Biography of Serena Jameka Williams
American professional tennis player Serena Jameka Williams has a storied career and has frequently ranked #1 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. When Williams was three years old, Serena started taking tennis lessons. 1999 saw her win her first significant title, and 2003 saw her complete her career Grand Slam.
Serena has won numerous doubles championships alongside her sister Venus Williams and her achievements. At the Australian Open 2017, Serena overcame her older sister to win her 23rd Grand Slam singles championship.
Early Life – Education and Birth Place
Richard and Oracene Williams welcomed Serena Jameka Williams into the world on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan. Serena, the eldest of Richard’s five children, and her sister Venus would go on to win countless tennis titles.
Venus and Serena were taught how to play tennis by their father, a former sharecropper from Louisiana who was driven to see his two youngest daughters succeed. He had learned the skills from tennis books and movies. When Serena was three years old, she endured her father’s daily two-hour practice sessions on a court close to their new Compton, California, home.
The family had moved to Compton. Given the high prevalence of gang violence, Richard felt it was important to show his girls what life could be like “if they did not work hard and get an education.” Here, on courts poked with potholes and occasionally devoid of nets, Serena and Venus learned the fundamentals of tennis and what it takes to survive in harsh weather.
On the junior United States Tennis Association circuit by 1991, Serena was 46-3 and topped the 10-and-under division. Realizing that his daughters required further education to succeed as professionals, he relocated his family once more, this time to Florida. There, Richard relinquished some of his coaching duties, although he continued to oversee Serena and Venus’ careers. Fearing that his girls would burn out too soon, he reduced the number of junior tournaments they attended.
Struggle and Career of Serena Jameka Williams
A year after Venus, Serena began her professional career in 1995. The world recognized the strengths of the youngest from the start. Strong ground strokes, a booming serve, and exceptional athleticism were among Serena’s strongest game attributes.
First Success
Serena took little time to move up to the top 100 in the Women’s Tennis Association rankings, having begun the year ranked below 300th. Serena began writing her legacy in 1998 when Serena won the US Open and Wimbledon mixed doubles championships. By the end of the year, she had already achieved a ranking of No. 20 in the WTA Ranking.
Serena proved everyone wrong by winning her maiden Grand Slam in the 1999 US Open, despite many people’s predictions that Venus would be the first sister to win a Grand Slam singles championship. Not only did this elevate Serena to the fourth rank in the world rankings, but it also made her the second African-American woman to win a Grand Slam.
The Career of Serena Williams
Venus and Serena Williams joined up once more to win the gold medal in women’s doubles at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, just months after winning Wimbledon.
When Serena and Venus won the Australian Open early in 2001, they became the fifth double combination to capture every Grand Slam title. Later that year, the sisters squared off in the US Open final, with Venus coming out on top.
However, Serena made an even bigger comeback in 2002, winning the French Open, Wimbledon, England, and American Open, and defeating her sister in all three finals to take back the top spot in the world rankings at Venus’ expense.
Relationship with Venus
The sisters remained teammates at double competitions and faced each other in numerous singles finals. In 2003, Serena won the Australian Open for the first time, capping a career Grand Slam, and extending her winning run over Venus. In addition, Serena accomplished the media-dubbed “Serena Slam” by becoming the fifth woman to hold all major titles at the same time.
That year, the Williams sisters—who had won the Australian Open in doubles—also faced off in the Wimbledon final, with Serena triumphing over Venus once more. But that year, the sisters experienced a terrible loss when Yetunde Price, their half-sister, was killed in Los Angeles, California.
Great Comeback & Huge Setback
Serena had an injury-plagued year in 2006 following her second Australian Open victory in 2005. She fell out of the top 10 in the WTA rankings.
But in 2007, the tennis player stunned everyone by defeating Maria Sharapova to capture her third Australian Open women’s singles championship. In the end, Serena returned to the top 10, concluding the year in seventh position.
The Williams Sisters Are Still in Charge
The following year, Serena continued her comeback and won the singles title at the US Open. She also made it to the Wimbledon final, where Venus defeated her. In 2008, the sisters returned to even more powerful. Serena and Venus Williams won their second gold medal together at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, following their victory in another Grand Slam event at Wimbledon.
