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 considered one of the greatest of all time. She held the world No. 1 ranking for 319 weeks and finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. Williams won 73 WTA Tour singles titles, including a record 23 major women's singles titles in the Open Era. She is the only player to achieve a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles, cementing her status as a dominant force in tennis history.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Legacy & Impact

1931: Beginnings of Athlete of the Year Awards

Since the awards were first handed out in 1931, only Evert and Babe Didrikson have been chosen more often as Athlete of the Year than Serena Williams.

1983: First Solo Woman to Receive Sports Illustrated Award

In 2015, Serena Williams became the third solo woman, and the first since 1983, to receive the Sportsperson of the Year award by Sports Illustrated.

November 1997: First Main Draw Win and Top 10 Victories

In November 1997, Serena Williams won her first main-draw match at the Ameritech Cup Chicago, upsetting No.7 Mary Pierce and No.4 Monica Seles, recording her first career wins over top 10 players. She reached the semifinals and finished the year ranked No.99 in the world.

1998: Professional Milestones

In 1998, Serena Williams achieved several professional milestones, including defeating No.3 Davenport, reaching the second round of the Australian Open in the sisters' first face-off, reaching six other quarterfinals, withdrawing from Wimbledon, and winning mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open with Max Mirnyi. She also won her first professional title in non-mixed doubles at the U.S. National Indoor Championships in Oklahoma City with Venus, and finished the year ranked No.20 in singles.

February 1999: First Professional Singles Title

In February 1999, Serena Williams won her first professional singles title, defeating Amélie Mauresmo in the final of the Open Gaz de France in Paris.

1999: First Major Singles Title at US Open

In 1999, Serena Williams won her first major singles title at the US Open, marking a significant milestone in her professional tennis career.

1999: US Open Win and Fed Cup Title

In 1999, Serena Williams won the US Open, becoming the second African-American woman to win a Grand Slam singles tournament. She and Venus also won the doubles event, and she won a Fed Cup match to help the US win the title. She ended the year ranked No.4.

2000: Wins Faber Grand Prix and Olympic Gold

In 2000, Serena Williams won the Faber Grand Prix in Germany and the gold medal in doubles at the Sydney Olympics with her sister. She ended the year by winning the Toyota Princess Cup and finishing at No.6.

2001: Career Grand Slam and US Open Final

In 2001, Serena Williams and Venus won the doubles event at the Australian Open, completing a Career Grand Slam. Serena also won the Pacific Life Open and reached the US Open final, losing to her sister. She won the season-ending Tour Championships and finished the year at No.6.

2002: Wins Scottsdale, Miami Masters

In 2002, Serena Williams won her first title of the year in Scottsdale, Arizona, defeating No.2 Capriati. She also won the Miami Masters, defeating the world's top 3 ranked players at the same event.

2002: US Open Title and No.1 Ranking

In 2002, Serena Williams won the US Open, defeating her sister in the final. She won two consecutive singles titles in the fall, reached the final at the Home Depot Championships, and finished the year with a 56–5 win/lose record, eight singles titles, and the No.1 ranking.

2002: First clay-court title since 2002

In 2008, Williams claimed victory at the Family Circle Cup, her first clay-court title since 2002.

2002: Holds Four Major Titles

Serena Williams held all four major singles titles simultaneously in 2002-2003.

2002: Dominance Begins

Starting with the 2002 French Open, Serena Williams began a period of dominance, winning all four major singles titles consecutively.

2003: Serena Slam Achieved

By the 2003 Australian Open, Serena Williams had won all four major singles titles consecutively, achieving a non-calendar year Grand Slam, nicknamed the "Serena Slam".

2003: Wins Australian Open and completes Career Grand Slam

In 2003, Serena Williams defeated Venus Williams at the Australian Open to secure her fourth consecutive Grand Slam final victory. This win made her the sixth woman in the Open Era to achieve a Career Grand Slam and the fifth to simultaneously hold all Grand Slam singles titles, a feat celebrated as the "Serena Slam." The Williams sisters also clinched their sixth Grand Slam doubles title at the same tournament in 2003.

2003: Avon Foundation Award and Big Brothers Big Sisters 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: Captures Titles, Faces Defeats, and Undergoes Surgery

In 2003, Serena Williams started strong by winning the Open Gaz de France and the Sony Ericsson Open. Her winning streak ended with a loss to Henin at the Family Circle Cup, followed by another defeat against Mauresmo at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. Despite these setbacks, she reached the French Open semifinals but lost to Henin amidst controversy. Serena then rebounded by winning Wimbledon against Venus, marking her second consecutive title. After Wimbledon, she withdrew from events and underwent knee surgery in August 2003.

