By changing nothing, she changed everything.” – Nike, W+K Portland
One of the most renowned names in the history of tennis and sports, Serena Williams, is likely to retire after playing the US Open on September 2, 2022. Williams, who is said to be the greatest athlete of all time, not only won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 major women’s doubles titles, and two major mixed doubles titles, but has also changed the sport of tennis forever. Her retirement marks the end of an era.
Born in Michigan on September 26, 1981, Serena’s journey started when she was a little girl playing tennis on the courts of a club in Compton, California with her sister, Venus, and being trained by their father, Richard Williams. Soon after, she made her way to the top of the tennis world and dominated the sport for over two decades playing over a thousand matches. She was nearly undefeated year after year, winning several majors and tours, and holding the world number one position for 319 total weeks.
Here was a 16-year-old Black girl, playing a sport where her opponents, spectators, and reporters looked nothing like her, but she stood stronger than ever against all the odds, playing against the best in the game, later becoming the best in the game.
Williams has been and is a role model for many. Her journey has offered us lessons that taught aspiring tennis players, like myself, to believe in what we want to achieve, both on and off the court. She changed sports for women athletes and the way people of color are perceived in the world of sports.
She has challenged and changed the fashion game in the tennis world by reflecting her personal style with her tennis outfits and statement jewelry on the court.
Watching her on screen imitating her swings, wanting to serve like her, challenging my inner self to be as bold as her, running for every ball and giving my best till the last point, she has taught me about life while teaching me to become a better tennis player and athlete.
Serena has redefined sports for all and is now onto her next phase in life.With her business, Serena Ventures, Williams is accomplished both on and off the court and has been named one of the world’s highest-paid athletes by Forbes.
“I have never liked the word retirement. It doesn’t feel like a modern word to me. I’ve been thinking of this as a transition, but I want to be sensitive about how I use that word, which means something very specific and important to a community of people,” Williams said in an essay she wrote for Vogue this August. “Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is evolution. I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.”
Thank you, Serena, for all you have done.
