Serena Williams Biography

Fast Facts

• Founded the Serena Williams Fund to help create education opportunities for victims of violence
• With her win over Venus Williams in the final of the 2017 Australian Open, she surpassed Steffi Graff as the person with the most Grand Slam titles in the Open Era with 23 championships to her name
• In 2015, she was named Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year
• Is the younger sister of tennis player Venus Williams
• In 2017, she gave birth to daughter Alexis Ohanian, Jr
• Made her professional tennis debut at the age of 14
• Started playing tennis at the age of five years old on public courts in Compton, Calif
• Quote: "[On her fashion designs] "My designs are inspired by all women․ I want women to know that it’s okay to love and embrace who you are… to be unapologetically bold and beautiful in anything you’re wearing․""
• Quote: "Ever since I was a little girl, my dream was to be the best tennis player in the world․ Luck has nothing to do with being good at the sport․ I have spent many, many hours… countless hours… on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come but believing that it would․"
• Is best known for being a power player with heavy groundstrokes
• Is the reason hawk-eye technology was introduced into professional tennis following her 2004 loss to Jennifer Capriati at the U․S․ Open
• Participated in the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant with her first child
• Was featured in Beyonce's video for her song "Sorry․"