Serena Williams has been a dominant player in tennis for decades, but the G.O.A.T. just made a big announcement: She’s retiring.The 40-year-old talked about her decision in an as-told-to interview with Vogue, hinting that the U.S. Open in September would be her last tournament. The reason for her retirement? She wants to expand her family with her husband, Alexis Ohanian.”In the last year, Alexis and I have been trying to have another child, and we recently got some information from my doctor that put my mind at ease and made me feel that whenever we’re ready, we can add to our family,” the 23-time Grand Slam champion said. “I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.””I don’t know if I will be ready to win New York. But I’m going to try,” she said. “And the lead-up tournaments will be fun.”Serena has been a tennis powerhouse since she was a teenager, and she completely changed public perception of what it means to be a female professional tennis player. Here’s a look back at some of her top achievements.First Grand Slam main draw appearance at age 16Serena was just 16 when she made a Grand Slam main draw appearance in 1998. She was ranked 304 at the time and made it to the semi-finals of the Sydney Opej, according to Tennis Majors. She ended the season ranked number 20 in the world.Won her first Grand Slam singles at US Open a year laterSerena was just 17 when she won the 1999 U.S. Open, beating Martina Hingis in the finals. With that victory, Serena became the first Black woman since Althea Gibson in 1958 to win a major singles title, according to ESPN.”I didn’t know what to do — laugh or cry or just scream — so I think I did it all,” Serena said afterward, per reports.Video below: These are the most successful athletes of the 21st centuryAchieved the ‘Golden Slam’ in 2012The “Golden Slam,” in case you’re not familiar with it, is winning all four Grand Slams: the championships of Australia, France, Britain (aka Wimbledon), and the U.S. and an Olympic gold medal. Tennis legend Steffi Graf is the only other person to do this.”Coming here and winning today is amazing,” Serena said after she won Wimbledon. “It’s been an unbelievable journey for me.”Overall, Serena has won four Olympic gold medals.”I never expected gold in singles,” Serena said after she won her first individual gold medal, per Tennis.com. “I was so happy with my doubles golds. I thought, ‘If my career’s over, I have my gold medal and now I have everything.’ Now I have singles, doubles, actually everything there is to win in tennis. Where do I go from here?”In 2015, she won French Open with the fluSerena almost pulled out of the 2015 French Open because she was sick with the flu. According to ESPN, Serena had a 101-degree fever and intense flu symptoms during the semi-final round.”I was crying so hard,” she said. “I didn’t want to win. I just wanted to go home. I said, ‘I can’t play anymore.'”While she still wasn’t feeling great at the final, she showed up — and won.In 2017, she won Australian Open while 8 weeks pregnantNobody knew it at the time, but Serena beat Steffi Graf’s record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, winning her 23rd Grand Slam singles title, while she was eight weeks pregnant with her daughter.Serena didn’t share that she was pregnant until she was 20 weeks along, and later said, per The Washington Post, that she was “nervous” to play the tournament while pregnant.She changed tennis fashion foreverTennis fashion used to mean showing up in various takes on a top and pleated skirt. Serena wasn’t interested in that and wore various catsuits on the court. She also rocked a one-shouldered tutu at the U.S. Open in 2018.”I’ve been like this my whole life, and I embrace me and I love how I look,” she told Good Morning America. “I love that I am a full woman, and I’m strong and I’m powerful and I’m beautiful at the same time and there’s nothing wrong with that. I just don’t have time to be brought down. I have too many things to do, you know. I have Grand Slams to win. I have people to inspire. And that’s what I’m here for.”
Serena Williams has been a dominant player in tennis for decades, but the G.O.A.T. just made a big announcement: She’s retiring.
The 40-year-old talked about her decision in an as-told-to interview with Vogue, hinting that the U.S. Open in September would be her last tournament. The reason for her retirement? She wants to expand her family with her husband, Alexis Ohanian.
“In the last year, Alexis and I have been trying to have another child, and we recently got some information from my doctor that put my mind at ease and made me feel that whenever we’re ready, we can add to our family,” the 23-time Grand Slam champion said. “I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.”
“I don’t know if I will be ready to win New York. But I’m going to try,” she said. “And the lead-up tournaments will be fun.”
Serena has been a tennis powerhouse since she was a teenager, and she completely changed public perception of what it means to be a female professional tennis player. Here’s a look back at some of her top achievements.
First Grand Slam main draw appearance at age 16
Serena was just 16 when she made a Grand Slam main draw appearance in 1998. She was ranked 304 at the time and made it to the semi-finals of the Sydney Opej, according to Tennis Majors. She ended the season ranked number 20 in the world.
Won her first Grand Slam singles at US Open a year later
Serena was just 17 when she won the 1999 U.S. Open, beating Martina Hingis in the finals. With that victory, Serena became the first Black woman since Althea Gibson in 1958 to win a major singles title, according to ESPN.
“I didn’t know what to do — laugh or cry or just scream — so I think I did it all,” Serena said afterward, per reports.
Video below: These are the most successful athletes of the 21st century
Achieved the ‘Golden Slam’ in 2012
The “Golden Slam,” in case you’re not familiar with it, is winning all four Grand Slams: the championships of Australia, France, Britain (aka Wimbledon), and the U.S. and an Olympic gold medal. Tennis legend Steffi Graf is the only other person to do this.
“Coming here and winning today is amazing,” Serena said after she won Wimbledon. “It’s been an unbelievable journey for me.”
Overall, Serena has won four Olympic gold medals.
“I never expected gold in singles,” Serena said after she won her first individual gold medal, per Tennis.com. “I was so happy with my doubles golds. I thought, ‘If my career’s over, I have my gold medal and now I have everything.’ Now I have singles, doubles, actually everything there is to win in tennis. Where do I go from here?”
In 2015, she won French Open with the flu
Serena almost pulled out of the 2015 French Open because she was sick with the flu. According to ESPN, Serena had a 101-degree fever and intense flu symptoms during the semi-final round.
“I was crying so hard,” she said. “I didn’t want to win. I just wanted to go home. I said, ‘I can’t play anymore.'”
While she still wasn’t feeling great at the final, she showed up — and won.
In 2017, she won Australian Open while 8 weeks pregnant
Nobody knew it at the time, but Serena beat Steffi Graf’s record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, winning her 23rd Grand Slam singles title, while she was eight weeks pregnant with her daughter.
Serena didn’t share that she was pregnant until she was 20 weeks along, and later said, per The Washington Post, that she was “nervous” to play the tournament while pregnant.
She changed tennis fashion forever
Tennis fashion used to mean showing up in various takes on a top and pleated skirt. Serena wasn’t interested in that and wore various catsuits on the court. She also rocked a one-shouldered tutu at the U.S. Open in 2018.
“I’ve been like this my whole life, and I embrace me and I love how I look,” she told Good Morning America. “I love that I am a full woman, and I’m strong and I’m powerful and I’m beautiful at the same time and there’s nothing wrong with that. I just don’t have time to be brought down. I have too many things to do, you know. I have Grand Slams to win. I have people to inspire. And that’s what I’m here for.”
