The late 1990s marked the arrival of one of this generation’s biggest names in tennis—Serena Williams.
At first impression, one would immediately be entranced by her distinct fashion sense and magnetic personality, even without knowing that she is a world-class athlete. But her tennis-playing talent has been proven to surpass the levels of the average joe, the logical outcome of years of training, innate ability, and a determination to win that matches the power of her serve. This, in a field that had long been dominated by Caucasian athletes.The unforgettable victory of Serena in the singles category of the 1999 U. S. Open was but the second Grand Slam win of a black woman, thereby making her mark indelible mark in history.
The public has been witness to Serena’s tremendous successes by associating her with another Williams—her older sister Venus, another tennis star herself. The highly-publicized wins of both sisters have accustomed sports fans and regular audience alike to the Williams’ conquering of the world of tennis, specifically from 2000 to 2004. However, sports was expectedly not the sole interest of someone like Serena Williams; the woman’s many talents have led her to acting and fashion design.Clearly an embodiment of energy and ambition, Serena Williams has long been adjudged the “better” sister, from whom more surprises and challenges are to be expected. Beginnings Richard and Brandy Williams’ youngest daughter Serena was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan.
At four years old, she began playing tennis with her sister Venus, under the watchful eye of her father Richard. Mr. Williams had very specific dreams for his daughters: that they become tennis champions. To make it happen, he and his wife learned how to play the sport, and in turn taught Serena and Venus.
Serena’s brilliant career started as she emerged at the top of junior tournaments in Southern California, which also led her to conduct tennis clinics with her father and sister. This eventually became the Venus and Serena Williams Tutorial Tennis Academy. In 1991, Richard Williams decided to introduce popular tennis coach Rick Macci to his daughters, who as unsurprisingly impressed by the Williams girls’ athletic talents. This was followed by the family’s relocation to Florida, where Macci’s tennis academy was.
997 to 2004 saw the emergence of Serena Williams as a major power in the tennis world, as she won title after title, her movement up the ranks unstoppable.In 2000, she purchased a mansion in Palm Beach worth almost $3 million, a sign that with triumph and celebrity came financial rewards and gains (Edmondson, 2005). The inimitable Serena Williams list of winnings and victories reads like a resume of a superhero: she has won numerous titles at Grand Slam events, such as at the Wimbledon, the French Open, the Australian Open, and the U. S.
Open. Some of these feats are documented by year won: in the singles category, she won in the Wimbledon and the French and U. S. Open in 2002, and in the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2003; with her sister Venus, she won in the French and U.
S. Open in 1999, in the Wimbledon in 2000 and 2002, and in the Australia Open in 2001 and 2003 (ESPN, 2008). Competing against her own sister may have held back Serena to a certain extent, but it is undeniable that while both are competitive, they do build on each other’s strengths.Serena herself has declared her admiration of her sister, how she is a source of inspiration, and the amount she had learned just by merely watching Venus play (Leand, 1998).
Injuries and Obstacles However, life had also dealt Serena a few chance cards. A series of injuries caused her to lose several games and withdraw from others. But in typical Serena style, she bounced back after her recovery and continued to conquer more games and titles. Much of the attention focused on Serena had to do with other aspects, such as her distinct fashion sense and the various fashion statements she would make on the court.
But the top story of 2002 headlined Serena as one of only seven women in tennis history to win three Grand Slam titles in just one year. 2003 saw Serena completing her domination in Grand Slam events, even beating Venus in the Australian Open. She also won several awards given out by sponsors such as ESPN, for which she was given titles such as best female athlete or tennis player. Yet the Williams family was plagued by tragedy and misfortune, with Serena’s sister, Yetunde Price, falling victim to a random act of violence in Los Angeles.Serena’s knee injury rendered her less competitive in 2004, which meant experiencing either withdrawal or defeat in several tournaments.
This then allowed her to focus on her other interests outside of the sport, such as acting. Serena appeared as guest on a number of television programs, including Law and Order, Street Time, and My Wife and Kids. Her film acting efforts led her to a role in the feature film Hair Show, which was completed in 2004. This Williams sister had the gift of performing in her psyche; she had even made a few declarations about being an actress if she had not been a tennis player (Tresniowski, 2004).Life Outside Tennis Faith and religion are probably the guiding forces behind Serena, and are the sources of her strength.
Notwithstanding the huge amount of success and wealth she has received at a relatively young age, Serena has remained down to earth. The celebrity tennis player is, unknown to most, a devout member of the Jehovah’s Winess sect, which is a Christian denomination that promotes a life defined by in-depth Bible study, as well as the sharing of the Word through teaching the Bible to others.Also, perhaps because of everything she had accomplished, Serena has been given the image in the tennis world of being unfriendly and arrogant—with the only proof of such being her avoidance of petty exchange among other tennis players. With fame does come responsibility, and this is probably what keeps Serena detached from the commonalities associated with peer pressure and unwelcome familiarity. And, like most celebrities, Serena has also had her fair share of rumors and false reports, ranging from her supposed arrogance to her fashion sense, to which some parties tend to pay more than enough attention.But the famous Williams girl has no qualms about how people see her, or what they think of her; what is more important is family, relationships, and spiritual health (Winfrey, 2003).
Overall, the existence of someone like Serena Williams—passionate, determined, and with a complete sense of self—is one that should be emulated by everyone. Her incredible achievements are not merely products of an innate physical gift; much of it comes from the willingness to take on challenges, and the drive to want to win.
