Players | WTA Tennis English
Career Highlights
Serena Williams Biography
Coached by father Richard Williams and mother Oracene Price; also working with Patrick Mouratoglou ... Youngest of five sisters: Lyndrea, Isha, Yetunde (deceased September 14, 2003) and Venus ... Began playing at age 5 at public courts in Compton, California ... Has devoted a lot of time and money to charity, including opening two Serena Williams Secondary Schools in Kenya (one in 2008, one in 2010); touring Lagos and Johannesburg with sister Venus for 'Breaking The Mould' tour (in 2012); UNICEF International Goodwill Ambassador; and has also made many other appearances at schools and community organizations, particularly those which target at-risk youth ... Has always been interested in fashion, with a custom-designed Nike apparel line, her own clothing line (Aneres) and her successful HSN collection of handbags and jewelry ( Serena Williams Signature Statement) ... Favorite author is Maya Angelou; listens to Mariah Carey, Brandy ... Favorite place to visit is Paris ... Also enjoys acting, watching movies and football, reading, talking on the phone and spending time with family and friends.
All videos
1
2015 - Fifth No.1 season (also 2002, 2009, 2013 and 2014); won five WTA titles at Australian Open (19th Grand Slam title; d. Sharapova in final), Miami (d. Suárez Navarro in final), Roland Garros (20th Grand Slam title; d. Safarova in final), Wimbledon (21st Grand Slam title; d. Muguruza in final) and Cincinnati (d. Halep in final); SF four times at Indian Wells (withdrew prior to match w/right knee injury), Madrid (l. to Kvitova), Toronto (l. to Bencic) and US Open (l. to Vinci); two more mid-tournament withdrawals due to right elbow injury (3r at Rome and 2r at Bastad); missed all post-US Open events for rest and recovery; by winning Wimbledon completed Serena Slam II (Serena Slam I was 2002 French Open to 2003 Australian Open ); season prize money of $10,582,642 was second-highest season prize money in WTA history (after her own $12,385,572 earnings from 2013); also achieved historic WTA Rankings dominance for six weeks in summer - had more than double the ranking points of No.2 (over Sharapova from July 13 to August 2 and over Halep from August 24 to September 13).
2014 - Fourth No.1 season; won seven WTA titles at Brisbane (d. Azarenka in final), Miami (d. Li in final), Rome (d. Errani in final), Stanford (d. Kerber in final), Cincinnati (d. Ivanovic in final), US Open (18th Grand Slam title; d. Wozniacki in final) and WTA Finals (d. Halep in final); $4 million winner's cheque at US Open was biggest payout in tennis history, male or female ($3 million for US Open plus $1 million bonus for winning US Open Series); SF twice at Dubai (l. to Cornet) and Montréal (l. to V.Williams); QF twice at Madrid and Beijing; reached 4r once ( Australian Open ), 3r once ( Wimbledon ) and 2r three times (incl. Roland Garros ).
2013 - Third No.1 season; won 11 WTA titles at Brisbane (d. Pavlyuchenkova in final), Miami (d. Sharapova in final), Charleston (d. Jankovic in final), Madrid (d. Sharapova in final), Rome (d. Azarenka in final), Roland Garros (16th Grand Slam title; d. Sharapova in final), Bastad (d. Larsson in final), Toronto (d. Cirstea in final), US Open (17th Grand Slam title; d. Azarenka in final), Beijing (d. Jankovic in final) and WTA Finals (d. Li in final); had only four losses, at Australian Open (l. to Stephens in QFs), Doha (l. to Azarenka in final), Wimbledon (l. to Lisicki in 4r) and Cincinnati (l. to Azarenka in final); set two all-time records, becoming oldest ever World No.1 (after Doha on February 18) and obliterating single season prize money record with $12,385,572 (previous record was Azarenka's $7,923,920 in 2012); 34-match win streak starting in Miami and ending at Wimbledon was longest win streak of career (and second-longest of the millennium after V.Williams' 35-match win streak in 2000); had never won 11 WTA titles in a season (previous best was 8) or 78 matches in a season (previous best was 58).
2012 - Another Top 5 season (finishing No.3); started 10-2, reaching QF twice and 4r once ( Australian Open ); went 48-2 from April to end of year, winning seven WTA titles at Charleston (d. Safarova in final), Madrid (d. Azarenka in final), Wimbledon (14th Grand Slam title; d. A.Radwanska in final), Stanford (d. Vandeweghe in final), Olympics (d. Sharapova in final; only second woman ever to complete Career Golden Grand Slam, after Graf), US Open (15th Grand Slam title; d. Azarenka in final) and WTA Finals (d. Sharapova in final); only two losses in that stretch came at Roland Garros (l. to Razzano in 1r) and Cincinnati (l. to Kerber in QF); won two WTA doubles titles (both w/V.Williams - 13th Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon and Olympics).
