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Venus Williams

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For this tennis player's detailed statistics, records, and other achievements, see Venus Williams career statistics.
Venus Williams
Venus Williams 2012.jpg
Country
 United States
Residence
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Born
June 17, 1980 (age 34)
Lynwood, California
Height
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Turned pro
October 31, 1994
Plays
Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach(es)
Richard Williams
Oracene Price
 David Witt
Prize money
$30,595,369
Singles

Career record
688–184 (78.9%)
Career titles
46
Highest ranking
No. 1 (February 25, 2002)
Current ranking
No. 16 (May 11, 2015)
Grand Slam Singles results

Australian Open
F (2003)
French Open
F (2002)
Wimbledon
W (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008)
US Open
W (2000, 2001)
Other tournaments

Tour Finals
W (2008)
Olympic Games
Gold medal.svg Gold medal (2000)
Doubles

Career record
174–30 (85.29%)
Career titles
21 WTA
Highest ranking
No. 1 (June 7, 2010)
Current ranking
No. 128 (March 23, 2015)
Grand Slam Doubles results

Australian Open
W (2001, 2003, 2009, 2010)
French Open
W (1999, 2010)
Wimbledon
W (2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012)
US Open
W (1999, 2009)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals
SF (2009)
Olympic Games
Gold medal.svg Gold medal (2000, 2008, 2012)
Mixed doubles

Career record
25–6 (80.65%)
Career titles
2
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results

Australian Open
W (1998)
French Open
W (1998)
Wimbledon
F (2006)
US Open
QF (1998)
Other mixed doubles tournaments
Team competitions

Fed Cup
W (1999), Record 21–4
Hopman Cup
RR (2013)
Last updated on: March 23, 2015.
Venus Williams

Medal record

Women's tennis

Competitor for the  United States

Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Singles
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Doubles
Venus Ebony Starr Williams[1] (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 11 in singles as of February 1, 2015.[2] She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate occasions, for a total of eleven weeks. She became the World No. 1 for the first time on February 25, 2002, becoming the first black American woman to achieve this feat during the Open Era. She is credited as changing the women's game and ushering a new, modern era of power and athleticism on the women's professional tennis tour. She is also regarded as the best grass court player of her generation and she is widely considered as one of the all-time greats of women's tennis.
Her seven Grand Slam singles titles ties her seventh on the all time list,[3] and is more than any other active female player except for her younger sister Serena Williams. Her 22 overall Grand Slam titles consist of seven in singles, thirteen in women's doubles, and two in mixed doubles. Her five Wimbledon singles titles tie her with two other women for eighth place on the all-time list. Venus Williams is one of only four women in the open era to have won five or more Wimbledon singles titles. Between the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2001 US Open, Williams won four of the six Grand Slam singles tournaments held. She is one of only five women in the open era to win 200 or more main draw Grand Slam singles matches.
Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, one in singles and three in women's doubles.[4] She and her sister Serena have won more Olympic gold medals than any other female tennis players. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at the same Olympic Games, after Helen Wills Moody in 1924.
With 46 career singles titles, Williams is behind only her sister Serena amongst active players on the WTA Tour. Her 35-match winning streak from the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2000 Generali Ladies Linz tournament final is the longest winning streak since January 1, 2000. She is also one of only three active WTA players to have made the finals of all four Grand Slams, the other players being her sister Serena Williams and Russian Maria Sharapova.[5]
Venus Williams has played against her sister Serena Williams in 25 professional matches since 1998, with Venus winning 11 of the 25 matches. They have played against each other in eight Grand Slam singles finals, with Serena winning six times. Beginning with the 2002 French Open, they opposed each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals, the first time in the Open Era that the same two players played against each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals. On the doubles side, the pair have won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles playing alongside each other and are undefeated in Grand Slam finals.


