Serena Williams's Success and Achievements in Timeline
A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Serena Williams.
Serena Williams is a retired American professional tennis player widely regarded as one of the greatest of all time. She held the world No. 1 ranking for 319 weeks, finishing as year-end No. 1 five times. Williams amassed 73 WTA Tour singles titles, including a record-breaking 23 major women's singles titles in the Open Era, second-most overall. She is the only player to achieve a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles, solidifying her place in tennis history.
1983: First Solo Woman to receive the award since 1983
In 1983, Serena Williams became the third solo woman, and the first since 1983, to receive the Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated. On October 5, Williams surpassed Evert for third-most weeks ranked world No.1. Williams held the top ranking the entire season for the second consecutive year, finishing there for the fifth time in her career. She was voted WTA Player of the Year for the seventh time, and named ITF World Champion for the sixth time. She was also voted Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press for the fourth time in her career, and was chosen as Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated.
November 1997: First Main-Draw Match at Ameritech Cup Chicago
In November 1997, Serena Williams won her first main-draw match at the Ameritech Cup Chicago, upsetting top 10 players Mary Pierce and Monica Seles, becoming the lowest-ranked player to defeat two top-10 opponents in one tournament.
1998: First Grand Slam Main Draw and Doubles Titles
In 1998, Serena Williams played her first Grand Slam main draw at the Australian Open, reached several quarterfinals, won mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open with Max Mirnyi, and won her first professional non-mixed doubles title at the U.S. National Indoor Championships with Venus.
1998: Mixed Doubles Majors Wins
In 1998, Serena Williams won two mixed doubles majors.
February 1999: First Professional Singles Title in Paris
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.
1999: First Grand Slam Singles Title at the US Open
In 1999, Serena Williams won her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open, defeating Martina Hingis in the final, becoming the second African-American woman to win a Grand Slam singles tournament. She also won the doubles event with her sister Venus.
1999: First Major Singles Title at US Open
In 1999, Serena Williams won her first major singles title at the US Open, which was a significant achievement in her career.
2000: Olympic Gold and Toyota Princess Cup
In 2000, Serena Williams won the gold medal in doubles at the Sydney Olympics with her sister, and won the Toyota Princess Cup.
2001: Career Grand Slam in Doubles and US Open Final Loss
In 2001, Serena and Venus Williams won the doubles event at the Australian Open, completing a Career Grand Slam in women's doubles. Serena also lost to Venus in the final of the US Open. Richard Williams alleged racist comments during the Pacific Life Open, leading to a boycott.
2002: Dominance Begins: Serena Slam Start
Beginning with the 2002 French Open, Serena Williams started a period of dominance where she won all four major singles titles consecutively.
2002: Held All Four Major Singles Titles Simultaneously: Start of Surface Slam
In 2002, Serena Williams began holding all four major singles titles simultaneously and winning the Surface Slam (major titles on hard, clay, and grass courts in the same calendar year).
2002: US Open Win and Surface Slam
In 2002, Serena Williams won the US Open, defeating her sister Venus in the final for the third Grand Slam in a row. She won two consecutive singles titles in the fall, and finished the year with eight singles titles, the No.1 ranking, and became the third player in history to win the "Surface Slam".
2002: First clay-court title since 2002
In 2008, Serena Williams claimed victory at the Family Circle Cup, her first clay-court title since 2002.
2003: Australian Open Win and Career Grand Slam Completion
At the 2003 Australian Open, Serena Williams defeated her sister Venus in the final, becoming the sixth woman in the Open Era to complete a Career Grand Slam and the fifth woman to hold all Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously, a feat dubbed the 'Serena Slam'.
2003: Completion of the 'Serena Slam'
In 2003, Serena Williams completed the 'Serena Slam' by winning the Australian Open, holding all four major singles titles simultaneously.
2003: Held All Four Major Singles Titles Simultaneously
In 2003, Serena Williams held all four major singles titles simultaneously.
2003: Avon Foundation's Celebrity Role Model Award and Young Heroes Award
In 2003, Serena Williams received a Celebrity Role Model Award from the Avon Foundation for her work fighting breast cancer and also won the "Young Heroes Award" from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater L.A. and Inland.
2003: Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
In 2003, Serena Williams won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award.
