On Friday, Serena Williams played in her last match in a losing effort. She bowed out of the U.S. Open, losing to Alja Tomljanovic in three sets. Still, the legend has a celebrated career filled with numerous achievements and victories. How many of these are we talking about?
Let's start with being ranked No. 1 for 319 straight weeks in the WTA (Women's Tennis Association). That's a remarkable feat on its own. She also finished No. 1 at year's end five times while winning 23 Grand Slam titles (the most by any player in the Open era). She even had a term named in her honor: the Serena Slam, where a player is the reigning champion of all the major tournaments at the same time, but not all the tournaments have occurred in the same tennis season or calendar year.
Serena also won 14 doubles Grand Slams with her sister, Venus. The pair were also undefeated in Grand Slam doubles finals. She also won four Olympic gold medals, three of those in doubles.
Let's not forget that she's tied for third for most titles all-time and second during the Open Era. From being named Sportsperson of the Year in 2015 by Sports Illustrated to winning the Surface Slam, Serena has nearly done it all.
Growing up, Serena's dominance in tennis was an integral part of my childhood. Reading about her accolades in Sports Illustrated for Kids had me in awe, specifically when she started.
Therefore, I want to thank Serena for being a part of my sports fandom. Your power, dominance, and skill have been noticed not just by the sports world, but the world over. Have a happy retirement, G.O.A.T.
