The Evolution of Serena Williams [UPDATE]

No one, not Brady, not Tiger, not Jordan, has dominated their sport like Serena Williams. As she prepares to move on from tennis and enjoy the next chapter in her life, we’re celebrating the GOAT by taking a look at the best moments of her career and how she’s influenced tennis, sports and the world. A literal game-changer, this is the Evolution of Serena Williams.

2 / 16

Childhood

11 and 12-year-old Venus & Serena Williams on Trans World Sport

Serena Williams was born on September 26, 1981 to Richard Williams and Oracene Price. She is the youngest of five girls. Serena began playing tennis at the age of four, learning from her father, Richard. She started professional career one year after her sister, Venus, in 1995.

3 / 16

Serena’s First Grand Slam 1999

Serena won her first Grand Slam at the age of 17 at the 1999 US Open. She defeated Martina Hingis, a very dominant world No. 1, 6–3, 7–6 (7–4) and very loudly announced herself to the tennis world. It’s a poetic full circle moment that she will complete her groundbreaking career at the same place where it took off.

4 / 16

Serena Slam 2002-2003

S. Williams v V. Williams: 2003 Australian Open Women’s Final Highlights

She won gold in the Sydney Australia 2000 Olympic games. She went on to win the 2002 French Open, 2002 U.S. Open, 2002 Wimbledon, and the 2003 Australian Open (beating her sister). This feat is called the Serena Slam as she obtained four major singles titles in a row.

5 / 16

Serena and Venus

Serena and Venus’ careers will forever be linked, not that these two sisters mind being considered a package deal. However, no matter how many times they told the press how much they loved and rooted for one another, tennis media spent a lot of time trying to manufacture a feud between them. If one of them is playing, the camera is permanently set up in front of the other. Once the pair got into their 30s, the sports world seemed to finally respect their sisterly bond and just let them support each other.

6 / 16

Injuries and Setbacks

The tennis pro won the Australian Open again in 2005. However, from 2005-2010 Serena continued snatching titles while simultaneously battling injuries, constantly having to reassure her fans and haters that her career was not in trouble.

7 / 16

Serena vs Maria

Serena Williams dominates Maria Sharapova at 2012 Olympic Games I NBC Sports

The tennis world desperately wanted a rivalry between Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. They painted Maria as a Russian blond bombshell whose beauty was supposed to intimidate Serena. The problem with this is, one: Serena is a gorgeous badass who doesn’t have time for your racist bullshit and two: she beat Maria damn near every time they played. Seriously, her record against Sharapova was 20-2. As the Russian admitted herself, “it’s not really a rivalry.”

8 / 16

Winning Gold and the Crip walk

In 2012 Serena won gold at the London Olympics, shortly after winning her fifth Wimbledon title. At the time she was the only woman to have earned the Gold Slam. She celebrated this title by doing the Crip-walk on the court, a dance that caused controversy and called “inappropriate” by the tennis community.

9 / 16

Winning her 23rd Grand Slam while pregnant

Match point for Serena Williams’ 23rd Grand Slam title | Australian Open 2017

Serena defeated Venus in the Australian Open singles match in January 2017, marking her 23rd career Grand Slam. Only a few months later in April Serena accidentally posted a picture of her pregnant belly revealing that she was pregnant during her historic match against her sister.

10 / 16

Pregnancy and Marriage

Williams announced in April 2017 that she would be taking off the rest of the season due to her pregnancy. At the time she was engaged to Reddit co-founder, Alexis Ohanian. They were married shortly after she gave birth in September 2017.

11 / 16

Terrifying Birthing Experience

‘I Know My Body’ Ep 2. Official Clip | Being Serena | HBO

In a mini doc series called Being Serena, Williams recounted the day she gave birth to her daughter, Olympia. She had an emergency C-section that was successful, but only hours after the procedure, Williams almost died. She suffered from a pulmonary embolism. Her birthing story sparked conversation about Black women maternal mortality, due her having to advocated for herself in the operating room.

12 / 16

Catsuit Controversy

Because of her health struggle with blood clots, Williams debuted a sleek, black catsuit at the 2018 French Open. The suit was useful because it helped keep the blood circulating throughout her body. However, the catsuit and outfits like it were banned as French Open officials thought it was too sexy for the tennis court. This started a conversation on how women athletes constantly have their bodies policed by male dominated boards and committees. Once again, Serena changed the tennis world just by being herself.

13 / 16

King Richard

King Richard, the story of the Williams sister’s father’s journey to becoming their first coach was released in 2021. Will Smith portrayed Richard and won Best Actor at the 2022 Academy Awards (the same night as the Oscar slap) for his role.

14 / 16

Serena Ventures

As the four-time Olympic gold medalist began to think about her post-tennis life, she realized there was a space that needed her voice in the venture capital world, so she started Serena Ventures. In her retirement article in Vogue, Serena noted how when she found out 98 percent of VC money went to men, she knew she needed to take action. “Someone who looks like me needs to start writing the big checks…in order for us to change that, more people who look like me need to be in that position, giving money back to themselves,” she said.

15 / 16

Retirement

August 8- Wiliams defeats Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain in National Bank Open

In an interview with Vogue, Serena announced that she would be fading out of her tennis career. She admits in the interview that she does not take the retirement subject lightly as tennis has been her whole life, but she knows that it is now time for her to evolve into a new person. Her main reason? She wants to expand her family

The Evolution of Serena Williams [UPDATE]

Let's give Serena her shine now that she's ready to turn over a new chapter in life and leave tennis.

Childhood

Childhood

Serena’s First Grand Slam 1999

Serena’s First Grand Slam 1999

Serena Slam 2002-2003

Serena Slam 2002-2003

Serena and Venus

Serena and Venus

Injuries and Setbacks

Injuries and Setbacks

Serena vs Maria

Serena vs Maria

Winning Gold and the Crip walk

Winning Gold and the Crip walk

Winning her 23rd Grand Slam while pregnant

Winning her 23rd Grand Slam while pregnant

Pregnancy and Marriage

Pregnancy and Marriage

Terrifying Birthing Experience

Terrifying Birthing Experience

Catsuit Controversy

Catsuit Controversy

King Richard

King Richard

Serena Ventures

Serena Ventures

Retirement

Retirement