{"id":15631,"date":"2025-01-24T15:34:01","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T23:34:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/?p=15631"},"modified":"2025-01-24T15:34:03","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T23:34:03","slug":"serena-williams-the-first-racket-of-the-world","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/eternal-serena-williams-the-first-racket-of-the-world","title":{"rendered":"Serena Williams, the first racket of the world"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is a legendary tennis player, record holder and philanthropist. Throughout her athletic career, Williams won 23 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals. She has made a significant contribution to promoting women&#8217;s equality in professional sports. Serena modified the game&#8217;s rules, advocating for equal prize pools for men and women. You may also learn about the success story of basketball player <a href=\"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/uk\/eternal-istoriya-uspihu-basketbolista-dzhejmsa-hardena-za-vse-zavdyachuye-bogu\">James Harden<\/a>. Find out more at <a href=\"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/\">i-los-angeles<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a330eb8e1c23\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a330eb8e1c23\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/eternal-serena-williams-the-first-racket-of-the-world\/#Biography\" >Biography<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/eternal-serena-williams-the-first-racket-of-the-world\/#Athletic_career\" >Athletic career<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/eternal-serena-williams-the-first-racket-of-the-world\/#The_tennis_players_income\" >The tennis player&#8217;s income<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/eternal-serena-williams-the-first-racket-of-the-world\/#Personal_life\" >Personal life<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Biography\"><\/span>Biography<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Serena Williams was born in Michigan and grew up in California. Her father, Richard Williams, has been training his two daughters to be professional tennis players since they were children. He once saw on television how Romanian Virginia Ruzici won $20,000 in prize money in a tennis tournament. The father then made a firm decision that his children would become tennis players and make a lot of money. He even devised a plan for their professional development. According to the plan, his daughters were to receive training only from the best coaches and athletes. When the girls were seven, he organized a personal training session for them with the top tennis players of the day, Zina Garrison and Lori McNeil. Then, when Serena was eight years old, she signed up for a children&#8217;s tournament by herself. She then made it to the final, but she lost to her older sister. The father did not want his daughters to play against each other. So he found the only way out: to enlist the girls in different age categories. Subsequently, the sisters began training with Rick Macci. He was so impressed with the sisters&#8217; skills that he agreed to coach them for free.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 1991, Serena took first place in the national ranking for girls under the age of ten. At the time, she had 46 wins and only three defeats. In addition to sports, Serena excelled in school, studied several foreign languages and was interested in finance, fashion, acting and film production. At the start of her career, she even faced criticism for being disorganized and engaging in a number of off-court activities. However, these activities kept her mental health from burning out. She studied at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. She decided to specialize in fashion design. However, Serena never obtained her official diploma. In 2011, she enrolled at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tennis player is actively involved in charitable causes. She funded the establishment of two secondary schools in Kenya. In the United States, Williams grants scholarships to college students. Funds from Serena&#8217;s charitable foundation go to nurse training.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In 2022, the film &#8220;King Richard&#8221; was released, which recounts the story of the tennis player&#8217;s father. The picture was instantly met with criticism. According to the audience, the film&#8217;s directors attempted to whiten the dictator father and portrayed an overly idealized image of the family. After all, in real life, his inner circle frequently described him as a tyrant in various interviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-los-angeles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2024\/12\/17101934\/ad_4nxe-oatcsbqhsjs9u3as8-thij90oxxpt_ys2di08iqwk4qsn5p6ijbb_qtsnoipm3kkgdrid2ze8osyhedw8nvjgc1gavgq7dpm01korcb85phccj5xwrzetzbav0iciqhnkgyekeypctvsn2w1m9hetp-gw6va61h.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Athletic_career\"><\/span>Athletic career<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">During her first professional season, Serena rose from 453rd to 99th in the world rankings. As a result of her achievements, the Women&#8217;s Tennis Association and Tennis Magazine named her Rookie of the Year. At the age of 17, Serena and her sister took first place in women&#8217;s doubles at the French Open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The following year, Serena made her debut in Grand Slam tournaments. This year and the following marked watershed moments in her career. Serena reached her first major tournament final, where she faced Hingis in a match that she won in two rounds. This victory was pivotal in Serena&#8217;s early career. In 2002, she won her first major title at the U.S. Open. In the final, she competed against her sister. However, Serena won. Soon after, she also won in London. This championship enabled her to become the world&#8217;s first racket. She held the top spot in the ratings for more than 50 weeks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-los-angeles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2024\/12\/17101932\/ad_4nxe9tde-mbfbireoopp1nw5_igvsud4iqv1h0kqo8k6w-ifiqrsn5pzdagcxqvemc1g_7hrocdq-baf67o5ru-c3xyajuwwsmwwcvl5avyinru4wwqdql0nvjw6a7tvphoruahn2keypctvsn2w1m9hetp-gw6va61h.