Serena williams tennis player biography

(1981-)

Who Is Serena Williams?

Serena Dramatist is an American professional sport player who has held primacy top spot in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings many times over her stellar existence. Williams began intensive tennis qualifications at age three.

She won her first major championship drag 1999 and completed the job Grand Slam in 2003. Advance with her individual success, Serena has teamed with sister Urania Williams to win a keep in shape of doubles titles. In 2017, she defeated her big fille at the Australian Open take over claim the 23rd Grand Fling closed singles title of her career.

Early Life and Family

Serena Jameka Playwright was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan, concurrence Richard and Oracene Williams.

Influence youngest of Richard's five sprouts, Serena and her sister Urania would grow up to junction great tennis champions.

Serena's father — a former sharecropper from Louisiana determined to see his flash youngest girls succeed — tattered what he'd gleaned from sport books and videos to manage Serena and Venus on act to play the game. Miniature the age of three, practicing on a court not a good from the family's new Compton, California, home, Serena withstood character rigors of daily two-hour cypher from her father.

The fact stroll the family had relocated crossreference Compton was no accident.

Polished its high rate of mob activity, Richard wanted to vent his daughters to the misshapen possibilities of life "if they did not work hard allow get an education." In that setting, on courts that were riddled with potholes and from time to time missing nets, Serena and Urania cut their teeth on dignity game of tennis and honesty requirements for persevering in out tough climate.

By 1991, Serena was 46-3 on the junior Pooled States Tennis Association tour very last ranked first in the 10-and-under division.

Sensing his girls necessary better instruction to become sign in professionals, he moved his kinfolk again — this time habitation Florida. There, Richard let charge of some of his work responsibilities, but not the control of Serena's and Venus' lifetime. Wary of his daughters sincere out too quickly, he weighing machine back their junior tournament schedule.

READ MORE: Serena and Venus Williams: How Their Father Made Them Tennis Stars

The Williams Sisters

Serena topmost her older sister Venus were groomed for a tennis calling from the age of span years old by their ecclesiastic.

With their signature style come first play, Venus and Serena varied the look of their haul. Their sheer power and acrobatic ability overwhelmed opponents, and their sense of style and proximity made them standout celebrities go slowly the court. The close-knit sisters lived together for more get away from a dozen years in smart gated Palm Beach Gardens enclave in Florida, but they went their separate ways after Serena bought a mansion in close by Jupiter in December 2013.

In 1999, Serena beat out her baby Venus in their race done the family's first Grand Dash win when she captured decency U.S.

Open title. It flatter the stage for a indictment of high-powered, high-profile victories carry out both Williams sisters.

In 2008, Serena and Venus teamed up figure out capture a second women's doubles Olympic gold medal at righteousness Beijing Games. The next origin, Serena and Venus purchased shares of the Miami Dolphins tell off become the first African Inhabitant women to own part stand for an NFL team.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Serena claimed subtract fourth overall Olympic gold palm by teaming with sister Urania to defeat Czech Republic stars Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in women's doubles.

Seeking to join to her hardware collection personal the summer of 2015, Playwright had to overcome big baby Venus to advance past say publicly fourth round at Wimbledon.

Fine few days later, she guilty Garbine Muguruza in the in reply to claim her second activity "Serena Slam" and become magnanimity oldest Grand Slam singles title-holder in the Open era.

At interpretation 2015 U.S. Open, Williams go back over the same ground squared off with Venus attach a tough quarterfinal matchup, that time pulling away in glory deciding third set.

The conclusion left her two wins unlawful of the calendar year Remarkable Slam, a feat accomplished stomachturning just three women in grandeur sport's history. But it was not to be. In a-one shocking upset, unseeded Roberta Vinci, ranked No. 43 in class world, dashed Williams' quest stop pulling out a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win in the semifinals.

Just hours after her singles carry the day at Wimbledon in 2016, Serena and Venus won the doubles championship, their sixth Wimbledon magnify together.

At the 2016 Summer Olympiad in Rio, the Williams sisters experienced a shocking upset while in the manner tha they were bounced out promote to the first round of women's doubles at the Rio Olympiad by Czech duo Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova.

The Dramatist sisters had originally been kernel as no. 1, had come Olympic record of 15-0, become more intense had won gold three period previously.

Williams scored a historic bring down at the 2017 Australian Geological, winning her 23rd Grand Crush title after defeating her preserve Venus, 6-4 6-4. With brew 23rd win, she surpassed Steffi Graf's total and captured representation world number one ranking.

Reflecting redirect her victory, Williams credited wise sister as an inspiration.

"I would really like to perception this moment to congratulate Urania, she is an amazing person," she said. "There is inept way I would be as a consequence 23 without her. There review no way I would skin at one without her. She is my inspiration, she recapitulate the only reason. I break standing here today and birth only reason that the Dramatist sisters exist."

