Serena Williams Biography Serena Jameka Williams born September 26, 1981 is a retired American professional tennis player, widely considered one of the greatest in the sport’s history. She held the World No. 1 ranking in women’s singles for 319 weeks, the third-longest of all time, and finished as the year-end No. 1 five times. Williams secured 73 WTA Tour-level singles titles, including 23 major singles titles, the most in the Open Era and the second-most in history. She is the only player to achieve a career Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. Serena and her older sister Venus were coached by their parents, Oracene Price and Richard Williams. Turning professional in 1995, Serena won her first major singles title at the 1999 US Open. Between the 2002 French Open and the 2003 Australian Open, she dominated the sport.
Serena Williams Biography
Serena Williams is widely regarded as one of the greatest female tennis players in history. She claimed her first Grand Slam singles title at the 1999 U.S. Open and then went on an impressive streak, securing five Grand Slam singles titles in a row: the 2002 French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open titles, followed by the 2003 Australian Open and her second Wimbledon title in 2003, all by defeating her older sister, Venus Williams, in the finals. To date, she has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era and the second-most in tennis history. In addition to her tennis career, Serena has made guest appearances on TV shows like The Simpsons (1989) and My Wife and Kids (2000). Born in 1981 in Saginaw, Michigan, she is the youngest of five girls.
Serena Williams Biography Details
| Full name | Serena Jameka Williams |
| Country (sports) | United States |
| Residence | Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, U.S. |
| Born | September 26, 1981 (age 43) Saginaw, Michigan, U.S. |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (175 cm) |
| Turned pro | October 1995 |
| Retired | September 2022 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | US$94,816,730 · 1st in all-time rankings |
| Category | Tennis Players |
About Serena Williams
Serena Williams exemplifies courage, beauty, power, and style, overcoming insurmountable odds to win a staggering 23 career Grand Slams. .
- Born: 26 September 1981 (age 43 years)
- Movies: Paw Patrol: The Mighty Movie
Early Life
Serena Williams was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan, to Oracene Price and Richard Williams. She is the youngest of Price’s five daughters, following half-sisters Yetunde, Lyndrea, and Isha Price, as well as her full older sister, Venus. Serena also has at least seven paternal half-siblings. When she was young, the family relocated to Compton, California, where Serena began playing tennis at age four. Her father, Richard, homeschooled her and Venus. While her parents were her official coaches, other mentors included a Compton man named Richard Williams (who shared her father’s name), who helped establish The Venus and Serena Williams Tennis Tutorial Academy.
Tennis Career Beginnings
At age nine, Serena and her family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, so she could attend Rick Macci’s tennis academy for additional training. Although Macci occasionally disagreed with her father, he admired Richard’s approach, noting that he treated his daughters as “little girls” and didn’t push them too hard. By 1991, Serena had an impressive 46–3 record on the U.S. Tennis Association junior tour and was ranked No. 1 among under-10 players in Florida. At age 10, however, her father decided to stop sending her and Venus to national junior tournaments, wanting them to take their time, focus on their education, and avoid burnout. Experiences of racism during tournaments also influenced this decision, as Richard had overheard derogatory comments about the sisters from other parents.
In 1995, when Serena was in ninth grade, her father pulled the sisters out of Macci’s academy and took full control of their coaching at home. When asked later if following the traditional junior circuit path would have been better, Richard replied, “Everyone does different things. I think for Venus and I, we just attempted a different road, and it worked for us.”
Professional Career
Serena’s parents initially wanted her to wait until she was 16 to play in professional tournaments. However, in 1995, shortly after turning 14, Serena attempted to make her professional debut as a wild-card entry in the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, California. She was denied due to age restrictions and even filed an antitrust lawsuit against the WTA, though she withdrew it at her parents’ request.