2003: Singles titles at Open Gaz de France and Sony Ericsson Open
In 2003, Serena Williams won the singles titles at the Open Gaz de France and the Sony Ericsson Open. Her 21-win streak ended with a loss to Henin at the Family Circle Cup final. She also lost to Mauresmo in the Italian Open semifinals. Serena was the top seed at the French Open but lost to Henin in the semifinals, marking her first Grand Slam loss since 2001. Despite a controversial match, she rebounded at Wimbledon, defeating Venus in the final. Knee surgery ended her 2003 season prematurely.
2003: Return to No.1 for the first time since 2003
In 2008, Serena Williams captured her third US Open title, which was also her ninth Grand Slam singles title. The victory returned her to No.1 for the first time since 2003.
2003: Time Cover for Woman of the Year
In 2019, Time created 89 new covers to celebrate women of the year starting from 1920; it chose Williams for 2003.
2003: First time as top-ranked American since 2003
Serena Williams finished 2007 as No.7 and the top-ranked American for the first time since 2003.
March 2004: Comeback at the NASDAQ-100 Open
In March 2004, after eight months away from tennis, Serena Williams began her comeback at the NASDAQ-100 Open, where she won the title for the third consecutive year.
2004: Family Circle and Prudential Financial Player Who Makes a Difference Award
In 2004, Serena Williams won the "Family Circle and Prudential Financial Player Who Makes a Difference Award", recognizing her positive impact both on and off the tennis court.
2004: China Open Victory and Tour Championship Injury
In September 2004, Serena Williams won her second title of the year at the China Open, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova. At the Tour Championships in Los Angeles, Williams suffered an abdominal injury in the finals, where she lost to Sharapova. She finished 2004 ranked No.7.
2005: Victory at Australian Open
In 2005, Serena Williams rejected claims of decline and won the Australian Open, defeating Davenport and claiming her seventh Grand Slam singles title. This victory moved her back to No.2 in rankings.
2007: Laureus Comeback of the Year
In 2007, Serena Williams won the Laureus Comeback of the Year award.
2007: Wins Sony Ericsson Open and finishes as No. 7
In 2007, Serena Williams won the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami for the fourth time, defeating Henin. She then lost to Henin during the quarterfinals in three consecutive Grand Slam tournaments: the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open. Williams finished 2007 as No.7 and the top-ranked American for the first time since 2003.
2007: Return to Form and Reclaiming No. 1 Ranking
Starting in 2007, Serena Williams gradually returned to form and reclaimed the world No. 1 singles ranking after suffering from injury and a decline in form.
2008: Wins US Open and returns to No.1
In 2008, Serena Williams captured her third US Open title, which was also her ninth Grand Slam singles title. The victory returned her to No.1 for the first time since 2003. She ended 2008 ranked No.2 and with four singles titles, her strongest performance in both respects since 2003.
2008: Wins Hopman Cup and three consecutive singles titles
Serena Williams started 2008 by winning the Hopman Cup for the US, with Mardy Fish. She then won three consecutive singles titles at Bangalore and her fifth Miami title, tying Graf for the most singles titles at this tournament. She claimed victory at the Family Circle Cup, her first clay-court title since 2002.
2009: Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam in Doubles Begins
Between the 2009 Wimbledon Championships and the 2010 French Open, Serena and Venus Williams achieved a non-calendar year Grand Slam in doubles.
2009: Wins Australian Open and becomes prize money leader
In 2009, Serena Williams claimed her tenth Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open, defeating Safina. This win restored her No.1 ranking and made her the all-time career prize money leader in women's sports.
2009: Wins WTA Tour Championships and Named Athlete of the Year
In 2009, Serena Williams won all three of her round-robin matches at the year-end WTA Tour Championships and defeated Venus in the final. Serena finished the year ranked No.1 and broke the record for most prize money earned by a female tennis player in one year, with $6,545,586 in prize-money earnings. She was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press and the International Tennis Federation World Champion in both singles and doubles.
2009: Held All Four Major Women's Doubles Titles Simultaneously: Start
In 2009, Serena and Venus Williams began holding all four major women's doubles titles simultaneously.
2010: Non-Calendar Year Grand Slam in Doubles Ends
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.
