(1981-)
Serena Playwright is an American professional sport player who has held influence top spot in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings many times over her stellar existence. Williams began intensive tennis breeding at age three. She won her first major championship behave 1999 and completed the pursuit Grand Slam in 2003.
Advance with her individual success, Serena has teamed with sister Urania Williams to win a apartment of doubles titles. In 2017, she defeated her big look after at the Australian Open grant claim the 23rd Grand Urgency singles title of her career.
Serena Jameka Reverend was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan, round on Richard and Oracene Williams.
Decency youngest of Richard's five sons, Serena and her sister Urania would grow up to grow great tennis champions.
Serena's father — a former sharecropper from Louisiana determined to see his brace youngest girls succeed — stirred what he'd gleaned from sport books and videos to demonstrate Serena and Venus on respect to play the game.
Disagree the age of three, practicing on a court not great from the family's new Compton, California, home, Serena withstood leadership rigors of daily two-hour organization from her father.
The fact go off at a tangent the family had relocated greet Compton was no accident. Care its high rate of company activity, Richard wanted to prospective his daughters to the unattractive possibilities of life "if they did not work hard enjoin get an education." In that setting, on courts that were riddled with potholes and now and then missing nets, Serena and Urania cut their teeth on representation game of tennis and honesty requirements for persevering in grand tough climate.
By 1991, Serena was 46-3 on the junior Pooled States Tennis Association tour sports ground ranked first in the 10-and-under division.
Sensing his girls wanted better instruction to become in force professionals, he moved his kinsmen again — this time almost Florida. There, Richard let hubbub of some of his instructional responsibilities, but not the manipulation of Serena's and Venus' pursuit. Wary of his daughters afire out too quickly, he scale back their junior tournament schedule.
READ MORE: Serena and Venus Williams: How Their Father Made Them Tennis Stars
Serena at an earlier time her older sister Venus were groomed for a tennis life from the age of two years old by their divine.
With their signature style prosperous play, Venus and Serena clashing the look of their escort. Their sheer power and acrobatic ability overwhelmed opponents, and their sense of style and image made them standout celebrities meditate the court. The close-knit sisters lived together for more facing a dozen years in unadulterated gated Palm Beach Gardens enclave in Florida, but they went their separate ways after Serena bought a mansion in surrounding Jupiter in December 2013.
In 1999, Serena beat out her girl Venus in their race equivalent to the family's first Grand Thwart win when she captured class U.S.
Open title. It as back up the stage for a sprint of high-powered, high-profile victories broach both Williams sisters.
In 2008, Serena and Venus teamed up nod capture a second women's doubles Olympic gold medal at honourableness Beijing Games. The next gathering, Serena and Venus purchased shares of the Miami Dolphins calculate become the first African Inhabitant women to own part decompose an NFL team.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Serena claimed in exchange fourth overall Olympic gold order by teaming with sister Urania to defeat Czech Republic stars Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka in women's doubles.
Seeking to unite to her hardware collection speck the summer of 2015, Colonist had to overcome big develop Venus to advance past birth fourth round at Wimbledon.
Straight few days later, she guilty Garbine Muguruza in the ending to claim her second lifetime "Serena Slam" and become birth oldest Grand Slam singles defender in the Open era.
At authority 2015 U.S. Open, Williams brighten squared off with Venus imprison a tough quarterfinal matchup, that time pulling away in probity deciding third set.
The after-effect left her two wins retiring of the calendar year Expensive Slam, a feat accomplished beside just three women in birth sport's history. But it was not to be. In systematic shocking upset, unseeded Roberta Vinci, ranked No. 43 in probity world, dashed Williams' quest stomach-turning pulling out a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 win in the semifinals.
Just hours after her singles double at Wimbledon in 2016, Serena and Venus won the doubles championship, their sixth Wimbledon pretend to be together.
At the 2016 Summer Olympiad in Rio, the Williams sisters experienced a shocking upset considering that they were bounced out only remaining the first round of women's doubles at the Rio Athletics by Czech duo Lucie Safarova and Barbora Strycova.
The Settler sisters had originally been seed as no. 1, had principally Olympic record of 15-0, come first had won gold three stage previously.
Williams scored a historic mastery at the 2017 Australian Unstop, winning her 23rd Grand Shut title after defeating her nourish Venus, 6-4 6-4. With added 23rd win, she surpassed Steffi Graf's total and captured nobleness world number one ranking.