2011 - Near-Top 10 season after year-long injury and illness lay-off (finished No.12); missed first half of year w/right foot injury and PE (withdrew from Australian Open , Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Madrid, Rome and Roland Garros ) but returned in June, going 4-2 in grass court season (2r at Eastbourne, 4r at Wimbledon ) then going 18-1 in summer hardcourt season, winning two WTA titles at Stanford (d. Bartoli in final) and Toronto (d. Stosur in final), reaching 2r at Cincinnati (withdrew vs. Stosur w/right toe injury) and reaching final at US Open (l. to Stosur); withdrew from Tokyo and Beijing w/medical reasons; did not qualify for WTA Finals.
2010 - Another Top 5 season (finishing No.4); won two WTA titles at Australian Open (12th Grand Slam title; d. Henin in final; first player in Open Era to win there five times) and Wimbledon (13th Grand Slam title; d. Zvonareva in final); runner-up at Sydney (l. to Dementieva in final); SF once (Rome - l. to Jankovic 46 63 76(5); held mp at 5-4 third set); QF once ( Roland Garros - l. to Stosur 62 67(2) 86; held mp at 5-4 third set); reached 3r once; missed three months early in season w/left knee injury (withdrew from Paris [Indoors], Dubai, Miami, Marbella and Charleston) and all post-Wimbledon events w/right foot injury (withdrew from Istanbul, Cincinnati, Montréal, US Open , Tokyo, Beijing, Linz and WTA Finals); spent most of season at No.1 until being replaced by Wozniacki on October 11; won three WTA doubles titles (all w/V.Williams - incl. 11th and 12th Grand Slam doubles titles at Australian Open , Roland Garros ); rose to No.1 in doubles on June 7 (co-No.1 w/V.Williams; third pair ever to occupy Top 2 spots in both singles and doubles, after Hingis/Novotna and Hingis/Davenport).
2009 - Second No.1 season; won three WTA titles at Australian Open (10th Grand Slam title; d. Safina in final), Wimbledon (11th Grand Slam title; d. V.Williams in final) and WTA Finals (d. V.Williams in final); became first player ever to save match points en route to winning a Grand Slam three times, doing so at 2003 Australian Open (d. Clijsters 46 63 75 in SF; saved 2mp at 5-2 third set), 2005 Australian Open (d. Sharapova 26 75 86 in SF; saved 3mp at 5-4 third set) and 2009 Wimbledon (d. Dementieva 67(4) 75 86 in SF; saved mp down 5-4 third set); runner-up at Miami (l. to Azarenka in final); SF five times (incl. US Open ); QF twice (incl. Roland Garros ); reached 3r twice and 2r once; fell 1r twice; won four WTA doubles titles (all w/V.Williams - incl. eighth, ninth and 10th Grand Slam doubles titles at Australian Open , Wimbledon and US Open ).
2008 - Another Top 5 season (finishing No.2); won four WTA titles at Bangalore (d. Schnyder in final), Miami (d. Jankovic in final), Charleston (d. Zvonareva in final) and US Open (ninth Grand Slam title; d. Jankovic in final); returned to No.1 on September 8 (five-year, one-month gap is longest between No.1 stints for any player ever, male or female - held it for four weeks, bringing career tally to 61 weeks); runner-up at Wimbledon (l. to V.Williams in final); SF once; QF four times (incl. Australian Open , Olympics); reached 3r once ( Roland Garros ) and 2r once; fell in RR stage at WTA Finals (went 1-1 in RR stage then withdrew from event w/abdominal injury); won two WTA doubles titles (both w/V.Williams - incl. seventh Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon and Olympics).
2007 - Another Top 10 season (finishing No.7); won two WTA titles at Australian Open (eighth Grand Slam title; d. Sharapova in final; at No.81 was fourth-lowest-ranked player ever to win a Grand Slam title, after unranked Goolagong at 1977 Australian Open , No.111 O'Neil at 1978 Australian Open and unranked Clijsters at 2009 US Open ) and Miami (d. Henin in final); runner-up at Moscow (l. to Dementieva in final); QF six times (incl. Roland Garros , Wimbledon , US Open ); reached 2r once; fell 1r once; fell in RR at WTA Finals (ret. in first match w/left knee injury then withdrew from event); missed US Open lead-up season w/thumb sprain.
2006 - Played just four events in injury-plagued season (finished No.95); reached 3r at Australian Open then withdrew from all events until July w/left knee injury (incl. Roland Garros , Wimbledon ); came back for three summer events, reaching SF twice and 4r once ( US Open ); did not qualify for WTA Finals.
2005 - Near-Top 10 season (finishing No.11); won one WTA title at Australian Open (seventh Grand Slam title; d. Davenport in final); SF once; QF three times; reached 4r once ( US Open ), 3r three times (incl. Wimbledon ) and 2r twice; withdrew from Roland Garros w/left ankle injury; did not qualify for WTA Finals.
