The era is almost over.
One of the greatest tennis players of all time, Serena Williams, is set to retire.
It's hard to imagine tennis without the American legend who has won everything there is to win.
Williams will be remembered as one of the game's greatest competitors and an athlete who possessed the purest serve in the women's game.
She will be remembered for speaking out against racism, pushing for gender parity and equal prize money, as well as her experiences as a black woman.
World number 11 Coco Gauff said that Serena Williams was the reason why she plays tennis and that her legacy can inspire many more generations.
Gauff said that tennis was a mostly white sport. Someone who looked like me dominated the game. I believed I could dominate as well.
The big moments from an illustrious career can be found in this article.
Williams won her first Grand Slam singles title at the age of 17 She beat world number four Monica Seles in the quarter-finals and then second ranked Lindsey Davenport in the final.
Williams became the first African American woman in the Open Era to win a singles major. She and Venus won the doubles title on the same day.
Both the Williams sisters and their father, Richard, have spoken about their experiences with racism and issues of race.
One of the biggest events outside of the Grand Slams was going to be held in 2001 and the sisters were going to play each other. Richard and the sisters were accused of match- fixing when Venus withdrew. Both Richard and Venus said they were racially abused by the crowd when Serena came out to play in the final.
Serena hugged her father after the win. She and Venus boycotted the event for a long time, with Serena not coming until 2015.
Since the 2002 French Open, Williams has won every major she has entered. The Australian Open trophy was nowhere to be found.
She saved two match points against Kim Clijsters in the semi-finals of the Australian Open to reach the final. She beat Venus for the fourth time. Williams won a career Grand Slam and a non-calendar year Grand Slam at the age of 22.
After winning the Wimbledon grass court title, Williams went on to win another nine majors.
She followed up her Wimbledon title run with a dominating performance. In just 62 minutes, Williams thrashed Maria Sharapova on the same court where she beat her in 2004. It was the most one-sided defeat for the Russian against the American, with the American winning 22 of their 24 meetings.
Williams started and ended the 2015 season as world number one, winning the Australian Open,Roland Garros and Wimbledon to go with her US Open title.
She was going to the calendar Grand Slam in New York and was going to face Italy's Roberta Vinci, who had beaten her four times in a row. The unseeded Italian came back in the third set to stun Williams and the crowd. She described the loss as breaking her heart.
Shortly before the first Grand Slam of the year, Serena Williams found out she was pregnant. She was eight weeks pregnant when she won her eighth Australian Open title and became only the second woman in Open Era history to win at least eight majors.
After returning to the top of the world rankings, she went on maternity leave and did not drop a set.
Williams has spoken about how difficult it is for black women to get healthcare in the US Williams almost died when she gave birth to her daughter.
She returned to the tennis court eight months after giving birth and wore a black catsuit that made her feel like a queen from the movie "Black Panther". She reached the Wimbledon final and lost to Kerber.
Williams said several times that breaking Court's record was "the only reason" she still played after her daughter's birth and it seemed fitting that she could equal it on her home turf.
Williams was the heavy favorite. The New York crowd booed Williams after she called the umpire a liar and a thief. Both players were emotional at the end of the game.
When she injured her ankle in the first round of Wimbledon in 2021, it felt like it would be the last time we would see her.
Her surprise decision to compete in singles through a wild card led to a late-night thriller against France's Harmony Tan. Williams went down in three sets after wowing the crowd with her competitive spirit.
She stood and twirled one last time on the stage as she left a standing applause.
No one will ever be another Serena.
All Rights Reserved © 2024
