One of the greatest (if not THE greatest) female tennis players of all time, Serena Williams recently celebrated her 40th birthday. To honor her, we've compiled 40 (out of hundreds!) of the most incredible moments of her career - both on and off the courts. Enjoy!
1) Serena Williams is a 23-time Grand Slam winner: The tennis icon has won 23 Majors in her career. She is just one shy away from equaling the great, Margaret Court in order to gain ultimate supremacy.
2) Grand Slam doubles titles: Williams has been a dominant force in tennis. Besides her dominance in singles, she has been a formidable force in doubles too.
3) Spent 319 weeks as World No. 1: The 23-time Grand Slam winner in singles has been on top of the WTA rankings for a staggering 319 weeks.
4) Was the World No. 1 for 186 consecutive weeks: Serena has accomplished so much in the game. Her legacy will remain forever. She held the top spot in rankings for a considerable amount of time.
5) Oldest player to hold World No. 1 ranking: At the age of 35 years, Williams showcased some of the most brilliant tennis players in her career. In doing so, she earned back the top spot in rankings at quite an unusual age.
6) 73 WTA singles titles: With so many interesting statistics to her name, the uniqueness of Serena Williams has helped her win a whopping 73 WTA titles.
7) 14 WTA doubles titles: Some fans may not be aware of that Williams plays doubles too. She also partnered with her sister in many doubles events. Overall, she has earned 14 WTA doubles titles.
8) 4 Olympic Gold Medals: Serena has been on the Tour for a very long time. She has been part of a number of many Olympic events, In her career so far, she has won four Olympic Gold medals, comprising of singles and doubles.
9) Closing in on $100 million total prize money: With such a high amount of success, the amount of money earned by Williams will surely be high. She happens to be the only female player to come close to $100 million in prize money.
10) UNICEF ambassador: Over the years, Williams has been a role model for one and all. Her presence has been felt across all societies and she has been an ambassador for UNICEF and played a key role in helping the lesser privileged ones.
11) Second and youngest African-American player to win a Grand Slam at 17 years: At the 1999 US Open, Serena did something not many people could've done, won the title at the age of just 17 years.
12) 11-year gap between 1st and 2nd Roland Garros titles: She won her first French Open title in 2002 and after that managed to win her second title in 2013 after a long 11-year gap. It's sheer determination that guided her then and continues to guide her today.
13) Won 3 Grand Slams after saving match points: She happens to be one of the few players to win a Grand Slam title after saving match points. She did it on three occasions, which highlights her fighting spirit.
14) Hit 102 aces during the 2012 Wimbledon Championships: During the 2012 season, Williams registered 102 aces at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships. Though a handful of men have more aces on record, Serena owns it alone for most aces during the Wimbledon Grand Slam.
15) Won 13 hardcourt Grand Slams in singles: The American superstar has won 13 of her 23 Grand Slam titles on hardcourts. These statistics only indicate how strong she was on the surface.
16) Second player to win a Grand Slam in 3 different decades: After Martina Navratilova, it was Williams who managed to win a Grand Slam title in three different decades. This is a great example showcasing her desire to be at the top.
17) Longest span between first and last Australian Open titles: The former World No. 1 player won her first single's title in Melbourne in 2003 and won her last title during the 2017 season, which is incredible!
18) Won over 50 individual matches in each of the four Grand Slam events: Another statistic that highlights her consistency is the fact that she has won over 50 individual matches in each of the four Grand Slam events that take place in the calendar year.
19) Only female player to complete Career Grand Slam after turning 30 years: This is one record which has yet not been matched by any player. The living legend has completed a Career Grand Slam after reaching the age of 30 years.
20) Won 7th Wimbledon title in 2016: She won her 7th title at the Wimbledon Championships, making her the most successful female tennis player in the modern era.
21) First and only woman player to win more than $12 million prize money in a single season: The American legend has been a constant force in tennis. She has made a staggering amount of money in 2014 - roughly $12.4 million.
22) Won 2012 Olympic gold medal without dropping a set: During the 2012 season, the Olympic Games were conducted in London. Having said that, the event was carried out on the grass courts of the All England Club. Williams won the gold without losing a single set. Speaking of gold...