2010: Wins Australian Open and sits out several events with a leg injury
In 2010, Serena Williams reached the final of the Australian Open and defeated Justine Henin, for her twelfth Grand Slam singles title. In doubles, Williams and her sister successfully defended their title. Williams sat out several events with a leg injury, but returned for the Rome Masters, where she was defeated by Janković in the semifinals.
2010: Wins Wimbledon and injured in Munich
In 2010, Serena Williams won Wimbledon, defeating Zvonareva in the final without losing a single set. After the match, Navratilova said Williams was among the top five female tennis players in history. On July 7, 2010, Williams stepped on broken glass while in a restaurant in Munich, causing her to miss the rest of the year. She finished 2010 ranked No.4 in singles and No.11 in doubles.
2010: Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
In 2010, Serena Williams won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award.
2010: Held All Four Major Women's Doubles Titles Simultaneously
In 2010, Serena and Venus Williams held all four major women's doubles titles simultaneously.
2012: Return to Dominance, Olympic Gold
Beginning with the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, Serena Williams returned to dominance, claiming Olympic gold and completing the career Golden Slam in singles.
2012: Withdrawal from Brisbane International & Wimbledon singles and doubles titles
In 2012, Serena Williams started the season at the Brisbane International, but withdrew due to a left ankle injury during a match against Bojana Jovanovski. She participated in the Australian Open, where she was upset by Ekaterina Makarova in the fourth round. She won consecutive titles in Charleston and Madrid, but withdrew from her semifinal match in Rome due to a lower back injury. At the French Open, Williams suffered her first ever loss in the opening round of a Grand Slam. She captured her fifth Wimbledon singles title, becoming the first female player to serve 24 aces in a match. She set a record for the most aces in a tournament with 102. Williams and her sister also captured their fifth trophy in Wimbledon doubles in 2012.
2013: Year-End No.1 Ranking and Awards
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 2013 ESPY Awards: Best Female Athlete and Best Female Tennis Player. In December, Williams received the Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year award for the third time.
2013: Won Rogers Cup, US Open, China Open, and WTA Championships
In 2013, Serena Williams won her third Rogers Cup title in Toronto, beating Sorana Cîrstea in the final. She reached the final of the Western & Southern Open for the first time, but lost to Azarenka. At the US Open, Williams began as top seed and defending champion. She reached the final and defeated Azarenka in three sets, capturing her 17th Grand Slam singles title and pushing her career prize winnings past $50 million. At 31, she became the oldest US Open champion in the Open Era. After the US Open, Williams beat Janković to win the China Open, which was her 10th title of 2013. She went undefeated at the WTA Championships, triumphing over Li Na in the final and becoming the first person to defend the title since Henin in 2007. She also became the oldest player to win the WTA Championships, the fourth player to win it four times or more, and the first female player to win more than $10 million in a season (her total for 2013 was $12.4 million).
2013: Won Brisbane, Miami, Charleston, Madrid, Rome and French Open titles
In 2013, Serena Williams won the title in Brisbane without dropping a set. At the Australian Open, she was upset in the quarterfinals by fellow American Sloane Stephens. After defeating Petra Kvitová in Doha, Williams returned to No.1 for the sixth time in her career, becoming the oldest woman in the Open Era to hold the ranking. In the Miami final, Williams recorded her 70th come-from-behind win. The victory made Williams a six-time champion in Miami. She also defended her Charleston title, winning the event for the third time. She won her 50th career singles title in Madrid, prevailing over Sharapova in the final. She then played in Rome, where she won the title a second time. At the French Open, Williams lost only one game whilst defeating Sara Errani in the semifinal. She bested Sharapova in the final to claim her second French Open title and her 16th Grand Slam title overall. At Wimbledon, she advanced easily to the fourth round before being defeated by eventual finalist Sabine Lisicki. Williams then won the Swedish Open, her first victory at the International level. She was undefeated on clay during the 2013 season.
2014: Held All Four Major Singles Titles Simultaneously: Start
In 2014, Serena Williams started holding all four major singles titles simultaneously.
2014: US Open Win and WTA Finals Title
In 2014, Serena Williams won 19 out of her next 20 matches, including titles at the Bank of the West Classic and the Western & Southern Open, and her third consecutive and sixth overall US Open singles title. She tied Evert for most US Open singles titles won by a woman in the Open Era and tied Evert and Navratilova's record of 18 career Grand Slam singles titles won in the Open Era. She collected $4 million—the biggest payday in tennis history and claimed the WTA Finals title, which was her seventh title of the year, and finished the year ranked No.1 for the fourth time in her career. She was voted WTA Player of the Year and ITF World Champion for a third consecutive year in 2014.
