Serena Williams
Williams, Serena (1981- ), American tennis player who won four straight Grand Slam victories in 2002–2003, becoming only the fifth woman to hold all four titles at one time. After years of playing in the shadow of her older sister, Venus, her extraordinary 2002 season proved Serena's ability to compete and win. Muscular and athletic, her game is about power and speed.
Williams was born on Sept. 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Mich. She started playing when she was five; she and her sister were coached by their father. She turned pro in 1995, at age 14, but competed little until 1997, attracting attention by defeating veterans Mary Pierce and Monica Seles at a tournament in Chicago. Ranked 96th by 1998, Williams continued to improve, defeating Martina Hingis, then ranked number one, at the Lipton Championships. In her first 16 matches she defeated the top ten players five times—the fastest upward movement ever in women's tennis history. She finished 1998 ranked in the top 20.
Williams enjoyed her first major success in 1999; she defeated Amélie Mauresmo and captured her first Women's Tennis Association (WTA) title at the Open Gaz de France. She beat Steffi Graf that year at Indian Wells then upset Lindsay Davenport to win the U.S. Open—the first African American woman to do so in over 40 years. She was ranked fourth at season's end. Over the next two seasons she remained in the top ten, taking titles in Hannover, Germany; Los Angeles; and Tokyo in 2000, and at Indian Wells and the Canadian Open in 2001, but she did not reach the finals of any major until the U.S. Open in 2001, when she fell to her sister. Williams took three Grand Slam events in 2000–2001. Venus was usually considered the most serious, focused, and talented of the two sisters, while Serena had been troubled with injuries and was criticized for poor training habits and off-court distractions. Serena started 2002 committed to improving her game and overcame a large mental block by defeating her sister in the semifinals at the NASDAQ 100. She later faced Venus in the finals of the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open and won each time. She finished 2002 ranked number one and started 2003 once again defeating her sister, this time at the Australian Open. Serena went on to win the French Open, NASDAQ 100, and Wimbledon to secure her spot as the top player in the world. Serena continued to be plagued with injuries to her knees and ankles, causing her to drop out of several tournaments. She managed to win the Australia Open, however, in 2005 and repeated the feat in 2007, bringing her Grand Slam total to eight. Despite their competition with each other, the two sisters have been very successful in doubles play, winning six Grand Slam events and a gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Games.
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