Serena Williams (1981- )
Serena Williams (1981-) is arguably the greatest female tennis players in history. Raised in Compton, California until the age of nine by her parents and coaches Richard Williams and Oracene Price, Serena grew up alongside her sister and future tennis star Venus. Serena’s first major successes against top-ranked tennis opponents came in 1997. Over the course of the next quarter of a century she won more than seventy career titles, including multiple victories in both singles and doubles at the four major tennis tournaments (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open). She is the highest-earning female athlete in history, and is also an entrepreneur, philanthropist and actor. According to Serena, “as a Black tennis player, I looked different. I sounded different. I dressed differently. I served differently. But when I stepped onto the court, I could compete with anyone.”
