Serena Williams is the greatest tennis player of her generation and arguably the best woman to ever take the court. Williams was a unique blend of power and athleticism. Tennis fans had never seen a woman who could combine offense and defense so effortlessly as Williams.
She had the athleticism and quickness to be one of the best defensive players on tour, yet she also had some of the most powerful groundstrokes we had ever seen. Williams has the most powerful, most effective serve we have ever seen of all time. Her ability to dial up the power of her serve was a huge tool in her success.
In the women’s game, where breaks of serve are much more common, Williams has one of the toughest serves to break. This was key in her dominant run.
Quick Review
I remember the first time I had heard of Serena Williams. It was in a Sports Illustrated profile about her older sister Venus. The profile detailed Venus and her raw potential being under the tutelage of her dad Richard Williams. This is unique as most players come from high-end expensive tennis academies, yet Richard Williams was out teaching his daughters on public courts in Compton.
At the end of the article there was a one-line throwaway that said “and her younger sister Serena might be even better than Venus”. How prophetic those words turned out to be.
The Williams sisters broke all types of stereotypes on their rise to the top of the tennis world. They became an inspiration to players across the world, especially those who are not in the best financial situations. Serena Williams provided us with great tennis play and inspiration to overcome as well.
Serena Williams was ranked number one in singles for 319 weeks of her career. She was number one for a record 186 consecutive weeks and finished as the year-end number one five times.
Serena’s Golden Slam
Serena Williams excelled on the bright stages of the Grand Slams. She won 23 Grand Slams, second of all time. However, most tennis fans consider her Grand Slam victories to be the preeminent achievement in the sport because the leader in the Grand Slam category, Margaret Court, won at a time when travel was limited and most top players skipped the Australian Open where Court dominated.
Therefore, although Court has more Grand Slams, Serena is still considered to be the most accomplished player.
Serena Williams is the only player in tennis history to achieve a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. A Golden Slam is to win all the Grand Slam tournaments of the year and an Olympic medal. Of all of her accomplishments, this might be the toughest one for an up-and-coming player to try to match.
Going Pro
Serena Williams turned pro in 1995. The first major she won was the 1999 US Open.
The Williams sisters absolutely dominated the tennis scene from the 2002 French Open to the 2003 Australian Open. Serena won all four of those tournaments and in each tournament, she beat her sister Venus in the final. Never before had siblings dominated a sport in a way the Williams sisters did that year.
From 2004 to 2007, Williams suffered some injuries. This led to some inconsistent results for a player who had raised her expectations to the level that she would win every tournament she entered. However, when she was healthy again, she returned to dominating the field.
Back to the Court
Starting in 2012, she won eight of the 13 Majors she played in. She was a heavy betting favorite in most of these matches, yet a bet on her usually returned profits at top-rated sportsbooks.
Serena Williams’ final Grand Slam win was the 2017 Australian Open when she won her 23rd title to pass Steffi Graf for an Open era record for Grand Slam victories.
After the 2017 win, she made the finals of a Grand Slam tournament four more times. Unfortunately, in each one she was not able to win, so she fell short of tying Margaret Court’s record. However, the competition she faced still puts her as the top player of all time in most players’ eyes, even though Court has more Grand Slam victories.
Although doubles is a forgotten art in today’s world of tennis, Williams was also a master at that game. She won 14 Grand Slam titles in doubles. In each one of those, she was teamed with her sister Venus. Venus and Serena never lost a Grand Slam final; they were 14-0 when they were able to make the final round of an event they entered. This is another record very unlikely to be surpassed. The sisters also won the Olympic gold medal in doubles three different times.
Serena Williams’ accomplishments and vibrant personality have not only made her a great athlete but an icon in the women’s world as well. Many women look up to Serena for inspiration and she has been an inspiring role model. Williams has never been embroiled in scandal, which is tough in the high-paced world of athletics today. She will always be remembered for her great tennis play as well as being a great role model.
