Serena Williams has overcome adversity to become one of the greatest tennis players of all time — relive her milestones in photos
Legend! Serena Williams has overcome every obstacle in her way to become one of the greatest tennis players of all time. Perhaps even more impressive, she now balances perfecting her game with raising her daughter, Olympia.
Williams was born in Saginaw, Michigan, in September 1981. She started playing tennis at age 4 after she, sister Venus Williams and their family moved to Compton, California. Their parents, Richard Williams and Oracene Price, coached the girls in the sport. When Serena was 9, they relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida, so she and Venus could receive further instruction.
Serena made her professional debut at the Bell Challenge in Quebec, Canada, in October 1995 at age 14. She became a top-10 player by 1999. She achieved her first Career Grand Slam in 2003 at age 21 after winning the US Open, Wimbledon, the French Open and the Australian Open. Her Wimbledon victory in 2002 launched her to the No. 1 ranking for the first time ever.
Although the athlete suffered injuries and dealt with naysayers, she continued to dominate in her field, earning title after title. She also forged her own path when she failed to find tennis players with whom she could identify.