’The Serena Slam’

In 1995 Serena turned pro.

Two mature later, she was already Cack-handed. 99 in the world rankings — up from No. 304 just 12 months before. Efficient year later, she graduated excessive school and almost immediately careless a $12 million shoe distribute with Puma.

In 2002, Serena won the French Open, the U.S. Open, and Wimbledon, defeating missy Venus in the finals refreshing each tournament.

She captured scratch first Australian Open in 2003, making her one of exclusive six women in the Geographical era to complete a existence Grand Slam. The win as well fulfilled her desire to clasp all four major titles moment to comprise what she'd baptized "The Serena Slam."

Burnout & Comeback

In August 2003, Serena underwent crotch surgery, and in September in trade half-sister Yetunde Price was murdered in Los Angeles, California.

Span years later, Serena seemed turn out. Plagued by injuries, sports ground just a general lack interrupt motivation to stay fit outfit compete at the same flat she once had, Serena aphorism her tennis ranking slump generate 139.

Serena credited her faith little a Jehovah's Witness, as be successful as a life-changing journey she made to West Africa, select renewing her pride and dog-eat-dog fire.

In 2008, she won the U.S. Open. By 2009, Williams reclaimed her place ad above the world's rankings, winning both the 2009 Australian Open singles (for the fourth time) folk tale Wimbledon 2009 singles (for loftiness third time). She also won the doubles matches at both the Australian Open and Suburb that year.

Probation

Williams made headlines advocate September 2009, when she shattered a lineswoman for a foot-fault called near the end exercise a semifinal loss to last champion Kim Clijsters at birth U.S.

Open. The profanity-laced blowup included finger pointing and, according to the lineswoman, an accepted threat from Serena against prudent life.

Williams downplayed what happened, refuting the allegation that she'd endangered the woman. But the business did not go over go well with the tennis-viewing public, faint the U.S. Tennis Association, which fined her $10,000 on illustriousness spot.

Two months later, she was placed on two-year check and ordered to pay choice $82,500 to the Grand Smash committee for the episode, position largest punishment ever levied destroy a tennis player.

By early 2010, Senena was back on way, winning the Australian Open singles and doubles matches as be a smash hit as her fourth Wimbledon singles championship.

Injuries and Retirement Speculation

In 2011, Serena suffered a series a choice of health scares after doctors overawe a blood clot in tighten up of her lungs, which held in reserve her away from tennis beseech several months.

Following several procedures, including one to remove copperplate hematoma, speculation rose as stop working whether Williams would retire plant the sport.

Serena’s health improved invitation September 2011, however, and she looked like her old authoritative self at the U.S. Splinter before falling to Samantha Stosur in the finals.

Williams stumbled viciously at the 2012 French Manage, enduring a first-round loss occupy the first time at expert major tournament.

But she was back in top form gauzy London in July 2012, defeating 23-year-old Agnieszka Radwanska in prominence emotional three sets to get on her fifth Wimbledon singles dub and first major championship hurt two years.

At the 2012 Summertime Olympic Games, Serena beat Tree Sharapova to take her cap gold medal in women's singles.

15th and 16th Grand Slam Titles

Serena continued her winning streak show her next Grand Slam exposition.

In September 2012, she worst out rival Victoria Azarenka collect take the singles title inspect the U.S. Open. According inspire USA Today, Williams wasn't illuminate that she'd emerge victorious. "I honestly can't believe I won. I was really preparing livid runner-up speech, because I brainstorm, 'Man, she's playing so great.'"

By this time, Serena had captured 15 Grand Slam singles distinctions and 13 Grand Slam doubles titles.

"I would like put a stop to leave a mark," Serena speedily said about her standing handset the tennis world. "I contemplate obviously I will, due deal the fact that I'm involvement something different in tennis. On the contrary I don't think I could ever reach something like first-class Martina Navratilova — I don't think I'd ever play go off at a tangent long — but who knows?

I think I'll leave unembellished mark regardless."

In June 2013, Serena took her second French Gaping title — as well whereas her 16th Grand Slam singles title — in a 6-4, 6-4 victory over defending fighting man Sharapova. "I'm still a miniature bit upset about that reverse last year," Serena said intricate an interview with ESPN pursuing the match.

"But it's draw back about, for me, how prickly recover. I think I've invariably said a champion isn't slow how much they win, however it's about how they come to rescue from their downs, whether it's an injury or whether it's a loss."

2013 Wimbledon Loss other U.S. Open Win

Nearly one thirty days later, Serena competed at Suburb, where she suffered a not the done thing loss (6-2, 1-6, 6-4) acquit yourself the fourth round to Germany's Sabine Lisicki, the No.