The Williams sisters continued to dominate in 2009, taking home doubles titles at the US Open, Wimbledon, and Australian Open. Serena had a tremendous season in the singles division as well, winning in Australia and The Championships. Serena ended the year ranked as the top player in the world for the second time in her career.
In 2010, Serena maintained her titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and she also achieved success in doubles with her sister. However, Serena had a hard year in 2011. Because of several health complications, the tennis player had to miss time from the competition. Upon examination, physicians discovered a blood clot in one of her lungs.
Returning More Determined
Serena returned to her best on the tennis court quickly after, as she produced another incredible comeback in 2012. Williams became the second woman after Steffi Graf to complete a career Golden Slam when she won a gold medal in the singles competition of the 2012 London Olympics, shortly after winning both the Wimbledon singles and doubles titles. Serena was far from done when Serena went on to win her 15th Grand Slam singles championship at the US Open.
Creating History
Serena became the oldest US Open champion in 2013 when she won two more Grand Slam singles events, the first being at the French Open and the second at Flushing Meadows. Along with Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, Serena is the only woman to have won 18 Grand Slam singles titles in the open era. The next year, Serena repeated herself as the US Open champion.
2015 witnessed the return of an even more formidable Williams, who held the 2014 US Open championship and went on to clinch her second career, Grand Slam, by winning the first three Grand Slam singles titles of the year.
Even though Serena could not duplicate her stellar season in 2016 and ultimately lost her top position, Serena could still tie Steffi Graf’s record with 22 Grand Slam singles victories by winning at Wimbledon
In 2017, Serena broke that record when she defeated Venus in the Australian Open championship match to win her 23rd Grand Slam title.
Returning to the Court
In March 2018, Williams made a comeback to the tennis court, but Serena faced defeat in the fourth round of the French Open. She advanced to the Wimbledon and US Open finals that year, although she did not take home a championship.
Serena lost in the Australian Open quarterfinals, but in 2019 she nearly won the US Open and Wimbledon as well, losing in the final both times. Serena triumphed in the singles division at the 2020 ASB Classic in New Zealand, capping her wait of over three years.
A Last Trip
The tennis player had a remarkable run at the Australian Open in 2021, defeating Simona Halep to advance to the semifinals before falling to Naomi Osaka. That year, Serena also participated in the US Open and Wimbledon, but injuries forced her to withdraw from both competitions.
Williams spent a large portion of the 2022 season dealing with injuries. They granted her permission to compete in Wimbledon, but Serena was eliminated in the first round. Serena disclosed that she would give up tennis after the US Open in an interview with Vogue.
Retirement
It should come as no surprise that thousands of fans showed up at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center to see the tennis legend’s farewell dance. Reaching the third round, Serena said a moving farewell to the sport.
Awards and Achievements of Serena Jameka Williams
Award Names | Years |
WTA Newcomer Of The Year | 1998 |
WTA Most Improved Player Of The Year | 1999 |
WTA Doubles Team Of The Year | 2000 |
Associated Press Female Athlete Of The Year | 2002 |
WTA Player Of The Year | 2002 |
ITF Women’s Singles World Champion | 2002 |
Laureus World Sportswoman Of The Year | 2003 |
WTA Comeback Player Of The Year | 2004 |
Laureus World Comeback Of The Year | 2007 |
WTA Player Of The Year | 2008 |
AP Female Athlete Of The Year Award | 2009 |
ITF Women’s Singles World Champion | 2009 |
ITF Women’s Doubles World Champion | 2009 |
WTA Player Of The Year | 2009 |
WTA Doubles Team Of The Year | 2009 |
Teen Choice Awards–Female Athlete Award | 2010 |
WTA Player Of The Year | 2012 |
ITF Women’s Singles World Champion | 2012 |
United States Sports Academy Female Athletes Of The Year Award | 2012 |
Relationship – Love Life, Marriage or Boyfriend
Williams got engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in December 2016. Williams and Ohanian tied the knot at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, on November 16, 2017. Beyoncé, Kim Kardashian West, Eva Longoria, and other celebrities were among the guests of honor at Serena’s elegant Alexander McQueen attire.
