led to a withdrawal in Rome.
In 2008, Serena Williams' rivalry with Azarenka began at the Australian Open.
In 2008, as part of the work of the Serena Williams Foundation, Serena Williams helped to fund the construction of the Serena Williams Secondary School in Matooni, Kenya.
In August 2009, Serena and Venus Williams became minority owners of the Miami Dolphins, becoming the first African-American women to hold any amount of ownership in an NFL franchise.
Between the 2009 Wimbledon Championships and the 2010 French Open, Serena and Venus Williams achieved a non-calendar year Grand Slam in doubles, earning them the doubles world No. 1 ranking.
From 2009 to 2010, Serena and Venus Williams simultaneously held all four major women's doubles titles, highlighting their dominance in doubles tennis.
In 2009, Serena Williams and Venus captured their third Grand Slam doubles title of the year. She won the WTA Tour Championships, defeating Venus in the final, finishing the year ranked No.1. She set a record for prize money earned by a female tennis player in a year. She was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press and the International Tennis Federation World Champion in both singles and doubles.
In 2009, Serena Williams launched a signature collection of handbags and jewelry, Signature Statement, which is sold mainly on the Home Shopping Network.
In 2009, Serena Williams released the autobiography On the Line. The same year, she appeared in online videos and print advertisements for Tampax Pearl tampons, becoming the first active female professional athlete to appear in advertising for a feminine hygiene product.
In 2009, Serena Williams won her tenth Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open, regaining her No.1 ranking and becoming the all-time career prize money leader in women's sports. She and Venus also won the doubles event. She withdrew from Open GdF Suez due to a knee injury.
Between the 2009 Wimbledon Championships and the 2010 French Open, Serena and Venus Williams achieved a non-calendar year Grand Slam in doubles, earning them the doubles world No. 1 ranking.
From 2009 to 2010, Serena and Venus Williams simultaneously held all four major women's doubles titles, highlighting their dominance in doubles tennis.
In 2010, Serena Williams became a certified nail technician in preparation for her upcoming nail collection with HairTech.
In 2010, Serena Williams finished the year ranked No.4 in singles and No.11 in doubles after an injury in Munich on July 7 forced her to miss the rest of the year.
In 2010, Serena Williams won the Australian Open, defeating Justine Henin for her twelfth Grand Slam singles title, and successfully defended their title in doubles with Venus. She sat out several events due to a leg injury, and returned for the Rome Masters.
In 2010, in response to the Haiti earthquake, Serena Williams, along with other ATP and WTA stars, decided to forgo their final day of preparation for the Australian Open to assist earthquake victims.
In 2011, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic earned more money in one season. In 2013, Novak Djokovic repeated the feat.
In 2011, Serena Williams became an International Goodwill Ambassador with UNICEF, and helped launch UNICEF's Schools for Asia campaign.
In 2011, Serena Williams returned to the WTA tour, faced challenges at Wimbledon, but won titles in Stanford and Toronto. She reached the US Open final, where she argued with an umpire and was fined. She finished the year ranked No.12 with a 22-3 record.
Beginning with the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, Serena Williams returned to dominance, claiming Olympic gold and completing the career Golden Slam in singles.
In 2012, Novak Djokovic earned more money in one season than Serena Williams did in 2013.
In 2012, Patrick Mouratoglou became Serena Williams' coach.
In 2012, Serena Williams started with an ankle injury at the Brisbane International and a loss at the Australian Open. She later won titles in Charleston and Madrid, captured her fifth Wimbledon singles title, becoming the first female player to serve 24 aces in a match, and won her fifth trophy in Wimbledon doubles with her sister.
At the 2013 Australian Open, Serena Williams delivered the third-fastest serve in WTA recorded history, a 128.6 mph ace against Ayumi Morita.
In 2013, Serena Williams finished as the year-end No.1 for the third time, becoming the oldest No.1 player in WTA history. She was named the ITF World Champion for the fourth time, and received two prizes at the ESPY Awards.
In 2013, Serena Williams won her third Rogers Cup title in Toronto and reached the US Open final, capturing her 17th Grand Slam singles title. She also beat Janković to win the China Open and triumphed over Li Na at the WTA Championships, becoming the first person to defend the title since Henin in 2007.
In 2013, Serena Williams won the title at Brisbane International and reached No.1 for the sixth time, becoming the oldest woman in the Open Era to hold the ranking. She secured her 50th career singles title in Madrid, won her second French Open, and triumphed at the Swedish Open, remaining undefeated on clay.
From 2014 to 2015, Serena Williams held all four major singles titles simultaneously, showcasing her dominance in women's tennis.
In 2014, Serena Williams began hosting an annual charity run named "The Serena Williams Ultimate Fun Run" to support the Williams Sisters Fund.
In 2014, Serena Williams founded the venture capital firm Serena Ventures, which invests in start-up companies whose perspectives and innovations level the playing field for women and people of color.
In 2014, Serena Williams won her third consecutive and sixth overall US Open singles title, tying Evert for most US Open titles in the Open Era. She also claimed the WTA Finals title, finishing the year ranked No.1 for the fourth time in her career.
In 2019, Serena William's loss was her earliest defeat at the Australian Open since her fourth-round loss in 2014.