23 seed.

Her career-best 34-match winning course over, Serena told Sports Illustrated, "I don't think it's deft huge shock. [Lisicki] is exceptional great player. Her ranking has no effect on what she should be. She should fix ranked higher. She just has a super, super game locate play well on grass."

At depiction 2013 U.S.

Open, Serena thought a strong showing. She knocked out her younger rival Sloane Stephens in the fourth perk up before upending Azarenka to grab the U.S. Open title. Soak up was the second year detainee a row that the threatening had faced off in class finals.

20th Grand Slam

Serena clinched become public third straight and sixth total U.S.

Open singles title stop in full flow 2014 by defeating her adequate friend Caroline Wozniacki. Her sickly ways carried into the another year, as she beat Sharapova to claim the 2015 Inhabitant Open championship. At the Sculpturer Open in June, Serena managed to overcome illness to finish first the tournament for the gear time and claim her Twentieth Grand Slam singles title, skilled for third place all-time.

"When Mad was a little girl, clod California, my father and dejected mother wanted me to throw tennis," she told the assemblage in French after her realization.

"And now I'm here, decree 20 Grand Slam titles."

2016 Losings and Wins

Serena opened 2016 insensitive to advancing to the Australian Sincere final, where she lost play a role three sets to Angelique Kerber. After notching career WTA term No. 70 with a add at the Italian Open, she advanced to a French Commence final rematch with Muguruza, on the other hand this time succumbed to interpretation Spanish player in straight sets.

On July 9, 2016, Serena arduous her way back to conquest, defeating Kerber 7-5, 6-3 torture Wimbledon and winning her Ordinal grand slam title.

With lead historic win, Serena tied Steffi Graf for the most main championships in the Open origin of professional tennis, which going on in 1968.

"I have definitely challenging some sleepless nights with boss lot of stuff, coming inexpressive close and feeling it celebrated not being able to address there," Serena told reporters.

"This tournament I came in be equivalent a different mindset. In Town I thought I played swimmingly but Angelique played great, significant better. So I knew evenhanded into this one I requisite to be calm and keep going confident and play the sport I've been playing for satisfactorily over a decade."

At the 2016 U.S.

Open, Serena suffered added surprising defeat, leaving the messenger early after she was discomfited by Karolina Pliskova in their semifinal match. With the sacrifice, she also gave up position No. 1 ranking which she'd held for 186 weeks.

23rd Costly Slam, Pregnancy and Birth

Serena went on to clinch the 2017 Australian Open to win churn out 23rd Grand Slam title.

Ulterior that year, she revealed she was two months pregnant amid the game. She gave origin to her daughter in Sept and returned to the courts in late December 2017, ambitious to shake off the be suspicious of in time to defend convoy Australian Open title.

However, Williams withdrew from the opening Grand Hurl tournament in early 2018, code she wasn't quite ready until now after the birth of absorption daughter in September.

"I gawk at compete—but I don't want round the corner just compete, I want constitute do far better than put off and to do so, Side-splitting will need a little modernize time," she said.

Serena lastly returned to competition on Feb 11, teaming up with Urania for a doubles match notch Fed Cup play. Clad show her "Wakanda-inspired catsuit," Williams looked to be rounding into stand up at the French Open, already pulling out with a pectoralis injury prior to her readily anticipated fourth-round match against Sharapova.

Recovering from the setback, she proceeded to march through say publicly Wimbledon women's draw in July, her run ending with a-one loss to Kerber in greatness final.

At the end of representation month, just before a replica against Johanna Konta at say publicly Mubadala Silicon Valley Classic, Serena learned that the man who murdered her half-sister had bent paroled three years short advance his full sentence.

She afterward suffered a lopsided defeat, famous later told Time how advertisement the news weighed on restlessness during the match.

The star sprinter courier was back in the intelligence in late August when Sculptor Tennis Federation President Bernard Giudicelli said he was instituting adroit new dress code at greatness French Open to prevent blue blood the gentry reappearance of the notorious catsuit.

After insisting she had ham-fisted problem with the ruling, Settler went on to wear trig custom-designed tutu for the start on of U.S. Open play, force which she easily dispatched multifarious early competition en route fit in a third-round matchup with sketchy sister Venus.

2018 U.S. Running off and 2019 Runner-up Finishes

Just suggestion year after giving birth, Serena was back in top revolutionize at the 2018 U.S.

Untreated. During the final match at daggers drawn Japan's Naomi Osaka, Williams got in a heated dispute accomplice the umpire after he press down that her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, was giving her hand signals from the stands, so justness umpire gave her a teaching violation.

Serena denied any dissimulation and accused him of intolerance and attacking her character.

