“You have to believe in

yourself when no one else

does.”
-Serena Williams

SERENA WILLIAMS
THE G.O.A.T.
 Introduction
Serena Williams is the greatest woman tennis player in history. She broke down barriers for
women, especially for black women involving athletics and her legacy is here forevermore.
For numerous decades, she has expressed a great love for her family, friends, tennis, and
excellence. Her accolades are monumental. She was ranked by the Women’s Tennis
Association (WTA) as the world's No. 1 in singles on 8 separate occasions between 2002 and
2017. Serena Williams has the most Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles
combined among active players. Her total of 23 Grand Slam singles titles marks the record
for the most Grand Slam wins in the Open Era. Serena Williams is second on the all-time
list behind Margaret Court (24). She has won an all-time record of 13 Grand Slam singles
titles on the hard court. Williams holds the Open Era record for most titles won at the
Australian Open (7) and shares the Open Era record for most titles won at the US Open
with Chris Evert (6). She also holds the all-time record for the most women's singles
matches won at majors with 331 matches. Serena Williams is also a five-time winner of the
WTA Tour Championships in the singles division. She has also won four Olympic gold
medals, one in women's singles and three in women's doubles—an all-time record shared
with her sister, Venus Williams. Now, it is time to show a summary of her life and legacy.
 Her Early Life
Serena Williams was born in Saginaw, Michigan to Oracene Price and Richard Williams Jr.
She is the youngest of Price’s five daughters of Yetunde, Lyndrea, Isha, and Venus. The
family moved into Compton, California when she was very young. Serena Williams started
to play tennis when she was three years old. Her father Robert Williams home-schooled his
daughters Venus and Serena Williams. Richard Williams mentored the Williams sisters in
tennis too. Serena Williams moved into West Palm Beach, Florida when she was nine. She
attended the tennis academy of Rick Macci. Macci coached the William sisters. Richard
Williams heard many white parents use derogatory language against the Williams sisters. It
is no secret that the Williams sisters were victims of racism throughout their lives. Also,
Richard Williams has been outspoken on racial justice issues. Venus and Serena Williams
love their father a great deal. Serena Williams was coached by her father in 1995 away from
Macci. Serena Williams uses baseline and has an excellent serve plus great
groundstrokes. She consistently projects great pace and placement with her serves; in the
2013 Australian Open, she had a peak serve speed of 128.6 mph (207.0 km/h) which is the
third fastest all-time among women players (only Venus's 129 mph and Sabine Lisicki's 131
mph recorded speeds are faster). Serena Williams debuted in the professional realm as a
wild-card entry in the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California, but was denied by
the WTA due to age-eligibility restrictions of the organization.
 The Beginning of Her Career
She subsequently filed an antitrust lawsuit against the women's tour, but withdrew it at the
behest of her parents. Her first professional event was in October 1995 at the Bell Challenge
in Quebec, where she used a wild-card entry to circumvent age-eligibility rules. She lost in
the first round of qualifying to then 18-year-old American Annie Miller, winning just two
games. She didn’t play a tournament in 1996. By 1997, Serena Williams won more victories.
Ranked No. 304, she upset No. 7, Mary Pierce, and No. 4, Monica Seles, recording her first
career wins over top 10 players and becoming the lowest-ranked player in the Open Era to
defeat two top-10 opponents in one tournament. She ultimately lost in the semifinals to No.
5, Lindsay Davenport. She finished 1997 ranked No. 99. She played in 1998. She lost to
Venus Williams in 1998 too. Williams lost in the third round of the 1999 Australian Open to
Sandrine Testud. A month later, Williams won her first professional singles title when she
defeated Amélie Mauresmo in the final of the Open Gaz de France in Paris. With Venus
also winning the IGA Superthrift Classic in Memphis, Tennessee that day, the pair became
the first sisters to win professional tournaments in the same week. 1999 was the break out
year for her in terms of tennis. In March of 1999, Serena Williams won her first Tier I title
in defeating Steffi Graff in the final of the Evert Cup in California. Serena Williams was No.
9 rank by 1999 too. She defeated Grand Slam champions of Kim Clijsters, Conchita
Martinez, and Monica Seles including Hingis (to be the second African American woman
after Althea Gibson in 1958 to win a Grand Slam singles tournament). To complete her 1999
season, Williams won a doubles match in the Fed Cup final against Russia. Serena Williams
ended the year ranked No. 4 in just her second full year on the main tour.
Here, Althea Gibson
experienced a ticker tape
parade upon returning to New
York City (on July 11, 1957).The The gorgeous black woman
image is from Newspress Photo Althea Gibson was having
- The Detroit Tribune, July 27, fun singing with
1957. Muhammad Ali.

