Serena Williams: A True Icon Bows Out

On Friday, September 2nd, 2022, one of the greatest athletes in the world, Serena Williams, drew the curtain on her illustrious career which spanned almost 30 years.

The world watched Serena play her last match against Ajla Tomljanovic, at the women’s singles of the 2022 US Open. Although the match ended in a defeat for Serena after the third round, it hardly mattered because the day was about more than that one match.

The 41-year-old tennis star announced her retirement in early August, stating that she intends to focus on her family now. She made it clear that this was a tough decision for her, especially since male athletes hardly find themselves in such an unfair position. However, Serena thinks it is a necessary one and has decided to focus on building her family now.

As we celebrate this amazing icon, we shine the spotlight on her career so far, and why we think she is the true definition of black girl magic.

Biography of Serena Williams

Born to Richard Dove Williams Jr and Oracene Price in 1981, Serena was blessed to have supportive parents who saw what she could become, even before she recognized it.

Her father Richard, who himself was an accomplished tennis player, taught tennis to both Serena and her older sister Venus. He was known as a strict coach, so both Serena and Venus put in long hours of training to perfect their skills in the sport.

The family moved to Florida in 1991, where both sisters attended Bradenton’s IMG Academy, a tennis training school. Subsequently, Serena became a professional tennis player in 1995, a year after her sister went pro.

She was 14 at the time, and with her powerful strokes and energetic serves, it didn’t take long for Serena to get noticed.

At the 1999 U.S Open, Serena Williams surprised her critics by winning the tournament, even though many predicted that her sister would win it.

In 2002, Serena won the French Open in Wimbledon and the U.S Open, where she defeated her sister in the final stages of both tournaments.

Next, she emerged the winner of the Australian Open in 2003, which sealed her Grand Slam career after winning the four categories of the slam tournaments.

She went on to win the Australian Open for the second time in 2005, and after suffering an injury, came back stronger in 2007 to win it yet again.

In total, Serena Williams won 39 Grand Slam titles, with 23 singles and together with her sister, 14 doubles.

5 Reasons Why Serena Williams Is The G.O.A.T

Image Source: NBC News

1. Sports
2. Fashion
3. Business
4. Political and Cultural Influence
5. Philantropy

Serena Williams is not only one of the greatest female tennis players of all time, but was also emerged as the world No 1! This means she won more titles than any male or female tennis player ever during the open era. Serena debunked the idea that female sports are generally less competitive or entertaining, as even the guys had a hard time beating her.

Throughout her career, she was known for her sheer will, determination, drive, and passion for the game. These great athletic qualities earned her several titles, millions of dollars in prize money, and an eternal spot among the greatest athletes of all time.

On social media, Twitter released a statement proclaiming Serena Williams as the most talked about female athlete of all time, with huge numbers up there with the likes of Lionel Messi and Christiano Ronaldo.

And to commemorate her retirement, they made a goat emoji dressed in sportswear with a racket and a tennis ball. I mean, talk about iconic!

Serena Williams is also known for her incredible sense of style and is respected in the fashion world. Even when she graces the court, she adorns stylish outfits like catsuits and a skintight jumpsuit that gives her room to move around swiftly and helps with blood circulation. So who says you can’t look good while sweating out?

And when it comes to red-carpet looks, Serena always serves. In 2022, Times Magazine recognized her as one of the most influential women in Hollywood, not just for her outstanding career, but, well, for everything else!

Serena cast aside the idea that female athletes can lose their femininity for some reason. She graced the covers of various magazines, including multiple issues of Vogue. In February 2018, wearing a cute lilac Valentino dress, she posed for the cameras with her daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.

In fact, her looks on and off the courts show us that every time Serena steps out in public, she simply shines.

In business, Serena again proved her grit and wisdom. As of 2017, she was the only female athlete on the Forbes list of the 100 highest-paid athletes in the world. And as of 2022, Forbes declared Serena Williams to be worth about 260 million dollars!

Of her vast fortunes, Serena earned less than 100 million dollars from her on-court winnings in tennis. Everything else, she acquired through numerous deals and investments.

In 2002, Serena earned a 40 million dollar deal with Nike, who supplied her court attire. She is also recognized as an ambassador for numerous brands including Pepsi, Beats by Dre, Aston Martin, IBM, Chase Bank, and Delta.

Additionally, Serena owns her own companies like SerenaWilliams jewellery and S by Serena. She owns an investment company, Serena Ventures, which manages her investments in over 60 start-ups ranging from fashion businesses to tech start-ups. She also invested about 75 million dollars in the UFC and is a substantial shareholder of the Miami Dolphins.

At a time when women were undervalued and underappreciated in the field of sports, Serena Williams changed the game. Her powerful style and unyielding energy earned her a place among the greatest athletes in world history.

Serena and her sister Venus are strong advocates for equal pay for both male and female athletes. Thanks to their influence, big brands like Nike and Pepsi now value female athletes just as much as their male counterparts and offer much better deals to these athletes.

Serena is also very vocal about the disparity and gender imbalances in sports. Even while announcing her retirement, she pointed out that if she were a man, she never would have had to choose between raising her family and chasing her career. This is a choice that many women struggle with daily across various fields.

Both sisters have also been influential in the African-American community, and support many black start-ups. They are vocal about racial challenges in sports and support black communities and other minority groups. Serena invested in Karat to support their Brilliant Black Minds Program and increase the number of employed black software engineers.

Serena has also been vocal about her experience with postpartum depression. In August 2018, she suffered the worst defeat of her career when she lost 6-1 6-0 to Johanna Konta in round 1 of the Silicon Valley Classic.

She posted on her Instagram page, encouraging other women going through a similar phase to understand that it’s okay. According to her, most moms go through the same thing, and whether stay-at-home or career mom, finding that balance with kids is a true art.

“You are the true heroes,” she said.

Yet in all of these challenges, Serena has never viewed herself as a victim or a disadvantaged individual. She fights for women’s rights and black people’s rights with as much strength and courage as she displays on the tennis court.

Even when she suffered an injury and took some time off to recover, she bounced back stronger. Serena also took some much-needed time off during her pregnancy and came back after she had her daughter.

So whether in sports, business or fashion, Serena always puts in the work and goes on to break so many more barriers. For this reason and many more, she remains an incredible icon.

Aside from her numerous investments in start-ups, Serena is a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and also has her own charity project, the Serena Williams Fund. This project was set up to help people achieve their goals and not be limited by race, gender, or disability of any kind.

Serena also supports about 13 different charity organizations and foundations. They include Build African Schools, World Education, Equal Justice Initiative, Global Goals, the Eva Longoria Foundation, and the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Finally

Serena and her sister did not just make their mark as sports legends, they also opened doors for female athletes after them. It wasn’t just about making money, winning titles, or being famous. It was also about leaving a long-lasting imprint on the world, a mark of change, hope, and of greatness.

As Michelle Obama pointed out in her book On Becoming, why should we aspire to be one thing when we can be many things? Serena Williams is not just a woman, a daughter, a wife, or a mother. She is a businesswoman, an activist, a cultural phenomenon, a fashionista, a legendary athlete, and an overall icon.

She is a shining light to beautiful black girls, black women, and women of colour, women everywhere in fact, that we can be so much more than we think. Only if we can just dream it, only if we can just put in the work.

So the next time someone tries to put you in one box, show them, Serena Williams.

All images are sourced from Freewalldownload.com