Serena Williams

Born in September 1981 to Oracene Price and Richard Williams, Serena Jameka Williams has become one of the most highly-regarded athletes to ever play tennis.

Serena began playing tennis at the age of 3 after her family moved to Compton, California. Years later, the Williams family made the move to West Palm Beach, Florida, so that she and her sister Venus Williams could attend Rick Macci’s tennis academy. The Williams sisters’ father eventually pulled them out of the program and took over coaching duties.

Serena hit major career milestones in 1999, during which she earned her first title at the Open Gaz de France and won her first Grand Slam at the U.S. Open. Since then, she’s garnered a total of 23 major singles titles — just one less than Margaret Court, a former tennis player who still holds the record in this category. She’s additionally nabbed four Olympic Gold Medals.

The celebrated athlete has experienced setbacks along the way, including her 2009 probation following an outburst she made toward a lineswoman. She also pulled out of the French Open in 2020 after suffering an injury.

She retired in August 2022 after deciding pregnancy while competing was not an option. (Serena experienced complications while carrying her first child).

Williams married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian in 2017. They welcomed their daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., that same year. They announced in May 2023 that they were expecting baby No. 2 later that year.

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Outside of tennis, Serena has launched multiple clothing lines, including Serena and S by Serena. She also runs a venture capital firm called Serena Ventures.