Queen of the Court, Serena Williams

“Who is the most dominant figure in sports today? LeBron James? Michael Phelps? Please. Get that weak sauce out of here. It is Serena Williams” (Rollingstone). With seventeen Grand Slam singles wins, 13 Grand Slam doubles wins, 2 Grand Slam mixed double wins, and four Olympic Gold medals, Serena Williams is the most powerful woman currently active in women’s tennis (Bloomberg Business Week). Defying the odds and unspoken rules of the sport, Serena Williams, alongside her sister Venus, changed the demographics, play, and image of women’s tennis like no other. Williams uses her power and influence as the face of women’s tennis to break down barriers, be philanthropic, and run her own business and charity. It would be impossible, and a huge fallacy for one to say Serena Williams has not impacted The United States, her sport, and society.

Growing up in Compton, California, a city made famous for its crime rates, Serena Williams faced adversity. She was born in September of 1981 in Saginaw, Michigan to Richard and Oracene Williams, and as an infant, relocated to Compton. The Williams family was consumed by tennis. Richard Williams was introduced to the idea that tennis could be a career when he saw a woman awarded 30,000 dollars for winning a match. He went on to teach himself tennis, and after mastering necessary basic skills and the laws of the game he taught his wife and step daughters, Yetunde Price, Isha Price, and Lyndrea Price. The three older girls however, lacked the promise that he was looking for. Richard Williams’s two biological children, however, Venus and Serena, were started on the court at the ages of five and four respectfully and possessed natural talent. Serena and her sister were practically raised on the local...

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...become stronger and more ethnically and bodily diverse as a result of Serena Williams presence. Williams inspired young African Americans to become involved in professional athletics when she defied the unspoken rules of game by proving where one is from, what color one’s skin is, what shape one’s body is, and how much money one has, do not matter. In addition, her charitable interests and business deals outside of her sport have developed Williams into the woman she is and made her legacy undeniable. Youth today, are fascinated with Serena Williams and her success. Anyone, even without outside knowledge of tennis, could be drawn to the appeal of a hard working minority woman changing the rules of a game and how society sees that game and its players. The story of inspirational success against all odds is the Story of the queen of the court, Serena Williams.