“A champion is defined not by their wins but how they recover when they fall”- Serena Williams
It’s hard to be a female athlete. It’s even harder to be a Black woman and an athlete. Tennis icon Serena Williams has been breaking barriers and records since 1995 when she began her professional career.
Williams is one of the greatest female tennis players in the world tallying in a current total of 23 Grand Slam single titles, 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her older sister Venus Williams and a total of 367 career wins.
Professional tennis player, advocate, entrepreneur, author, you name it Williams has the title. Now retired, Williams’ legacy goes beyond her success on the court. She continues to fight for gender and racial equality in sports.
Tennis, typically associated with being predominantly a white sport, has recently been dominated by Black athletes such as Serena and Venus Williams and Coco Gauff. This domination comes with backlash from those who believe in a traditional life. These women are not changing the sport they are simply bringing a newfound diversity to a place they belong. As a beautiful and aggressive force on the court, Williams is showing young Black athletes they can be themselves and be great.
The lack of equal pay between in the world of women’s sports (and really any workplace) has influenced women to stand their ground and demand to get paid what they deserve and as much as their male counterparts. Most popularly, the Unites States women’s national soccer team has fought this issue. Not only do females makes less than men, but Black women make less than white women. Williams continues to bring awareness to this issue, and in 2007 after winning Wimbledon, she became the first Black woman to be paid the same as her white male counterpart.
Serena is a businesswoman! In 2014 she launched her venture capital called Serena Ventures. A venture firm invests into small and new companies by giving them the voice and resources needed for growth. Also, Williams owns a clothing brand S by Serena which is meant to empower people to feel confident while also comfortable. Lastly, she co-founded WILL PERFORM, an active lifestyle recovery brand.
Though she has been retired for two years, Williams is still a household name for any sports enthusiast. Her legacy in tennis will remain. Not only because of her dominate performances on the court but because she continues to bring awareness to social issues and continues to fight for change and equality in women sports.