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The mid-2000s were a difficult period for Serena. In 2003, she suffered a knee injury, forcing her to take a six-month break from her career. Around this time, her older half-sister Yetunde Price was killed in her hometown of Compton. Over the next few years, Serena struggled with depression and went through one of the most difficult periods of her life. However, in 2007, she made a triumphant return to tennis and won the Australian Open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the mid-2010s, she had a second wave of success. However, the athlete&#8217;s plans were put on hold once more due to poor health. In 2011, a blood clot caused a pulmonary embolism. She remained in the hospital for a long period. After a long break, she returned to tennis. In 2013, she broke the world record for the oldest first racket in women&#8217;s tennis. By doing so, she demonstrated that age is just a number.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The athlete&#8217;s uniqueness is also demonstrated by the fact that she is the only person in the world to achieve a Career Golden Slam. It comprises victories at all four Grand Slam tournaments, as well as at the Olympic Games in singles and doubles. In 2014, she became the oldest tennis player to lead the WTA singles rankings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Williams has an average victory percentage of more than 85%, making her the best lawn tennis player in history. Furthermore, she has kept her status over the years. Serena Williams is the only athlete who has regained her previous position after a long break in her athletic career. At the end of 2019, the Associated Press named Williams the Female Athlete of the Year. Serena Williams has played over 1,000 games in her tennis career. She was also included in the list of 15 tennis players who managed to reach this mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_tennis_players_income\"><\/span>The tennis player&#8217;s income<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Throughout her athletic career, she was engaged in the production of sportswear through Aneres Designs. She worked with numerous sports brands, including Nike and HSN, to create a collection of handbags and costume jewelry called Serena Williams Signature Statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">She made the most of her money from advertising contracts with sportswear and equipment companies. Among them at various times were Puma, Reebok and Nike. Following the launch of Puma&#8217;s tennis clothing line, Serena signed her first contract at the age of sixteen. Through advertising contracts, she became the world&#8217;s wealthiest athlete.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-los-angeles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2024\/12\/17101931\/ad_4nxfebmi7w2mqmbb-3mhevyauid0cahl4rcb5auji-lrylmabiyc20cvzfsce6tgw2nl_cb4akon1vzusnf3ounazmrzbk4qg1p8tq8ve07jeriqgcwk9ffvclqqxkb8ebj3hofv7hqkeypctvsn2w1m9hetp-gw6va61h.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Personal_life\"><\/span>Personal life<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The athlete was rumored to be in a relationship with director Brett Ratner, players Keyshawn Johnson and LaVar Arrington and rapper Common. In 2012, the athlete revealed that she was not dating anyone and would only marry a Jehovah&#8217;s Witness. In 2015, Serena was frequently seen with rapper Drake. In 2016, in Italy, she met Alexis Ohanian, the founder of the social networking service Reddit. Two years later, the couple welcomed a daughter, Alexis Olympia.\u00a0 Shortly after their child was born, Serena and Alexis got married in New Orleans. During her pregnancy, Serena continued playing sports. The pregnancy was easy, but the delivery was difficult. It caused several complications, including a life-threatening pulmonary embolism and an abdominal hematoma. As a result, she underwent several surgeries. Breastfeeding has become another obstacle to returning to professional sports. Serena breastfed Olympia for the first eight months. The coach even demanded that she stop breastfeeding for the sake of tennis. In 2022, Serena Williams announced her retirement from professional sports to become a mother for the second time. The 41-year-old star and her husband welcomed their second daughter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.i-los-angeles.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2024\/12\/17101929\/ad_4nxd62czn7xp64uxb564ouv-o__nxmzz-rblhqpcyi9esrqrs-ljcwrbmbpxbfjeaqwgzqyet21gbm2xf75tqzhl-pww-qax1lvrnoj1jk-se6xnmqm9ealjs3y0kb2dm2uuxa8ujhqkeypctvsn2w1m9hetp-gw6va61h.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This is a legendary tennis player, record holder and philanthropist. Throughout her athletic career, Williams won 23 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals. She has made a significant contribution to promoting women&#8217;s equality in professional sports. Serena modified the game&#8217;s rules, advocating for equal prize pools for men and women. You may also [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":328,"featured_media":15583,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4820],"tags":[8405,8403,8409,8400,8408,8399,8397,8402,8401,8396,8398,8407,8406,8404],"moimportance":[32,35],"motype":[4825],"moformat":[83],"class_list":["post-15631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sporty","tag-grand-slam-champion-serena","tag-serena-williams-achievements","tag-serena-williams-biography","tag-serena-williams-career-highlights","tag-serena-williams-endorsements","tag-serena-williams-legacy","tag-serena-williams-records","tag-serenas-olympic-victories","tag-serenas-powerful-playing-style","tag-tennis-history-makers","tag-tennis-world-number-one","tag-trailblazer-in-tennis","tag-williams-sisters-dominance","tag-womens-tennis-icon","moimportance-golovna-novyna","moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory","motype-eternal","moformat-longread-short"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/328"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15631"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15631\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15632,"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15631\/revisions\/15632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15583"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15631"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=15631"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=15631"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/i-los-angeles.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=15631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}