Serena Williams Bio And Facts

Serena Williams is a retired professional American tennis player. She changed the game of women’s tennis with her style of playing, especially by winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles, more than any other person in the Open Era. Even casual tennis fans, and many who don’t know tennis at all, have likely heard the name of Serena Williams. So, how did her legendary career begin? What other titles and awards has she won? Read on to learn all about the greatest women’s tennis player of all time.

Serena Williams

Serena Williams was born on September 26, 1981. She is the second daughter of Richard Williams and Oracene Price, and has one older sister, Venus, along with a number of half-siblings from other relationships that both of her parents have had.

As a child, Serena trained as a tennis player alongside her sister, Venus Williams, with both learning how to play from their father, Richard, who has coached them both throughout their careers. Naturally, Serena and Venus developed a sisterly rivalry on the court, but Serena has also played doubles with Venus many times, and the two are among the most well-known sibling pairs in sports.

Among all active tennis players, Serena Williams holds the fifth-most overall titles, with 73. Outside of her tennis career, Williams has ventured into fashion and entertainment. She launched her clothing line “S by Serena” in 2019. In 2014, she also launched “Serena Ventures” where she invests in multiple companies across different industries. She has appeared on television shows and voiced for many animations.

Serena Williams has changed the game of modern tennis with her fiery passion and athleticism, proving herself as one of the best tennis players of the Open Era.

• Birthdate: September 26, 1981 (26-09-1981)
• Education: Homeschooled; Tennis Academy of Rick Macci
• Net Worth: $250 million
• Occupation: Professional Tennis Player
• Height: 5’9” (1.75 m)
• Weight: 155 lbs (70.3 kg)
• Plays: Right-handed
• Years Active: 1995-2022 (27 years)
• Career Wins: 23 Grand Slam singles titles  
• Nicknames: ReRe
• Teams: Team USA

Social Media

• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Snapchat
• Business Website
• Serena Ventures Website

Tennis Career

In 1995, Serena Williams went professional. She won her first Grand Slam singles title in 1999, in the U.S. Open. Throughout her career, Serena teamed up with her sister Venus for doubles events. Both of them won gold medals for their doubles events.

In 2002, Serena won the U.S. Open, French Open, and Wimbledon beating her sister in each of the finals. Serena won the Australian Open in 2003, thus completing and winning all four of the slams components. Despite injuries in 2006 and 2011, Serena preserved and continued to win more titles and Grand Slams until 2017.

After having her daughter in 2017, she came back to playing in 2018, but did not win any tournaments. Similarly in 2019, she was defeated at the finals during the U.S. Open and Wimbledon. Williams announced her retirement in September of 2022. Although she has admitted she misses competition and would consider playing again in the future, Williams has remained in retirement since then. 

Titles and Awards

• 6x Australian Open Singles Champion (2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017)
• 3x French Open Singles Champion (2002, 2013, 2015)
• 7x Wimbledon Singles Champion (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016)
• 6x US Open Singles Champion (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014)
• 4x Olympic gold medalist (2000, 2008, and two in 2012)
• 7x WTA Player of the Year (2002, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015)

Serena Williams has won a total 23 Grand Slam singles tournaments. She won the U.S. Open in 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, and 2014. She won the French Open in 2002, 2013, and 2015. She won the Australian Open in 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, and 2017. Lastly she won Wimbledon in 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2016. Williams has also won 14 Grand Slam titles for women’s doubles and two Grand Slam titles for mixed doubles.

Williams has also competed in the Olympics and won multiple medals. She received gold medals for women’s doubles in the 2000, 2008, and 2012 Olympics, and in 2012, she also received a gold medal for women’s singles.

Personal Life

Serena Williams has been playing tennis since she was a young girl; her dad, Richard Williams, helped train her. She began playing and training at age three. Her sister Venus Williams also is a professional tennis player who went professional in 1994, a year before Serena. Many people predicted Venus would be the one to win a Grand Slam title first, but it ended up being Serena in 1999.

Serena got engaged to Alexis Ohanian in December 2016, and shortly after, in April, she announced she was pregnant. She gave birth to a daughter, Alexis Olympia, in September 2017. In November 2017, Alexis and Serena got married with guests such as Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian, and Anna Wintour in attendance. Williams also released two autobiographies called On the Line (2009) and My Life: Queen of the Court (2010).

On May 1, 2023, while in attendance at the 2023 Met Gala, Williams announced that she and her husband are expecting their second child.

Fun Facts

• She is married to Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit.
• Her favorite city is Rome, Italy. 
• The weirdest thing you can find in Serena’s bag is her OPI nail polish. 
• Besides dogs, her favorite animals are tigers. 
• Other than tennis, Serena’s favorite sport to watch is gymnastics. 
• Serena can speak French fluently and often conducts interviews in French when she’s playing in France.
• She has voiced characters on many animated shows, including The Simpsons, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and The Legend of Korra.
• Her middle name is Jameka. 
• The toaster oven is her go-to gadget in the kitchen. 
• Williams’ favorite water sport is tubing. 
• Two of her favorite singers are Brandy and Mariah Carey.
• Williams is a close friend of Beyonce’s and appeared in her music video for “Sorry.”
• She has had endorsements with Audemars Piguet, Pepsi, Aston Martin, Gatorade, OPI Nail Polish, and IBM.

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