2004 - Another Top 10 season (finishing No.7); returned from left knee injury lay-off in March (missed Australian Open ); won two WTA titles at Miami (d. Dementieva in final) and Beijing (d. Kuznetsova in final); runner-up three times at Wimbledon (l. to Sharapova in final), Los Angeles (l. to Davenport in final) and WTA Finals (l. to Sharapova in final); SF once; QF four times (incl. Roland Garros , US Open ); reached 3r once and 2r once.
2003 - Another Top 5 season (finishing No.3); won four WTA titles at Australian Open (fifth Grand Slam title; d. V.Williams in final - fourth straight Grand Slam final together), Paris [Indoors] (d. Mauresmo in final), Miami (d. Capriati in final) and Wimbledon (sixth Grand Slam title; d. V.Williams in final); runner-up at Charleston (l. to Henin in final); SF twice (incl. Roland Garros ); Australian Open was fourth straight Grand Slam title, fifth player all-time to do that (after Connolly, Court, Navratilova and Graf) and ninth player all-time to get career Grand Slam (Sharapova has since become 10th); 57-week reign at No.1 ended on August 11 (to Clijsters); won one WTA doubles title (w/V.Williams - sixth Grand Slam doubles title at Australian Open ); had left knee surgery on August 1 and subsequently withdrew from all events rest of season (incl. US Open and WTA Finals).
2002 - First No.1 season; won eight WTA titles at Scottsdale (d. Capriati in final), Miami (d. Capriati in final), Rome (d. Henin in final), Roland Garros (second Grand Slam title; d. V.Williams in final), Wimbledon (third Grand Slam title; d. V.Williams in final), US Open (fourth Grand Slam title; d. V.Williams in final), Tokyo [Princess Cup] (d. Clijsters in final) and Leipzig (d. Myskina in final); Roland Garros final marked first time in 10 Grand Slam matches between sisters that the younger one won; runner-up twice at Berlin (l. to Henin in final) and WTA Finals (l. to Clijsters in final); SF once (Sydney - ret. vs. Shaughnessy w/right ankle injury then withdrew from Australian Open ); QF twice (incl. Charleston - l. to Schnyder 26 64 75; held mp); reached No.3 on May 20 (after Rome), No.2 on June 10 (after Roland Garros ) and No.1 on July 8 (after Wimbledon - held No.1 for 57 straight weeks, losing it to Clijsters in 2003); on June 10 were first siblings ever to be Top 2 at same time (V.Williams No.1, S.Williams No.2); won two WTA doubles titles (incl. one w/V.Williams - fifth Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon ).
2001 - Another Top 10 season (finishing No.6); won three WTA titles at Indian Wells (d. Clijsters in final), Toronto (d. Capriati in final) and WTA Finals (received w/o in final from Davenport w/knee injury); runner-up at US Open (l. to V.Williams in final - first time sisters played each other in a Grand Slam final since Watson sisters at 1884 Wimbledon ); QF six times (incl. other three majors and Los Angeles - l. to Seles 62 36 76(2); held 6mp); won one WTA doubles title (w/V.Williams - fourth Grand Slam doubles title at Australian Open ).
2000 - Another Top 10 season (finishing No.6); won three WTA titles at Hannover (d. Chladkova in final), Los Angeles (d. Davenport in final) and Tokyo [Princess Cup] (d. Halard-Decugis in final); runner-up twice at Paris [Indoors] (l. to Tauziat in final) and Montréal (ret. vs. Hingis in final w/left foot injury); SF at Wimbledon (l. to V.Williams); QF twice (incl. US Open ); reached 4r twice (incl. Australian Open ) and 2r once; won two WTA doubles titles (both w/V.Williams - incl. third Grand Slam doubles title at Wimbledon , also Olympics); withdrew from Roland Garros w/knee injury and from WTA Finals w/left foot injury.
1999 - First Top 5 season (finishing No.4); won first five WTA titles at Paris [Indoors] (d. Mauresmo in final), Indian Wells (d. Graf in final), Los Angeles (d. Halard-Decugis in final), US Open (first Grand Slam title; d. Hingis in final) and Grand Slam Cup (d. V.Williams in final); runner-up at Miami (l. to V.Williams in final); QF twice; reached 3r twice ( Australian Open - l. to Testud 62 26 97; held 2mp, and Roland Garros ) and 2r twice; made Top 10 debut on April 5 (after Miami; rose from No.11 to No.9) and Top 5 debut on September 13 (after US Open ; rose from No.6 to No.4); V.Williams won Oklahoma City while S.Williams won Paris [Indoors], making them first sisters to win WTA titles in same week; and with V.Williams already in Top 10 when S.Williams reached Top 10 on April 5, first sisters to be ranked inside Top 10 at same time since April 22, 1991 ( Manuela Maleeva-Fragnière and Katerina Maleeva ); won three WTA doubles titles (all w/V.Williams - incl. first two Grand Slam doubles titles at Roland Garros , US Open ); withdrew from Wimbledon w/flu and from WTA Finals w/back injury.