Williams did have a child, and on September 1, 2017, Serena gave birth to Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. The legendary tennis player uploaded a video of her pregnant journey on her website and YouTube, as well as an Instagram snapshot of herself with her child.
In the February 2018 Vogue cover story, Williams discussed the serious health issues Serena had after giving birth to Alexis Olympia. Williams had emergency cesarean surgery, and when Serena suddenly became breathless, doctors found blood clots in her lungs. Doctors also discovered a sizable hematoma in her belly, which was brought on by bleeding around the site of her C-section.
A week after numerous surgeries, Williams was allowed to go back home. Serena felt helpless in caring for her infant, though, as Serena could not leave her bed for an additional six weeks. Serena admitted to Vogue that she was open to thinking about having more children, but that Serena was not in a rush to do so, despite the emotional toll it took.
Figure – Physical Measurements OF Serena Jameka Williams
The following list contains Serena Jameka Williams’s weight, height, bust, waist, hip, bra cup, and shoe size. One interesting observation is that, although having comparable cup measurements, Serena’s bra size is four times larger than Canadian actress Kristin Laura Kreuk’s.
Figure | Slim |
Height | 5’ 9” or 175cm |
Weight | 70 kg or 154 pounds |
Body Measurement | 40-30-44 |
Bra Size | 36 B |
Cup Size | B |
Eye Color | Dark Black |
Hair Color | Naturally Black (Dyed Brown) |
Dress Size | 14 (US) |
Shoe size | 10 (US) |
Age of Serena Jameka Williams
Serena Williams was born in Saginaw, Michigan, on September 26, 1981, and he will be 42 years old in 2024.
Wiki Info
Here is some Wiki information about Serena Williams given below:
Real Name | Serena Jameka Williams |
Nickname | Meka, Momma Smash |
Date of Birth | September 26, 1981 |
Place of Birth | Saginaw, Michigan, USA |
Age | 42 years old |
Nationality | American |
Religion | Jehovah’s Witness |
Ethnicity | African-American |
Parents | Father–Richard Williams Mother–Oracene Price |
Spouse | Alexis Ohanian |
Children | Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr |
Marital Status | Married |
Zodiac Sign | Libra |
Occupation | Tennis Player |
Serena Jameka Williams Favorite’s
We have listed Serena’s favorite interests below.
Favorite Color | Gold |
Favorite Food | Fried Chicken Sushi |
Favorite Film | Mama–There is a man in your bed |
Favorite Music | Hip-Hop |
Favorite Perfume | Gendarme Fragrance |
Favorite Singer | Mariah Carey and Brandy |
Net Worth
One of the most popular tennis players, Serena Williams, is thought to be worth $290 million, which is more than American actress Anya Taylor-Joy. Her numerous tennis accomplishments, which include 23 Grand Slam singles titles, and multiple Olympic gold medals, as well as numerous endorsements and business endeavors, are credited with her substantial wealth.
Social Media Accounts
These are Serena’s social media accounts along with the number of followers she has on each. It’s interesting to see that Serena has more social media followers than Sydney Sweeney, an American actress.
17.2 M Followers | |
10.4 M Followers | |
7.4 M Followers | |
Tiktok | 1.8 M Followers |
Why is Serena Williams famous?
Serena Williams is well-known for transforming women's tennis with her aggressive playing style and for being the only woman to have won 23 Grand Slam singles titles in the open era.
What has Serena Williams accomplished?
During the open era of tennis, Serena Williams won more Grand Slam singles titles than any other woman. Furthermore, Serena and her sister Venus took home three gold medals in doubles and fourteen Grand Slam doubles victories from the Olympics.
Where was Serena Williams born and raised?
Serena Williams's father reared her in Los Angeles and taught her to play tennis in public courts. She was born in Saginaw, Michigan. When she was 14 years old in 1995, she began her professional career.
How old was Venus when she turned pro?
At the age of 14, Williams began his professional career on October 31, 1994. Venus faced former NCAA singles champion Shaun Stafford in the opening round of the Silicon Valley Classic, her first professional competition, held in Oakland.
Who was better Venus or Serena?
Throughout her career, Venus has won 49 singles titles, while Serena has won 73.