23) Won 3 gold medals with sister Venus: Over the years, Serena and Venus have dominated the tennis scenes, taking part in numerous Slams and tournaments. However, not many know that the two have played doubles together for many years.
24) Oldest player to be World No. 1 at 35 years: There are many great players who have established themselves over the years. However, Williams has continued her dominance into the twilight of her career.
25) The only female player to repeatedly be on Forbes list: Not many female sports personalities make it to the Forbes list - especially in tennis. But Serena is one of them. The lists include: America's Self-Made Women 2021, The World's Highest-Paid Athletes 2021, Highest-Paid Celebrities 2020, and Most Powerful Women 2019.
26) In 2014, featured in TIME 100 most influential people: TIME is one of the most reputed magazines in North America. In 2014, Serena was named as one of the 100 most influential people of the year.
27) Laureus world sportswoman of the year: Laureus is one of the most prestigious awards in the sporting community. In 2000, Williams received the "Breakthrough of the Year" and "Sportswoman of the Year." She has since received 9 more "Sportswoman of the Year" awards and one "Comeback of the Year" award.
28) After the French Open 2010, she became the winner of all 4 doubles Grand Slams: When Serena won the clay-court Grand Slam event, she not just won an honor, but also managed to complete winning all four Grand Slam events.
29) Won the 2017 Australian Open while being two months pregnant: Not many people are as unique as Serena. She found out she was pregnant right before the Australian Open. She decided to stay in the event, ultimately defeating her sister Venus in the finals in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4.
30) Won 3 Grand Slam events a minimum 6 times each: It's have been able to win a single Grand Slam event on one occasion. Although the thrill of winning the various Major events is different, Williams won three events on six occasions.
31) Third player to achieve a Career Slam in both singles and doubles: Not many players have been as formidable as Serena. The modern-day era players has to taken over the reigns of many players. The former World No. 1 has won a Career Slam in both singles and doubles.
32) Won her first title as a mother in Auckland: After Olympia was born, Serena was unable to resume her season right away. However, one of the most dominant players on the tour won her first title as a mother in Auckland.
33) Wedding in 2017: Williams married her long-time fiancé and co-founder of Reddit, Alexis Ohanian. In recent times, he has been spotted with their daughter Olympia, cheering her on.
34) Serena Slam in 2003: Over the years of sheer dominance in tennis, Williams has won Grand Slam titles. However, during the 2003 season, she managed to win the Serena Slam, winning four Majors but not in a calendar year.
35) William sisters in US Open 2001 final: In tennis history, Serena and Venus have played many matches, with quite a few being in tournament finals. The first time they competed in a high stake event was the US Open 2001 in which Venus prevailed as champion, 6-2, 6-4.
36) The first Fed Cup in 1999: It's been more than three decades that Williams has been dominating the scenes. Her first appearance at the Fed Cup was in 1999 as a 17-year-old. Her two wins (one in singles and one in doubles with sister Venus) helped Team USA win the 1999 Fed Cup.
37) Played against Roger Federer at the 2019 Hopman Cup: During the 2019 Hopman Cup, Williams played a mixed doubles match with partner Frances Tiafo, against an all-Swiss team of Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic. It was the first time they faced each other, with the Swiss team winning, 4-2 4-3(3).
38) The only player to win Wimbledon titles in the same years as the 'Big 4': She has won a number of Wimbledon titles. However, each time one of the big four male tennis players (Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Andy Murray) won the event, Serena happened to be a champion that season.
39) Won the 2015 Roland Garros when sick: During the 2015 season, Serena was on an unbeatable roll. At the 2015 French Open, she was actually sick with the flu and she still won the Slam, defeating Lucy Safarova 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2.
40) Olympia's birth... #momgoals: After the birth of her daughter Olympia, Williams has been spotted on numerous occasions with Olympia on the Tour or at other events. And her Instagram account is filled with adorable photos and videos of the two of them.
As she is now 40, fans want to see Serena Williams continue playing. Will she end her career with the most number of Grand Slam titles?