Serena’s first professional tournament came in October 1995 at the Bell Challenge in Quebec, where she used a wild-card entry to bypass the age-eligibility rule. She lost in the first qualifying round to 18-year-old American Annie Miller. After taking a break in 1996, she returned in 1997, where she won her first main-draw match at the Ameritech Cup Chicago. Ranked No. 304, Serena made a stunning upset, defeating No. 7 Mary Pierce and No. 4 Monica Seles.
Serena Williams at a Glance
- Category: Richest Athletes › Tennis Players
- Net Worth: $300 Million
- Birthdate: September 26, 1981 (43 years old)
- Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan
- Gender: Female
- Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.75 m)
- Profession: Tennis Player, Athlete, Fashion Designer, Actor, Voice Actor, Businessperson, Writer
- Nationality: United States of America
Career Highlights
Serena Williams was ranked No. 1 in the world eight times and became the highest-earning female tennis player in history, amassing more than $94 million in career prize money. Her career is filled with numerous accolades, including 23 singles Grand Slam titles and 14 doubles titles with her sister Venus. Serena also won Olympic gold medals at the Sydney, Beijing, and London Olympics.
Making her professional debut in 1995 at the age of 14, Serena stunned the tennis world at the 1997 Ameritech Cup, where she upset top-ranked players and ended the year ranked No. 99. By 1999, she won her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open, and her dominance continued through the early 2000s. In 2002, she became No. 1 in the world and captured multiple Grand Slam titles, including three in 2002 (French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open) and a fourth in 2003 (Australian Open), achieving a “Serena Slam.”
Endorsements
Off the court, Serena is a major endorsement powerhouse, earning $15-20 million annually from brand deals with companies like Nike and Kraft Foods. She signed a $40 million deal with Nike in 2004 to create a fashion line, and she continues to be one of the most marketable athletes worldwide.
Activism
Serena is passionate about social causes, including supporting Black Lives Matter and the LGBT community. She advocates for gender equality both in and out of tennis and has received several awards for her activism, including the NAACP President’s Award.
Philanthropy
Alongside her sister Venus, Serena has raised funds for Ronald McDonald House charities and contributed to various global causes. Through the Serena Williams Foundation, she provides scholarships to underprivileged students and helped build the Serena Williams Secondary School in Kenya. The foundation also partnered with Helping Hands Jamaica to build the Salt Marsh Primary School. Serena is also a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and has supported many other charitable organizations.
Other Ventures
In addition to tennis, Serena has pursued television and voice acting, including appearances on The Simpsons and Playhouse Disney’s Higglytown Heroes. She’s also worked as a writer and co-authored the book Venus & Serena: Serving From the Hip: Ten Rules for Living, Loving, and Winning with her sister.
Serena owns the clothing line S by Serena, has minority stakes in the UFC and the Miami Dolphins, and serves on the board of directors for SurveyMonkey.
Personal Life
Serena married Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, in November 2017. The couple welcomed a daughter in 2017, following Serena’s difficult pregnancy and subsequent recovery from a pulmonary embolism. In 2023, they announced they were expecting their second child. Serena was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness in January 2023.
Real Estate
Serena Williams owns several properties, including a Beverly Hills mansion purchased in 2017 for $6.2 million and an apartment in Paris with views of the Eiffel Tower. She also purchased a Palm Beach Gardens home for $2.4 million in 2015 and has made significant real estate investments throughout her career.
What Is Serena Williams’ Net Worth, Salary 2025
Serena Williams, a retired world-champion professional tennis player, has amassed a net worth of $300 million. Widely regarded as one of the best female tennis players in history, she has earned more than any other female player, with her career on-court earnings surpassing $95 million. Williams holds the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles by any player, male or female, in the Open Era, with 23 titles. She has also earned four Olympic gold medals and numerous other prestigious titles. Throughout her career, Serena typically earned $40 million annually from prize money and endorsements. For example, between June 2019 and June 2020, she earned $35 million, with approximately $20 million coming from endorsements. After retiring, Serena shifted her focus to Serena Ventures, her investment firm.