In 1956 Gibson became

the first African-American

An Ode to Althea Gibson athlete to win a Grand

Gibson was congratulated by
Darlene Hard after defeating
her in the 1957 Wimbledon
women's singles
championship. The pair were
Wimbledon women's doubles
champions that same year.
The image is from Newspress
Photo - The Detroit Tribune,
July 20, 1957.
Slam event, the French
Open singles
championship. She also
won the doubles title,
A Tennis Legend partnered with Briton
Angela Buxton.
Althea Gibson won
Wimbledon as the first
She was courageous black person to do so in
Althea Gibson was a too. She stood up for 1957. She could sing too.
legend, and she had a herself and for her She was a very talented
resilient story. I saw a human rights as a vocalist and saxophonist.
recent biography about black woman. She In 1964, at the age of 37,
her life on PBS and it Gibson became the first
was born in 1927 in
inspired me. She inspired African-American woman
Clarendon County, to join the Ladies
us too. She broke down
South Carolina. She Professional Golf
barriers involving race
and gender. She had a was raised in Harlem, Association (LPGA) tour.
sweet soul and she New York City. She She lived until 2003. Now,
wanted to be loved. She lived near Lenox we honor her memory.
wasn't always appreciated Avenue. Later, she Tennis players from
when she lived on this Arthur Ashe, Serena
played in sports, in
Earth, but we appreciate Williams, and Venus
parks, and in other Williams have paid tribute
her spirit now. We not
recreational locations. to Althea Gibson's
only love her talent. We
love her as a human sacrifice, dignity, and
strength.
being.

Althea The image on the

Gibson
and
left showed Althea
Gibson with her
Rest in Power
Jackie
Robinson
second
named
husband
Sydney
Sister Althea
were
heroes.
Llewellyn (he was
born in Jamaica).
Gibson.
 Being a Legend
Serena Williams made even more accomplishments during the 21st century. Williams
finished 2002 with a 56–5 W/L record, eight singles titles, and the No. 1 ranking. She was the
first African-American to end a year with that ranking since Althea Gibson in 1958 and was
the first woman to win three Grand Slam tournament titles in one year since Hingis in 1997.
Her three consecutive Grand Slam titles to close 2002 also made Williams only the third
player in tennis history to win the "Surface Slam", three Slam titles on three surfaces in the
same calendar year, after Navratilova (1984) and Graf (1993, 1995, 1996). In the 2003
Australian Open, she defeated Venus Williams to win the tournament and becoming the
sixth woman in the Open Era to complete a career Grand Slam. The Williams sisters won
their sixth Grand Slam doubles title together at this event. She had injuries and came back
better than ever. Serena Williams won the singles gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games.
She made more awards and victories in 2015. The week of February 15, 2016 marked Serena
Williams's 157th consecutive week ranked No. 1, passing Navratilova's mark of 156 to have
the second-longest run in WTA history behind Steffi Graf's 186. She experienced her
pregnancy in 2017. By 2018, she came back into tennis. She continues to play hard and is an
inspiration for people who desire to achieve magnificent goals or aims.
 Born in 1968 at Chicago, Illinois
She is the living example about
how working hard, developing
plans, and being humble will
make great blessings. She is a
great person and an inspiration
for the young generation.