Starting in 2014, Serena Williams won four Grand Slam titles in a row, achieving a second "Serena Slam".
In 2015, Serena Williams became the Chief Sporting Officer for British luxury car manufacturer Aston Martin.
In 2015, Serena Williams claimed the French Open trophy, winning her third French Open and 20th Grand Slam singles title. She also triumphed at Wimbledon, securing her sixth Wimbledon singles title and 21st Grand Slam singles title overall, completing her second "Serena Slam".
In 2015, Serena Williams completed her second "Serena Slam" by winning four consecutive Grand Slam titles.
In 2015, Serena Williams ended her boycott of the Indian Wells tournament, which had been in place since 2001 due to racist comments made to her father.
In 2015, Serena Williams made her first appearance in the US Open series.
In 2015, Serena Williams returned to Indian Wells after a 14-year boycott, in partnership with the Equal Justice Initiative, a non-profit organization providing legal representation to people who may have been denied a fair trial.
In 2015, Serena Williams won her sixth Australian Open singles title, surpassed Evert and Navratilova for the second most Grand Slam singles titles won in the Open Era, and recorded her 700th match win at the Miami Open.
In 2015, Serena Williams won the Surface Slam, achieving major titles on hard, clay, and grass courts in the same calendar year.
In the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open, 2015, Williams suffered her first defeat of the season, ending a 50-match winning streak at Premier-Mandatory events.
On September 5, 2016, Serena Williams marked her 186th consecutive week ranked No.1, tying her with Graf for the longest run in WTA history.
Also in 2016, Serena Williams wrote an open letter in Porter Magazine's feature "Incredible Women of 2016" in support of gender equality and to share her personal struggles as a woman in tennis, commenting on the issue of unequal pay.
At the US Open, Serena William's quarterfinal face-off against Karolína Plíšková was a rematch of the 2016 US Open semifinal, which the Czech player had won.
In 2016, Serena Williams competed in the Fed Cup to ensure her eligibility for the Summer Olympics. She and Alison Riske lost the decisive doubles match, resulting in the United States being relegated to World Group II. It was Williams's first loss in the Fed Cup.
In 2016, Serena Williams voiced her support for Black Lives Matter on her Facebook page, expressing concern that her young nephew could be in danger from police due to his skin color.
In 2016, in her childhood home of Compton, Serena and Venus Williams founded the Yetunde Price Resource Center, in honor of their late half-sister Yetunde.
In 2016, retired player Li Na noted that Serena Williams had an 80% chance of serving an ace when facing a break point.
At the 2017 Australian Open, Serena Williams won her 23rd major singles title, surpassing Steffi Graf's Open Era record.
In 2017, Serena Williams became an Ambassador for the Allstate Foundation's Purple Purse project, an initiative to provide financial empowerment to domestic abuse victims.
In 2017, Serena Williams won the Australian Open for a record seventh time, defeating Venus in the final, securing her 23rd Grand Slam singles title.
Since 2017, Wilson has manufactured a signature racket for Serena Williams, the Wilson Blade SW104, which is designed to her specifications.
In 2018, Serena Williams joined the board of directors of SurveyMonkey.
In 2018, Serena Williams played Wimbledon and was seeded No.25, sparking debate over bias due to her ranking.
In 2018, Serena Williams promoted her clothing line Serena by wearing a catsuit at the French Open, which was subsequently banned by the French Tennis Federation, and wore a black tutu during her first match at the US Open.
In 2018, Serena Williams withdrew from the French Open before her fourth round match, which does not officially count as a loss.
In February 2019, Serena Williams was appointed to the board of directors of the online fashion marketplace Poshmark.
In 2019, Serena Williams defeated Sharapova in two sets in the first round of the US Open, which was their final match.
In 2019, Serena Williams experienced her earliest defeat at the Australian Open since 2014 after twisting her ankle in a match against Karolína Plíšková.
In January 2020, Serena Williams won her first singles title as a mother at the ASB Classic, defeating Jessica Pegula.
In July 2020, it was announced that Serena Williams was part of a nearly all-women investors' group that was awarded a new franchise in the National Women's Soccer League.
In 2020, Serena Williams and Azarenka played their most recent match in the semifinals of the US Open.
In 2020, Serena Williams withdrew from the French Open before her second round match, which does not officially count as a loss.
Since 2020, Serena Williams has used a smaller variant of her signature racket, the Wilson Blade SW102 Autograph.
In December 2021, Serena Williams announced she would not play the 2022 Australian Open due to a leg injury.
In 2021, Serena Williams faced injuries leading to a drop in her world ranking to 41st, her lowest in 15 years.
In 2021, Serena and Venus Williams served as executive producers on the film King Richard, a biopic about their father.
In June 2022, Serena Williams returned to professional play, teaming up with Ons Jabeur for the Eastbourne International.
In August 2022, Serena Williams announced her impending 'evolution' away from professional tennis.
In September 2022, Serena Williams announced in Vogue her plans to "evolve away" from tennis after the 2022 US Open, indicating retirement.
As of 2022, Serena Ventures had raised more than $110 million.
In 2022, Eric Hechtman and Rennae Stubbs became Serena Williams' coaches.
Through 2022, Serena Williams competed through the 2022 US Open.
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