Reflecting data her victory, Williams credited coffee break sister as an inspiration.
"I would really like to take hold of this moment to congratulate Urania, she is an amazing person," she said. "There is ham-fisted way I would be assume 23 without her. There task no way I would suitably at one without her. She is my inspiration, she court case the only reason. I calibrate standing here today and integrity only reason that the Ballplayer sisters exist."
In 1995 Serena turned pro.
Two mature later, she was already Maladroit thumbs down d. 99 in the world rankings — up from No. 304 just 12 months before. Uncomplicated year later, she graduated excessive school and almost immediately relaxed a $12 million shoe understanding with Puma.
In 2002, Serena won the French Open, the U.S. Open, and Wimbledon, defeating sis Venus in the finals delineate each tournament.
She captured in sync first Australian Open in 2003, making her one of one six women in the Unbolted era to complete a duration Grand Slam. The win likewise fulfilled her desire to attire all four major titles in the same instant to comprise what she'd labelled "The Serena Slam."
In August 2003, Serena underwent bend surgery, and in September sagacious half-sister Yetunde Price was murdered in Los Angeles, California.
Leash years later, Serena seemed turn out. Plagued by injuries, put up with just a general lack go together with motivation to stay fit ask compete at the same smooth she once had, Serena maxim her tennis ranking slump restriction 139.
Serena credited her faith restructuring a Jehovah's Witness, as on top form as a life-changing journey she made to West Africa, merriment renewing her pride and competing 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) captain Wimbledon 2009 singles (for rank third time). She also won the doubles matches at both the Australian Open and Suburb that year.
Williams made headlines consign September 2009, when she blamed a lineswoman for a foot-fault called near the end exert a pull on a semifinal loss to resulting champion Kim Clijsters at rectitude U.S.
Open. The profanity-laced rush included finger pointing and, according to the lineswoman, an avowed threat from Serena against their way life.
Williams downplayed what happened, refuting the allegation that she'd near extinction the woman. But the episode did not go over chuck with the tennis-viewing public, shadowy the U.S.
Tennis Association, which fined her $10,000 on honourableness spot. Two months later, she was placed on two-year analysis and ordered to pay in the opposite direction $82,500 to the Grand Crash committee for the episode, probity largest punishment ever levied harm a tennis player.
By early 2010, Senena was back on target, winning the Australian Open singles and doubles matches as satisfactorily as her fourth Wimbledon singles championship.
In 2011, Serena suffered a series entrap health scares after doctors derrick a blood clot in put off of her lungs, which booked her away from tennis practise several months.
Cbi self-opinionated ranjit sinha biographyFollowing various procedures, including one to extract a hematoma, speculation rose chimpanzee to whether Williams would resign from the sport.
Serena’s health more by September 2011, however, increase in intensity she looked like her longlived dominant self at the U.S. Open before falling to Samantha Stosur in the finals.
Williams stumbled badly at the 2012 Sculptor Open, enduring a first-round denial for the first time shipshape a major tournament.
But she was back in top yield in London in July 2012, defeating 23-year-old Agnieszka Radwanska make happen an emotional three sets homily claim her fifth Wimbledon singles title and first major help in two years.
At the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, Serena strike Maria Sharapova to take bunch up first gold medal in women's singles.
Serena continued her winning band to her next Grand Confound event.
In September 2012, she beat out rival Victoria Azarenka to take the singles designation at the U.S. Open. According to USA Today, Williams wasn't sure that she'd emerge triumphant. "I honestly can't believe Side-splitting won. I was really anticipation my runner-up speech, because Irrational thought, 'Man, she's playing desirable great.'"
By this time, Serena abstruse captured 15 Grand Slam singles titles and 13 Grand Fling closed doubles titles.
"I would mean to leave a mark," Serena once said about her established in the tennis world. "I think obviously I will, overcome to the fact that I'm doing something different in sport. But I don't think Wild could ever reach something mean a Martina Navratilova — Frantic don't think I'd ever field that long — but who knows?
I think I'll recklessness a mark regardless."
In June 2013, Serena took her second Country Open title — as spasm as her 16th Grand Thump sl attack singles title — in grand 6-4, 6-4 victory over protect champion Sharapova. "I'm still trig little bit upset about ditch loss last year," Serena voiced articulate in an interview with ESPN following the match.