2003: Laureus World Sports Award

In 2003, Serena Williams won the Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year for the first time, recognizing her outstanding achievements in tennis.

2003: Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

In 2003, Serena Williams won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award.

2003: NAACP President's Award

In 2003, the NAACP honored Serena Williams with its President's Award, recognizing her accomplishments and contributions.

2003: First Time Ranked Top American Since 2003

In 2007, Williams finished as the top-ranked American for the first time since 2003.

2003: Returned to Number 1 Ranking Since 2003

In early September 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: Holds Four Major Titles

Serena Williams held all four major singles titles simultaneously in 2002-2003.

March 2004: Wins NASDAQ-100 Open, Loses Wimbledon Final

In March 2004, Serena Williams made her comeback after eight months away from tennis, winning the NASDAQ-100 Open for the third consecutive year. She was seeded second at the French Open but lost in the quarterfinals to Capriati. At Wimbledon, despite being seeded first, Williams lost in the final to Maria Sharapova, causing her to drop out of the top 10 rankings for the first time since 1999. Later in the summer of 2004, she reached the final of the JPMorgan Chase Open in Los Angeles, but lost to Lindsay Davenport.

2004: Wins China Open and Finishes Season Ranked No. 7

In 2004, Serena Williams won her second title of the year at the China Open, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. This victory helped her qualify for the Tour Championships in Los Angeles, where she lost to Sharapova due to an abdominal injury. She finished 2004 ranked No. 7, marking her first season since 2001 without winning a Grand Slam singles tournament.

2004: Family Circle and Prudential Financial Award

In 2004, Serena Williams won the "Family Circle and Prudential Financial Player Who Makes a Difference Award", recognizing her positive impact off the court.

2005: Charity Tour for Ronald McDonald House

In 2004 and 2005, Serena and Venus visited hospitals and played several tennis matches in predominantly Black cities to raise funds for the local Ronald McDonald House charities. An ESPN episode was dedicated to the charity tour.

2005: Wins Australian Open and Finishes Year Ranked No. 11

In 2005, Serena Williams won the Australian Open, defeating Davenport. She then missed the French Open due to an ankle injury. Her performance at Wimbledon was cut short in the third round and she lost to her sister, Venus at the US Open in the fourth round. Ending the year ranked No. 11, Williams failed to qualify for the year-end championship for the first time since 1998.

2007: WTA Championships Title

In 2007, Justine Henin defended her title at the WTA Championships.

2007: Comeback of the Year

In 2007, Serena Williams was awarded the Comeback of the Year award.

2007: Wins Miami Open, Injury at WTA Championships, Finishes Ranked No. 7

In 2007, Serena Williams won the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami for the fourth time, defeating Henin. She faced Henin in the quarterfinals at the French Open, losing to her. During a fourth-round match at Wimbledon, she collapsed due to a muscle spasm but won the match. Later, she lost to Henin in the quarterfinals. At the US Open, she lost her third consecutive Grand Slam quarterfinal to Henin. She reached the final of the Kremlin Cup, losing to Dementieva. At the WTA Championships, she retired from her first match due to a knee injury. She finished the year ranked No. 7 and as the top-ranked American for the first time since 2003.

2007: Return to Form

Starting in 2007, Serena Williams gradually returned to form despite continued injuries, reclaiming the world No. 1 singles ranking.

2008: Wimbledon Finals, Olympic Gold, and US Open Title

In 2008, Serena Williams reached the Wimbledon finals for the first time in four years but lost to Venus. The Williams sisters won the doubles title together. After a knee injury and withdrawal from tournaments in Los Angeles, Serena competed at the Summer Olympics in Beijing, where she lost in the singles quarterfinals but won the gold medal in doubles with Venus. In early September of 2008, she captured her third US Open title, marking her ninth Grand Slam singles title. The victory returned her to No. 1 for the first time since 2003. She ended the year ranked No. 2.

2008: Hopman Cup Win, Titles at Bangalore and Miami, Back Injury

In 2008, Serena Williams started the year by winning the Hopman Cup for the US with Mardy Fish. At the Australian Open, she lost in the quarterfinals. She withdrew from three tournaments due to dental surgery, then won consecutive singles titles at Bangalore and her fifth Miami title, tying Graf's record. She claimed victory at the Family Circle Cup, her first clay-court title since 2002. Her winning streak ended in Berlin, and she withdrew from Rome due to a back injury. She lost in the third round of the French Open.

