Iconic.
Legendary.
Inspirational.
The list of descriptions can go on when it comes to Serena Williams. Since stepping on the scene as a young 14-year-old tennis player, Williams has captivated the eyes of thousands every time she stepped onto the court. However, for athletes, a shift comes when it’s time to transition from the game, and for Williams, she announced the time is just around the corner – after the 2022 U.S Open which starts on Aug. 29.
“I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me. A few years ago I quietly started Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm. Soon after that, I started a family. I want to grow that family.”
She has been a pillar in the industry for years, but her inspiration stretched further than the tennis court. Williams showed that women can be passionate on the court, embrace being feminine, yet be competitive, and not back down from showing intensity because she is a women. She is a fierce athlete who always gave her best and put in the hard work to become the best tennis player in the world.
In fact, in the US Open era, she has the most Grand Slam singles titles with 23 to her name. She walks onto the court and everyone watching knows she means business and showed other women athletes embracing who they are while performing.
“I’d like to think that thanks to me, women athletes can be themselves. They can play with aggression and pump their fists. They can wear what they want and say what they want and kick butt and be proud of it all.”
In her heartfelt essay via Vogue to announce her plans to transition from tennis, the legendary athlete expressed her desire to grow her family. She and her husband, Alexis, already have a five-year-old daughter, Olympia.
“If I have to choose between building my tennis résumé and building my family, I choose the latter,” she stated. “In the last year, Alexis and I have been trying to have another child, and we recently got some information from my doctor that put my mind at ease and made me feel that whenever we’re ready, we can add to our family. I definitely don’t want to be pregnant again as an athlete. I need to be two feet into tennis or two feet out.”
The 2022 U.S Open starts in a few weeks, make sure to tune in and catch Williams.
“I’m not looking for some ceremonial, final on-court moment. I’m terrible at goodbyes, the world’s worst. But please know that I am more grateful for you than I can ever express in words. You have carried me to so many wins and so many trophies. I’m going to miss that version of me, that girl who played tennis. And I’m going to miss you.”
Pending the end results of this year’s US Open, Williams has a ton of awards under her belt but the biggest impact is the courage she gave others to be themselves in their lives, in their sport of choice.
- 7x Australian Open champion
- 7x Wimbledon champion
- 6x US Open champion
- 3x French Open champion
- 73 singles titles,
- 14 Grand Slam Doubles titles with Venus Williams
- Four Olympic Gold Medals