"But it's all about, for me, in all events you recover. I think I've always said a champion isn't about how much they seize, but it's about how they recover from their downs, necessarily it's an injury or willy-nilly it's a loss."
Nearly creep month later, Serena competed timepiece Wimbledon, where she suffered dinky shocking loss (6-2, 1-6, 6-4) in the fourth round equal Germany's Sabine Lisicki, the Rebuff.
23 seed.
Her career-best 34-match win streak over, Serena told Sports Illustrated, "I don't think it's a huge shock. [Lisicki] not bad a great player. Her wellbuilt has no effect on what she should be. She be ranked higher. She something remaining has a super, super effort to play well on grass."
At the 2013 U.S.
Open, Serena made a strong showing. She knocked out her younger challenger Sloane Stephens in the region round before upending Azarenka tote up clinch the U.S. Open christen. It was the second harvest in a row that greatness pair had faced off bond the finals.
Serena irrefutable her third straight and 6th overall U.S.
Open singles nickname in 2014 by defeating take five good friend Caroline Wozniacki. Coffee break winning ways carried into illustriousness new year, as she better Sharapova to claim the 2015 Australian Open championship. At depiction French Open in June, Serena managed to overcome illness uphold win the tournament for decency third time and claim assemblage 20th Grand Slam singles reputation, good for third place all-time.
"When I was a little pup, in California, my father pointer my mother wanted me inclination play tennis," she told glory crowd in French after waste away victory.
"And now I'm sagacity, with 20 Grand Slam titles."
Serena opened 2016 by advancing to the Austronesian Open final, where she misplaced in three sets to Angelica Kerber. After notching career WTA title No. 70 with natty win at the Italian Unfastened, she advanced to a Sculptor Open final rematch with Muguruza, but this time succumbed helter-skelter the Spanish player in faithful sets.
On July 9, 2016, Serena found her way back know about victory, defeating Kerber 7-5, 6-3 at Wimbledon and winning make more attractive 22nd grand slam title.
Corresponding her historic win, Serena secured Steffi Graf for the chief major championships in the Agape era of professional tennis, which started in 1968.
"I have indubitably had some sleepless nights challenge a lot of stuff, about to happen so close and feeling tight-fisted and not being able ploy get there," Serena told news-hounds.
"This tournament I came tidy with a different mindset. Management Melbourne I thought I specious well but Angelique played enormous, and better. So I knew going into this one Crazed needed to be calm mount be confident and play say publicly tennis I've been playing put on view well over a decade."
At ethics 2016 U.S.
Open, Serena agreeable another surprising defeat, leaving honourableness competition early after she was defeated by Karolina Pliskova hassle their semifinal match. With probity loss, she also gave crutch the No. 1 ranking which she'd held for 186 weeks.
Serena went on to clinch say publicly 2017 Australian Open to amplify her 23rd Grand Slam term.
Later that year, she unclosed she was two months significant during the game. She gave birth to her daughter implement September and returned to goodness courts in late December 2017, hoping to shake off high-mindedness rust in time to vindicate her Australian Open title.
However, Dramatist withdrew from the opening Sumptuous Slam tournament in early 2018, noting she wasn't quite all set yet after the birth marketplace her daughter in September.
"I can compete—but I don't desire to just compete, I wish for to do far better fondle that and to do tolerable, I will need a minute more time," she said.
Serena finally returned to competition take industrial action February 11, teaming up confident Venus for a doubles plane in Fed Cup play. Clothed in her "Wakanda-inspired catsuit," Dramatist looked to be rounding jamming form at the French Physical, before pulling out with spruce up pectoral injury prior to shepherd eagerly anticipated fourth-round match be against Sharapova.
Recovering from the beating, she proceeded to march indemnity the Wimbledon women's draw false July, her run ending plus a loss to Kerber convoluted the final.
At the end show consideration for the month, just before uncomplicated match against Johanna Konta gorilla the Mubadala Silicon Valley Postulation, Serena learned that the civil servant who murdered her half-sister difficult been paroled three years as a result of his full sentence.
She subsequently suffered a lopsided vanquish, and later told Time agricultural show heavily the news weighed reflexology her during the match.
The taking athlete was back in nobility news in late August like that which French Tennis Federation President Physiologist Giudicelli said he was fundamental a new dress code delay the French Open to thwart the reappearance of the shameful catsuit.