2009: Non-Calendar Grand Slam

Between the 2009 Wimbledon Championships and the 2010 French Open, Serena and Venus Williams achieved a non-calendar year Grand Slam.

2009: Australian Open Win and Prize Money Leader

In 2009, Serena Williams began the year at the Medibank International and lost in the semifinals to Dementieva. She then claimed her tenth Grand Slam singles title by defeating Safina at the Australian Open. This win restored her No.1 ranking and made her the all-time career prize money leader in women's sports, previously held by Annika Sörenstam. Serena and Venus also won the doubles event at the Australian Open for the third time in 2009.

2009: Grand Slam Doubles Title, WTA Tour Championships Win, and Athlete of the Year

In 2009, Serena Williams teamed up with Venus to win their third Grand Slam doubles title of the year at the US Open. She won all three of her round-robin matches at the WTA Tour Championships and defeated her sister in the final. Serena finished the year ranked No.1, having played in 16 tournaments, and broke the record for most prize money earned by a female tennis player in one year. With 23 Grand Slam titles, she was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press and International Tennis Federation World Champion in both singles and doubles in 2009.

2009: Holds Four Major Doubles Titles

Serena and Venus Williams simultaneously held all four major women's doubles titles in 2009-2010.

2010: Achieved No. 1 Ranking in Doubles

Between the 2009 Wimbledon Championships and the 2010 French Open, Serena and Venus Williams achieved a non-calendar year Grand Slam, earning them the doubles world No. 1 ranking.

2010: Second Laureus World Sports Award

In 2010, Serena Williams won her second Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year, further solidifying her dominance in the sport.

2010: Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

In 2010, Serena Williams won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award.

2010: Australian Open Win, Doubles Title, and Leg Injury

In 2010, Serena Williams's first tournament was in Sydney, where she lost in the final to Dementieva. At the Australian Open, she successfully defended her title, defeating Justine Henin for her twelfth Grand Slam singles title. Alongside her sister Venus, she also defended their doubles title. She later sat out several events due to a leg injury but returned for the Rome Masters, where she was defeated by Janković in the semifinals. At Madrid, she partnered with Venus to win the doubles title in 2010.

2010: Holds Four Major Doubles Titles

Serena and Venus Williams simultaneously held all four major women's doubles titles in 2009-2010.

2011: Novak Djokovic's Earnings

In 2011, Novak Djokovic earned more money in one season.

2011: UNICEF International Goodwill Ambassador

Since 2011, Serena Williams has been an International Goodwill Ambassador with UNICEF, and helped launch UNICEF's Schools for Asia campaign, promoting education.

2012: Returned to Dominance

Beginning with the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, Serena Williams returned to dominance, claiming Olympic gold and completing the career Golden Slam in singles.

2012: Novak Djokovic's Earnings

In 2012, Novak Djokovic earned more money in one season.

2012: Wimbledon Victory and Record-Breaking Aces

In 2012, Serena Williams captured her fifth Wimbledon singles title, marking her 14th Grand Slam victory. She also set a record for the most aces in a tournament by any player, male or female, with a total of 102 and her sister captured their fifth trophy in Wimbledon doubles.

2013: Year-End No.1 Ranking and ESPY 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 also received two prizes at the 2013 ESPY Awards: Best Female Athlete and Best Female Tennis Player.

2013: Dominance on Clay and French Open Title

In 2013, Serena Williams won her 50th career singles title in Madrid and claimed her second French Open title, marking her 16th Grand Slam title overall. She became the fourth woman in the Open Era to win each Grand Slam tournament at least twice.

2013: US Open Victory and Record Prize Winnings

In 2013, Serena Williams won her third Rogers Cup title in Toronto and defeated Azarenka in the US Open final, capturing her 17th Grand Slam singles title. This victory pushed her career prize winnings past $50 million and she became the oldest US Open champion in the Open Era. Serena also triumphed over Li Na in the final of the WTA Championships.

2014: Dominance Continued

Beginning in 2014, Serena continued dominating the sport.

2014: US Open Victory and WTA Finals Title

In 2014, Serena Williams won her third consecutive and sixth overall US Open singles title, tying Evert for most US Open singles titles won by a woman in the Open Era. She also claimed the WTA Finals title, finishing the year ranked No.1 for the fourth time in her career.

