Black History Month profile: Serena Williams

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This week we are acknowledging one of the greatest women’s athletes of all time, who is known as Serena Williams. Williams is an African American tennis player who has earned 39 Grand Slam Titles. She was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan. Where she grew up with five other siblings including another known tennis star, her older sister Venus Williams. Their father Richard Williams moved their family to Compton, California, where Williams began tennis training with her father and older sister around the age of three. 

In 1998, Williams’s ranking rose to number 20 and she became the fastest player to record five victories against the Top 10 tennis players. Williams graduated from Driftwood Academy in 1999 and soon after signed a $12 million endorsement deal with Puma. Williams continued to receive countless victories and rise in the rankings. Although, she did go through many tribulations in 2003. William underwent knee surgery in August. 

Then her oldest sister, Yetunde Price was murdered in Los Angeles. Both tragedies took a big toll on her career and mentality, but she gained back the strength to keep going. Overall, Williams was named the AP Female Athlete of the Decade for her dominance in the 2010s. Williams now has many successful franchises outside of tennis. She continues to inspire tennis players and the wider public through her hard work and pursuit of excellence on and off the court.