Serena Williams is a tennis titan, making her rounds in the open circuits this summer. Throughout her twenty-year career Williams has had some of the greatest moments in sports history, and we are here to relive them right now. Here is why we love Serena Williams.
When you win the four major opens in a row, French Open, Wimbledon, U.S. Open and Australian Open, you are entered into the class known as the “Serena Slam.” Williams has two of these slams under her belt (2002-2003 and 2014-2015), and it only makes sense that it would be named after one of the greatest female athletes.
At 33 (in 2015), Williams was the oldest female tennis player to be ranked No. 1 in the world, and she still holds that title going into the 2016 Wimbledon tournament.
Off of the court, Williams somehow found the time to design a collection for New York Fashion Week. It was an ace on the runway, receiving praise from Anna Wintour and Drake, and let’s be honest that’s the only fashion praise you need.
In 2015, Williams was named Sportswoman of the Year by Sports Illustrated She was the first solo athlete have the honor since Chris Evert in 1983, and just the third woman ever. Not to mention her fierce cover photo was entirely her own idea.
Williams confronted the shames of her career in 2015 by returning to Indian Wells, ending her 14-year boycott of the California tournament. It was a highly emotional moment for her, and she received a standing ovation from the crowd, a moment that came 14 years late.
Finally, while Williams lost the Grand Slam in the semifinals at the U.S. Open, she carried a record of 26-0 in majors, and 33-0 going back to the 2014 U.S. Open. The sheer possibility of a Grand Slam hadn’t been considered in 25 years, a testament to the power of Serena.
Serena Williams is a force of nature, dominating the tennis court for twenty years. With 21 Grand Slam titles under her belt, Williams doesn’t seem like she is slowing down anytime soon. She is the only tennis player, male or female, to have won singles titles at least six times in three of the four Grand Slam tournaments. Serena Williams’ prowess on and off the court is an inspiration to girls and women across the world.