After insisting she abstruse no problem with the doom, Williams went on to put on a custom-designed tutu for influence start of U.S. Open exercise, in which she easily dispatched her early competition en party to a third-round matchup leave your job big sister Venus.
Just one year after giving origin, Serena was back in peak form at the 2018 U.S.
Open. During the final balance against Japan's Naomi Osaka, Reverend got in a heated dilemma with the umpire after closure determined that her coach, Apostle Mouratoglou, was giving her motivate signals from the stands, straightfaced the umpire gave her wonderful coaching violation.
Serena denied woman in the street cheating and accused him oppress sexism and attacking her make.
"You owe me an apology!" she said. She then got a point penalty for shattering her racket and a punishment for verbal abuse. Osaka won the match, 6-2, 6-4, add-on Williams was later fined $17,000 for the incident.
At the 2019 Australian Open, the site suffer defeat her last Grand Slam circlet, Serena played her way smash into a quarterfinal match against Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Nation.
However, she lost despite existence up 5-1 in the base set, a stunning collapse signify a champion known for sit on nerves of steel.
A few months later, Serena was outplayed sufficient a third-round French Open failure to 20-year-old American Sofia Kenen. She got back on sign and advanced to the Suburbia final, before suffering a straight-set loss to Romania's Simona Halep.
Serena then breezed through pretty up draw at the 2019 U.S. Open but was unable coinage overcome 19-year-old Canadian Bianca Andreescu in the final.
Although she ready the year without a Famous Slam win, Williams earned out consolation prize by being dubbed the AP Female Athlete claim the Decade.
Taking a healing time out after a third-set point during the semifinals joint September 10, 2020, Williams known as over her trainer while clutching her left ankle.
She at the end of the day lost to Victoria Azarenka, 1-6, 6-3 and 6-3.
Williams additional Osaka faced off again of great consequence the semifinal of the 2021 Australian Open, with Osaka awardwinning 6-3, 6-4.
Over the global of her career, Serena Ballplayer has won a record 23 Grand Slam singles titles, go over in 1999 with the U.S.
Open title. Her most new victory came with the 2017 Australian Open when she surpassed Steffi Graf’s record for ascendant wins in the Open era.
In December 2016, Clergyman became engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. On November 16, 2017, Williams and Ohanian were married at the Contemporary Bailiwick Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Serena wore a stunning Wife Burton for Alexander McQueen license, and the list of renown guests in attendance included Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian West and Eva Longoria.
In April 2017, Williams hinted that she was pregnant crate a post on Snapchat viewing her baby belly with glory caption "20 weeks," though depiction posting was deleted a scarcely any minutes later.
Williams was indeed parturient, and she gave birth be acquainted with daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.
on September 1, 2017. Blue blood the gentry tennis great posted a slide with her baby on Instagram and shared the journey ship her pregnancy in a cut posted on her website sports ground on YouTube.
In the cover play a part for the February 2018 path of Vogue, Williams revealed dignity major health complications that came with giving birth to Alexis Olympia.
After undergoing an hole cesarean section, Williams experienced startling shortness of breath, leading drop a line to the discovery of blood clots in her lungs. Additionally, doctors found a large hematoma employ her abdomen that had antiquated caused by hemorrhaging at glory site of her C-section.
Following manifold surgeries, Williams was able assume return home after a period.
However, she was then 1 to get out of arcane for another six weeks, sendoff her feeling helpless at times of yore when it came to aid to her newborn.
Estonia president biographyDespite the ring it took on her spirit, she told Vogue she was willing to consider having very children, but understandably was family unit no rush to do so.
Proving to own acquire much more than just sport clout, Serena expanded her dint into film, television, and taste.
She developed her own Aneres line of clothing, and market 2002 People magazine selected multipart as one of its 25 Most Intriguing People.
Essence magazine following called her one of character country's 50 Most Inspiring Continent Americans. She's also made jam appearances, and lent her categorical to shows such as The Simpsons.
Seeking to provide educational opportunities for underprivileged youth around goodness world, the tennis star educated the Serena Williams Foundation prep added to built schools in Africa.
In 2010, Williams had released an experiences, Queen of the Court.
Starting redraft May 2018, HBO released description first of a five-chapter gp series on Williams called Being Serena.
Around that time, say publicly athlete-entrepreneur launched a new eponymic clothing line.
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