Serena Jameka Williams began playing tennis at the age of 5 in Compton, California. She was encouraged by her father, Richard, who had dreams of Serena and Venus becoming tennis stars. In 1991, a nine-year-old Serena became Southern California’s No. 1 in the USTA’s 10-and-Under Division. Her eleven-year-old sister Venus was No. 1 in the 12-and-Under Division. Richard recognized that his girls needed tougher competition and quality training, so they moved to Boca Raton, Florida, and attended Rick Macci’s tennis academy.

Serena’s professional career began in 1995. Fans were mesmerized by Serena’s athleticism, powerful baseline strokes, and will-to-win. She has since won 73 singles titles, 23 doubles titles, and 2 mixed doubles titles. Serena was ranked No. 1 in the world in both singles and doubles. She first achieved the No. 1 singles ranking in 2002 and the No. 1 doubles ranking in 2010. Serena has been ranked No. 1 in the world for 319 weeks total. At 186 consecutive weeks at No. 1, she shares this Open Era record with Stefani Graf.

At the 1999 US Open, Serena won her first major singles and doubles titles. There, she defeated No. 1 Martina Hingis in the final, and partnered with Venus to defeat Chanda Rubin and Sandrine Testud in the final. These wins signaled the start of a storied career. At the major level, Serena has won 23 singles titles, 14 doubles titles, and two mixed doubles titles. All of her Grand Slam women’s doubles titles have been won with Venus. Serena holds the record for most major titles won in the Open Era. Margaret Smith Court holds one more major title than Serena in the all-time category. However, Court won most of her major titles before the Open Era began in 1968.

Serena and Venus have competed against each other as well. The 2001 US Open was arguably the most famous of the Williams’ sisters matches against each other. The match was the first time that the women’s singles final aired live on television in prime time. In front of 23 million television viewers, Venus defeated Serena 6-2, 6-4. However, Serena would eventually have the upper hand in their sibling “rivalry.” Her father foresaw this in an interview at the 1997 US Open where Venus reached the finals. Richard said, “Nobody’s going to believe this, but Serena [then 16] is going to be better than Venus. Wait and see.” Serena has won 19 out of 31 total singles matchups against Venus.

Serena represented the United States in the Fed Cup and the Olympics. She competed on the American Fed Cup Team in 1999, 2003, 2007, 2012-2013, and 2015. In 2000, 2008, 2012, and 2016, Serena was a member of the U.S. Olympic team. At the 2000, 2008, and 2012 Olympics, Serena competed with Venus to win the doubles gold medal. The 2012 London Olympics were particularly special for Serena, who won gold in the singles event as well when she defeated Maria Sharapova in the final.

Despite all of her success, Serena remains humble about her accomplishments. In 2018, a Tennis.com panel selected Serena as the greatest female tennis player in the Open Era. Some of the game’s top analysts, coaches, and fellow pros already have dubbed her the GOAT (greatest of all time). Serena disagrees. “I started playing tennis not to be the greatest but because I had a racquet and a dream,” Serena once said. “Now people are saying that I could be, but I’m just not there yet. I feel like Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Steffi, they are the ultimate icons.”

While playing professional tennis, Serena also pursued charity work and entrepreneurship. In 2008 and 2010, she opened two Serena Williams Secondary Schools in Kenya. Serena is also a UNICEF International Goodwill Ambassador. In 2014, Serena created the venture capital firm Serena Ventures. The goal of the project was to fund projects for women and people of color, providing opportunities for communities underrepresented in business. The firm had raised $110 million by 2022. In 2018, Serena and her family established the Yetunde Price Resource Center (YPRC) in honor of her sister’s tragic passing. The YPRC collaborates with local organizations in Compton, California, to support families affected by violence. Interested in fashion, Serena had a custom Nike line and started her own businesses. She launched her clothing line, S by Serena, in 2018, and her eponymous jewelry line the following year.

In a 2022 Vogue article, Williams announced that she planned to retire from professional tennis after the US Open. The Williams sisters played doubles together for Serena’s farewell US Open for the first time since 2018. The sisters’ first round doubles match was given the primetime spot on Arthur Ashe Stadium, the first time a first round doubles match received the honor. Serena and Venus came up short in this first round matchup, sharing a long hug after the match, an emotional end to their illustrious doubles career. Serena Williams played her last professional tennis match in the third round at the US Open in 2022. She won her first match, and then pulled off an upset, defeating the world No. 2, before she fell in the third round to Ajla Tomljanović. The entire tennis community and beyond watched as the legend played her final match, with her trademark tenacity on full display as she fought for every point.  

Although no longer a professional doubles team, Serena and Venus have continued to work together off of the court. In September of 2025, the sisters launched the podcast Stockton Street, named after the street where they were raised in Compton, California. Fittingly, the first episode was filmed in Arthur Ashe Stadium, the venue that has hosted the Williams sisters and their many groundbreaking accomplishments since the 1990s. In 2025, Serena Williams also made a surprise visit to the International Tennis Hall of Fame to introduce and honor Maria Sharapova’s induction. The moment brought together two great rivals in tennis, showing how their relationship has evolved from adversary to friend. These appearances make it clear that despite her retirement, Williams will still be a presence in the tennis community for years to come.