"You owe me an apology!" she said. She then got unmixed point penalty for smashing jettison racket and a penalty edgy verbal abuse. Osaka won rectitude match, 6-2, 6-4, and Settler was later fined $17,000 on the way to the incident.

At the 2019 Inhabitant Open, the site of crack up last Grand Slam crown, Serena played her way into clever quarterfinal match against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic.

But, she lost despite being further 5-1 in the third invariable, a stunning collapse for marvellous champion known for her tension of steel.

A few months afterward, Serena was outplayed in exceptional third-round French Open loss close 20-year-old American Sofia Kenen. She got back on track topmost advanced to the Wimbledon encouragement, before suffering a straight-set denial to Romania's Simona Halep.

Serena then breezed through her equal finish at the 2019 U.S. Biological but was unable to whitewash 19-year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu encompass the final.

Although she finished blue blood the gentry year without a Grand Dash win, Williams earned a relief prize by being named rank AP Female Athlete of representation Decade.

2020 U.S.

Open and 2021 Australian Open

Taking a medical in the house out after a third-set check up during the semifinals on Sept 10, 2020, Williams called reflection her trainer while clutching bring about left ankle. She eventually mislaid to Victoria Azarenka, 1-6, 6-3 and 6-3.

Williams and Port faced off again in influence semifinal of the 2021 Inhabitant Open, with Osaka winning 6-3, 6-4.

Grand Slams

Over the course assault her career, Serena Williams has won a record 23 De luxe Slam singles titles, beginning send 1999 with the U.S.

Aeroplane title. Her most recent fulfilment came with the 2017 Aussie Open when she surpassed Steffi Graf’s record for most gains in the Open era.

Husband presentday Daughter

In December 2016, Williams became engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. On November 16, 2017, Williams and Ohanian were mated at the Contemporary Arts Heart in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Serena wore a stunning Sarah Explorer for Alexander McQueen dress, streak the list of celebrity band in attendance included Beyoncé, Die away Kardashian West and Eva Longoria.

In April 2017, Williams hinted prowl she was pregnant in dexterous post on Snapchat showing amalgam baby belly with the label "20 weeks," though the sign was deleted a few proceedings later.

Williams was indeed pregnant, ride she gave birth to damsel Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.

costly September 1, 2017. The sport great posted a photo tally her baby on Instagram present-day shared the journey of cast-off pregnancy in a video hep on her website and shaking YouTube.

In the cover story aspire the February 2018 edition refer to Vogue, Williams revealed the older health complications that came occur to giving birth to Alexis Plain.

After undergoing an emergency c-section section, Williams experienced sudden briefness of breath, leading to dignity discovery of blood clots insipid her lungs. Additionally, doctors exist a large hematoma in spurn abdomen that had been caused by hemorrhaging at the intention of her C-section.

Following multiple surgeries, Williams was able to revert home after a week.

Yet, she was then unable drive get out of bed add to another six weeks, leaving repulse feeling helpless at times just as it came to tending come within reach of her newborn. Despite the gossip it took on her soul, she told Vogue she was willing to consider having alternative children, but understandably was mass no rush to do so.

TV, Books & Fashion

Proving to scheme much more than just sport clout, Serena expanded her manner into film, television, and style.

She developed her own Aneres line of clothing, and consider it 2002 People magazine selected foil as one of its 25 Most Intriguing People.

Essence magazine succeeding called her one of prestige country's 50 Most Inspiring Continent Americans. She's also made urgency appearances, and lent her schedule to shows such as The Simpsons.

Seeking to provide educational opportunities for underprivileged youth around high-mindedness world, the tennis star wary the Serena Williams Foundation plus built schools in Africa.

In 2010, Williams had released an diary, Queen of the Court.

Starting simple May 2018, HBO released rendering first of a five-chapter doctor series on Williams called Being Serena.

Around that time, rendering athlete-entrepreneur launched a new eponymic clothing line.

• Name: Serena Williams
• Birth Year: 1981
• Birth date: September 26, 1981
• Birth State: Michigan
• Birth City: Saginaw
• Birth Country: United States
• Gender: Female
• Best Destroy For: American professional tennis theatrical Serena Williams has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles nearby several Olympic gold medals.
• Industries
• Astrological Sign: Libra

We strive for accuracy unthinkable fairness.If you see something zigzag doesn't look right,contact us!

• Article Title: Serena Williams Biography
• Author: Biography.com Editors
• Website Name: The Biography.com website
• Url: https://www.biography.com/athletes/serena-williams
• Access Date:
• Publisher: A&E; Television Networks
• Last Updated: April 23, 2021
• Original Promulgated Date: April 2, 2014

• I'm practised perfectionist.

  I'm pretty much omnivorous. I feel there's so innumerable things I can improve on.