1998 - First Top 20 season; SF once; QF six times; reached 4r once ( Roland Garros - l. to Sánchez-Vicario 46 75 63; led 64 52), 3r twice ( Wimbledon - ret. vs. Ruano Pascual w/leg injury, and US Open ) and 2r once ( Australian Open - l. to V.Williams); was fastest player ever to record five Top 10 wins, doing it in 16th pro match against Spirlea in Miami (previous record-holder was Seles, who did it in 33rd pro match); made Top 50 debut on January 26 (after Australian Open ; rose from No.53 to No.48) and Top 20 debut on June 22 (after Eastbourne; rose from No.22 to No.20); won first two WTA doubles titles (both w/V.Williams - third pair of sisters to win a WTA doubles title together); won first two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon and US Open (both w/Mirnyi); V.Williams won Australian Open and Roland Garros (both w/Gimelstob) for a family mixed doubles Grand Slam.
1997 - First Top 100 season (finishing No.99); fell in WTA qualifying three times then played first two WTA main draws, falling 1r at Moscow (l. to Po-Messerli) and reaching SF at Chicago (d. No.7 Pierce and No.4 Seles en route, falling to Davenport; at No.304 was lowest-ranked player ever to beat two Top 10 players in same event - since bettered by unranked Clijsters, who did it at 2009 US Open ); rose from No.304 to No.102 afterwards on November 10 and made Top 100 debut a week later on November 17 (rose from No.102 to No.100).
1996 - Did not play.
1995 - Made pro debut at Québec City (as unranked WC, l. to No.149 Miller 61 61 in first round of qualifying).
SINGLES
Winner (71): 2016 - Rome, Wimbledon ; 2015 - Australian Open , Miami, Roland Garros , Wimbledon , Cincinnati; 2014 - Brisbane, Miami, Rome, Stanford, Cincinnati, US Open , WTA Finals; 2013 - Brisbane, Miami, Charleston, Madrid, Rome, Roland Garros , Bastad, Toronto, US Open , Beijing, WTA Finals; 2012 - Charleston, Madrid, Wimbledon , Stanford, Olympics, US Open , WTA Finals; 2011 - Stanford, Toronto; 2010 - Australian Open , Wimbledon ; 2009 - Australian Open , Wimbledon , WTA Finals; 2008 - Bangalore, Miami, Charleston, US Open ; 2007 - Australian Open , Miami; 2005 - Australian Open ; 2004 - Miami, Beijing; 2003 - Australian Open , Paris [Indoors], Miami, Wimbledon ; 2002 - Scottsdale, Miami, Rome, Roland Garros , Wimbledon , US Open , Tokyo [Princess Cup], Leipzig; 2001 - Indian Wells, Toronto, WTA Finals; 2000 - Hannover, Los Angeles, Tokyo [Princess Cup]; 1999 - Paris [Indoors], Indian Wells, Los Angeles, US Open , Grand Slam Cup.
Finalist (20): 2016 - Australian Open , Indian Wells, Roland Garros ; 2013 - Doha, Cincinnati; 2011 - US Open ; 2010 - Sydney; 2009 - Miami; 2008 - Wimbledon ; 2007 - Moscow; 2004 - Wimbledon , Los Angeles, WTA Finals; 2003 - Charleston; 2002 - Berlin, WTA Finals; 2001 - US Open ; 2000 - Paris [Indoors], Montréal; 1999 - Miami.
DOUBLES
Winner (23): 2016 - Wimbledon (w/V.Williams); 2012 - Wimbledon , Olympics (both w/V.Williams); 2010 - Australian Open , Madrid, Roland Garros (all w/V.Williams); 2009 - Australian Open , Wimbledon , Stanford, US Open (all w/V.Williams); 2008 - Wimbledon , Olympics (both w/V.Williams); 2003 - Australian Open (w/V.Williams); 2002 - Wimbledon (w/V.Williams), Leipzig (w/Stevenson); 2001 - Australian Open (w/V.Williams); 2000 - Wimbledon , Olympics (both w/V.Williams); 1999 - Hannover, Roland Garros , US Open (all w/V.Williams); 1998 - Oklahoma City, Zürich (both w/V.Williams).
Finalist (1): 1999 - San Diego (w/V.Williams).
MIXED DOUBLES
Finalist (2): 1999 - Australian Open (w/Mirnyi); 1998 - Roland Garros (w/Lobo).
ADDITIONAL