2014: Second Serena Slam Start
Starting in 2014, Serena Williams won four major singles titles in a row, achieving a second 'Serena Slam'.
December 2015: Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year
In December 2015, Serena Williams was named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated magazine.
2015: Won Australian Open, reached Miami Open quarter-finals
In 2015, Serena Williams began the season by reaching the final of the Hopman Cup. At the Australian Open, Williams defeated Sharapova for the 16th consecutive time to claim her sixth Australian Open singles title and 19th career Grand Slam singles title. After a 14-year boycott of the Indian Wells Masters, Williams announced that she would be competing at the event. When Williams defeated Lisicki in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open, she became the eighth woman in the Open Era to record 700 match wins in her career. Williams went on to win a record eighth title in Miami in 2015.
2015: Completion of Second Serena Slam
In 2015, Serena Williams completed her second 'Serena Slam', winning all four major singles titles consecutively.
2015: Won French Open and Wimbledon titles
In 2015, Serena Williams defeated Lucie Šafářová to claim the trophy and win her third French Open and 20th Grand Slam singles title. At Wimbledon, Williams defeated Muguruza and claimed her sixth Wimbledon singles title and 21st Grand Slam singles title overall. With this triumph, she completed her second "Serena Slam". The Wimbledon victory made Williams the oldest woman in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles title in 2015.
2015: Surface Slam
In 2015, Serena Williams won the Surface Slam (major titles on hard, clay and grass courts in the same calendar year).
2016: Highest Paid Woman Athlete
In 2016, Serena Williams was the world's highest paid woman athlete, earning almost $29 million.
2016: Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
In 2016, Serena Williams won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award.
2016: Open letter in Porter Magazine
In 2016, Serena Williams wrote an open letter in Porter Magazine's "Incredible Women of 2016" feature. The letter expressed her support for gender equality and shared her personal struggles as a woman in tennis, highlighting unequal pay and the lack of recognition for women's contributions to the sport.
2017: 23rd Major Singles Title at Australian Open
At the 2017 Australian Open, Serena Williams won her 23rd major singles title, surpassing Steffi Graf's Open Era record.
2017: Only Woman on Forbes List of Highest-Paid Athletes
In 2017, Serena Williams was the only woman on Forbes' list of the 100 highest-paid athletes, with $27 million in prize money and endorsements.
2017: Won Australian Open
In 2017, Serena Williams won the Australian Open
2018: Roger Federer regarded Williams as the GOAT
In 2018, Roger Federer said Serena Williams probably has the best case for "Greatest Of All Time", man or woman.
2018: Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year
In 2018, Serena Williams won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award.
December 2019: Associated Press Names Serena Williams Female Athlete of the Decade
In December 2019, the Associated Press named Serena Williams the Female Athlete of the Decade for the 2010s, recognizing her dominance and impact in the world of sports.
January 2020: Won First Singles Title as a Mother
In January 2020, Serena Williams won her first singles title as a mother at the ASB Classic, defeating Jessica Pegula in the final.
2020: Tennis Channel Ranks Serena Williams as Greatest Female Tennis Player in History
In 2020, the Tennis Channel ranked Serena Williams as the greatest female tennis player in history, cementing her status as a tennis icon.
2020: Ranked Greatest Women's Tennis Player of All Time
In 2020, the Tennis Channel ranked Serena Williams as the greatest women's tennis player of all time.
2022: John McEnroe described Williams as the GOAT of GOATs
In 2022, John McEnroe described Serena Williams as an "icon" and the "GOAT of GOATs".
2024: International Sports Press Association (AIPS) voted her as the best female athlete of the past 100 years
In 2024, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) voted her as the best female athlete of the past 100 years.
December 2025: The Sporting News Ranks Serena Williams as Sixth Greatest Athlete of the Quarter Century
In December 2025, The Sporting News ranked Serena Williams as the sixth greatest athlete of the quarter century and the highest-ranked tennis player, solidifying her place among the sporting elite.
2025: Princess of Asturias Award for Sport
In 2025, Serena Williams received the Princess of Asturias Award for Sport.
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