Serena Williams

Serena Jameka Williams was born in Saginaw, Michigan and raised in Compton, California, where her father Richard Williams coached her and her sister Venus on public tennis courts surrounded by gang activity. His unconventional methods and their extraordinary talent would reshape the sport forever.

Serena won her first Grand Slam title at the 1999 U.S. Open at age 17. Over the next two decades, she won 23 Grand Slam singles titles — the most in the Open Era — along with 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with Venus. She held all four major titles simultaneously in 2002-2003, a feat dubbed the "Serena Slam."

Williams faced and overcame racism, sexism, life-threatening health complications after childbirth, and a sport that was never designed for someone who looked like her. She became a fashion icon, venture capitalist, and advocate for maternal health. She retired in 2022 as the highest-earning female athlete in history and one of the most dominant competitors any sport has ever seen.