2014: Holds Four Major Titles

Serena Williams simultaneously held all four major singles titles in 2014-2015.

December 2015: Sportsperson of the Year

In December 2015, Serena Williams was named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated magazine.

2015: Second Serena Slam Achieved

From 2014-2015, Serena Williams won all four majors in a row for a second "Serena Slam"

2015: Australian Open Title and 700 Match Wins

In 2015, Serena Williams defeated Sharapova to claim her sixth Australian Open singles title and 19th career Grand Slam singles title. She also became the eighth woman in the Open Era to record 700 match wins in her career, winning a record eighth title in Miami.

2015: French Open and Wimbledon Titles

In 2015, Serena Williams won her third French Open and 20th Grand Slam singles title, becoming only the third person in history to win each Grand Slam at least three times. She also claimed her sixth Wimbledon singles title and 21st Grand Slam singles title overall, completing her second "Serena Slam".

2015: Holds Four Major Titles, Surface Slam

Serena Williams simultaneously held all four major singles titles in 2014-2015 and won the Surface Slam in 2015.

September 5, 2016: Tied with Graf for longest run at No.1 in WTA history

On September 5, 2016, Serena Williams matched Graf's record for the longest consecutive run at No. 1 in WTA history, marking her 186th consecutive week in the top spot.

2016: Highest Paid Woman Athlete

In 2016, Serena Williams was the world's highest-paid woman athlete, earning almost $29 million.

2016: Third Laureus World Sports Award

In 2016, Serena Williams won her third Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year, continuing her legacy of excellence.

2016: Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

In 2016, Serena Williams won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award.

2016: US Open Rematch

Serena Williams's quarterfinal face-off against Karolína Plíšková at the US Open was a rematch of the 2016 US Open semifinal. Williams prevailed, notching her first win against a top 10 player since her return from pregnancy.

2017: 23rd Major Singles Title

At the 2017 Australian Open, Serena Williams won her 23rd major singles title, surpassing Steffi Graf's Open Era record.

2017: Named Greatest Female Tennis Player

In 2017, BBC Sport users selected Serena Williams as the greatest female tennis player of the Open Era, recognizing her exceptional career and impact on the sport.

2017: Highest Paid Woman Athlete Again

In 2017, Serena Williams was again the highest-paid woman athlete and was the only woman on Forbes' list of the 100 highest-paid athletes, with $27 million in prize money and endorsements.

2017: Won the Australian Open for a record seventh time

In 2017, Serena Williams won the Australian Open for a record seventh time in the Open Era, defeating Venus in the final and securing her 23rd Grand Slam singles title. She then withdrew from the Indian Wells and Miami Opens due to a knee injury.

2018: Fourth Laureus World Sports Award

In 2018, Serena Williams won her record fourth Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year, highlighting her unparalleled achievements in tennis.

2018: Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year

In 2018, Serena Williams won the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award.

2018: Tennis.com Panel Names Williams Greatest

In 2018, a Tennis.com panel also concluded that Serena Williams is the greatest female tennis player of all time, solidifying her legacy.

March 2019: USWNT Honors Williams

In March 2019, members of the United States women's national soccer team wore jerseys with the names of women who inspired them, with Crystal Dunn choosing Serena Williams.

December 2019: Named Female Athlete of the Decade

In December 2019, the Associated Press named Serena Williams as the Female Athlete of the Decade for the 2010s, recognizing her exceptional accomplishments.

2019: Final Match Against Sharapova

In 2019, Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova played their final match in the first round of the US Open, where Williams defeated Sharapova in two sets. Williams leads the series 20-2.

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 Williams as Greatest

In 2020, the Tennis Channel ranked Serena Williams as the greatest female tennis player in history, further cementing her status.

2020: 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: McEnroe Calls Williams "GOAT of GOATs"

In 2022, John McEnroe described Serena Williams as an "icon" and the "GOAT of GOATs", highlighting her unparalleled achievements and influence.

2023: NAACP Jackie Robinson Sports Award

In 2023, Serena Williams received the Jackie Robinson Sports Award from the NAACP, further acknowledging her impact and achievements in sports.

2024: Best Female Athlete of the Past 100 Years

In 2024, the International Sports Press Association (AIPS) voted Serena Williams as the best female athlete of the past 100 years, celebrating her extraordinary impact on sports.