As a youth, Katrina Adams loved to

perform tennis. Her father is James
Adams, and her mother is Yvonne
Adams. She joined a tennis program
on Chicago’s West Side when she was
six years old. She was the Illinois High
Schools Association single champions
in 1983 and 1984 (as she attended
Whitney Young High School). Voted
twice All-American, she won the
National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) doubles title with
Diane Donnelly in 1987.
Her career and other
accomplishments More Milestones
in Tennis
Katrina Adams won seven of her 20 1959
WTA doubles titles between 1987 and Bob Ryland was
1996 while partnering with Zina the first African-
Garrison (including the 1988 World American male
Doubles Champions). Adams twice tennis
won the annual WTA Player Service professional.
Award - in 1996 and 1997. She gives 1968
commentary for the Tennis Channel Arthur Ashe Jr.
since 2003. She is also the President became the first
and CEO of the United States Tennis (and remains the
Association. She is the first former only) black man to
professional player, the first African win the US Open.
American, and the youngest person to 1978
serve as President in the 135 years of African American
the organization’s existence. Andrea Whitmore
won the National
Public Parks
singles, doubles
and mixed doubles
titles.

Some of Serena Williams’ Greatest Victories
Serena Williams won her first Grand
Slam title in 1999 to be the second
African American woman to win the
Grand Slam since Althea Gibson.
“Set realistic goals,
keep re-evaluating,
and be
consistent. ”
-Venus Williams
Serena Williams won her 2007 Serena Williams won the 2017
Australian Open against Maria Australian Open while she was
Sharapova. She dedicated that win to pregnant.
her half-sister who was killed in a
drive-by shooting in 2003. “Most of all
I would like to dedicate this victory to
my sister who is not here,” she said.
“Her name is Yetunde, and I just love
her so much.”
8 Reasons on why Serena Williams is the G.O.A.T.

The Women’s She has the Serena Williams

Tennis most Grand has a total of 23

1 Association
(WTA) ranked
her No. 1 on
2 Slam titles in
singles,
doubles, and
3 Grand
singles
making
Slam
titles
the
Earth in singles mixed doubles record for most
in eight combined Grand Slam
separate among active tournament
occasions players. wins in the
between 2002 Open Era. She is
and 2017. second all time.
She has a Serena Williams She has won
strong serve is a winner of the 'Laureus

4 and has the

third fastest
5 four
medals
gold
6 Sportswoman
of the Year'
serve speed involving tennis award four
among any in the Olympic times (2003,
woman tennis Games at 2010, 2016,
player. Sydney (2000), 2018).
Beijing (2008),
and London
(2012)

Many tennis Serena Williams

players, tennis has promoted

7 experts,
commentators
and

have regarded
8 body
images
positive

humanity. She
for

Serena Williams has used her

as the greatest words to
woman tennis promote the
player of all truth that
time. femininity
relates to
strength.
 Her Legend Continues
So, in conclusion, Serena Williams is the greatest woman tennis player in history and one of
the greatest athletes in human history. She survived so much and achieved so much. She is a
mother with a daughter and she promotes great causes from pay equity to social justice.
Serena Jameka Williams always acknowledges past black tennis players who sacrificed so
much for us to do what we’re doing today in terms of jobs and other aspects of living. For
example, Althea Gibson won Wimbledon and played golf. Arthur Ashe was an expert on
black history and inspired society too. Her Grand Slam singles titles outline her skills and
strength. She is unapologetic in expressing her blackness and she has always shown that our
bodies aren’t meant to be shamed or validated from a racist, patriarchal society. Our bodies
have the right to be expressed and appreciated by our own souls via autonomy and dignity.
The Williams sisters opened the Yetunde Price Resource Center. This is a community
center in Compton, California that fights to build communities (in remembrance of their
oldest sister who was a victim of a drive by shooting in 2013). From activism, fashion, sports,
and other aspects of world society, she has presented the world the truth that a black
woman has every right to show her gifts without apology.

Therefore, we salute Sister Serena Williams.

 By Timothy
Extra Achievements that Serena has made alone
Hannah Peters-Getty Images
*Most Grand Slams in singles after 30
years old.
*Thirteen hardcourt Grand Slam singles
titles.
*6+ titles at three different Grand Slams
(Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US
Open).
*7 women's singles titles (Open Era record)
*Won as US Open Series Champion
multiple times.
*8 Miami Masters singles titles overall.
*Winning percentage of 82.86% at Year-
End Championships.
*Ten Grand Slam singles titles after age
30.