Serena Williams - The Hero
TENNIS - WTA - OLYMPICS - TEAM USA
ARCHETYPE: THE HERO
Day 85/135
Athletic Accomplishments
Serena Williams? Ever heard of her? I thought the most dominant athlete of our time might ring a bell.
Williams started playing tennis at age 4, her father Richard Williams training her and older sister Venus while home schooling them. At age 9, the Williams family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida so the sisters could attend a tennis academy and further develop their already impressive tennis skills.
By age 14, in 1997, Williams made her pro debut. Just two years later, she was already ranked in the Top 10 in the world. By 2002, Williams had already won Wimbledon, beat her sister Venus, and earned the No. 1 ranking in the world.
How did Serena have such a meteoric ascent? Her playing style is bonkers—in a good way. While being primarily a baseline player, she’s also aggressive at the net, knowing just how and where to volley the ball to work her opponent into a tizzy. And while having more raw power than anyone in the game, she plays a risky style of game that relies on ball placement. If you mix unmatched power with precision and finesse, you can’t lose. When she’s on, she’s impossible to beat. Same goes for her serve, which is widely considered the best in the history of women’s tennis.
Throughout the 2000s, Williams had many ups and downs, injuries and follies. By 2011, she was back in a major way, extending her reign of dominance to present day. With time and experience, Williams also honed her mentality, learning to fight back from seemingly impossible odds, like in the 2012 US Open final against Victoria Azarenka, where Williams was down 3–5 in the third set, just two points away from losing the match. But GOATs gonna GOAT and heroes gonna hero. Williams then proceeded to win the next 4 games, defeating Azarenka.
Her record and achievements are undeniable, staggering, and too long to list. So, here’s just a quick sampling of why Serena Williams—currently ranked No. 8 in the world—is a living legend:
23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era
The most Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles combined among active players
Has TWICE won all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously (2003 & 2015)
Ranked No. 1 in the world on eight separate occasions
Held the No. 1 ranking for 186 consecutive weeks (tied with Steffi Graf)
Won a Grand Slam title on every surface in a single year (2015)
Won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, which includes holding all four Grand Slam doubles titles (with her sister Venus) simultaneously (2009-2010)
Won four Olympic gold medals
Ranks 1st in all-time prize money winnings
Ranked 63rd on Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid Athletes List, the only woman to appear in the top 100
Won Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award four times (2003, 2010, 2016, 2018)
Named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated magazine (2015)
Won the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant
Character Archetype: The Hero
With 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 39 Grand Slams total, and 4 Olympic gold medals, Serena Williams has dominated the world of tennis since the 1990s. And with her ranking at No. 8 in the world as the French Open kicks off today, it appears as though she will continue to dominate the game until she damn well pleases.
You may best know Serena for her 319 total weeks ranked as the No. 1 women's tennis player in the world. You may know her for not backing down against pearl-clutching tennis umpires who don't like vocal women. You may know her from winning the 2017 Australian Open while pregnant. Like, are you even serious? HOW?
You may know her from her eye-catching, fashion forward badass catsuits and singlets. You may know her for her rockin' body, which is what happens when good genes meet hard work meet the divine hand of GAWD.
The point is, you know Serena. You can't help but know her. For two decades, Serena Williams has been the most prominent name and most visible face in women's tennis. Honestly, probably the most prominent and visible woman athlete in that time. Or of all time. Simply put, she's an ICON.