Contents  [hide]
1 Early life
2 Playing style
3 Professional career 3.1 1994–96: Professional debut
3.2 1997–99: Early success
3.3 2000–02: Williams sisters domination
3.4 2003–06: Injuries and losses
3.5 2007–09: Return to form
3.6 2010: Return to top 2
3.7 2011: Injuries and illness
3.8 2012: Comeback to WTA tour
3.9 2013: Back injury
3.10 2014: Ending title drought and return to top 20
3.11 2015: Australian Open big form
4 Fight for equal prize money
5 Personal life 5.1 Entrepreneur
6 Recognition
7 Equipment
8 Career statistics 8.1 Grand Slam performance timeline
8.2 Grand Slam finals 8.2.1 Singles: 14 (7 titles, 7 runner-ups)
8.2.2 Women's doubles: 13 finals (13 titles)
8.2.3 Mixed doubles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)

9 Records and achievements
10 Awards
11 See also
12 References
13 External links

Early life[edit]
Venus Ebony Starr Williams was born in Lynwood, California, to Richard Williams and Oracene Price.
The Williams family moved from Compton, California, to West Palm Beach, when she was ten, so that Venus and Serena could attend the tennis academy of Rick Macci, who took notice of the sisters and who would provide additional coaching. He did not always agree with Williams's father but respected that "he treated his daughters like kids, allowed them to be little girls".[6] Richard stopped sending his daughters to national junior tennis tournaments when Williams was eleven, since he wanted them to take it slow and focus on school work. Another motivation was racial, as he had allegedly heard parents of other players talk negatively about the Williams sisters during tournaments.[7] At that time, Venus Williams held a 63–0 record on the United States Tennis Association junior tour and was ranked No. 1 among the under-12 players in Southern California.[8] In 1995, Richard pulled his daughters out of Macci's academy, and from then on took over all coaching at their home.
Playing style[edit]


 This section of a biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2012)
Williams is a very powerful baseliner, equipped with an attacking all-court game. Her game is very well adapted to grass, where she feels most comfortable, which is reflected in her five Wimbledon singles titles. Across her career, she has developed into a skillful volleyer and effectively utilizes her long "wingspan" (1.85m) and agility around the net.[9] Williams also has great court coverage using her long reach to play with balls that most players reject and is capable of hitting outright winners from a defensive position.[10]
Williams holds the record for fastest serve in three of the four Grand Slam tournaments: 2007 French Open second round, 2008 Wimbledon final, 2007 US Open first round – 129 mph (208 km/h).[11] At Wimbledon in 2008, her average first serve speed was 115 mph (185 km/h) in the quarterfinal, 116 mph (187 km/h) in the semifinal, and 111 mph (179 km/h) in the final.[citation needed]
Williams has always been an explosive hitter of the ball off the ground, but her backhand is the more consistently reliable of her groundstrokes.[citation needed] Her backhand is equally effective down-the-line or crosscourt (frequently for a set-up approach shot).[citation needed] Her forehand occasionally breaks down under pressure.[citation needed] However, it is still the more powerful of her groundstrokes and yields many winners, from a variety of court positions.[citation needed] Additionally, it is one of the most powerful forehands in the women's game,[citation needed] frequently struck in the 85 – 90 mph (140 km/h) range.[citation needed] In the 2008 Wimbledon women's final, Venus struck a forehand winner measured at 94 mph (IBM/Wimbledon).[citation needed]
The low bounces that grass produces tend to make her first serve an even more powerful weapon.[citation needed] Her movement on grass is also among the best on the WTA tour.[citation needed] Clay is Williams's weakest surface although she has suffered numerous injuries prior to the French Open.[citation needed] Her movement is suspect and her powerful serve and groundstrokes are less effective.[citation needed] Still, she has won numerous[clarification needed] titles on clay.
Professional career[edit]


 This section of a biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2012)
1994–96: Professional debut[edit]
Venus Williams turned professional on October 31, 1994, at the age of fourteen. In the second round of her first professional tournament, the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, Williams was up a set and a service break against World No. 2 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario before losing the match. That was the only tournament Williams played in 1994.
In 1995, Williams played three more events as a wild card, falling in the first round of the tournament in Los Angeles and the tournament in Toronto but reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament in Oakland, defeating World No. 18 Amy Frazier in the second round for her first win over a top 20 ranked player before losing to Magdalena Maleeva.
Williams played five events in 1996, falling in the first round four times but reaching the third round in Los Angeles, before losing to World Number 1 Steffi Graf.
1997–99: Early success[edit]
Williams played 15 tour events in 1997, including five Tier I tournaments. She reached the quarterfinals in three of the Tier I events – the State Farm Evert Cup in Indian Wells, California, the European Indoor Championships in Zürich, and the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. In Indian Wells in March, Williams defeated World No. 9 Iva Majoli in the third round for her first win over a player ranked in the top 10. She then lost in the quarterfinals to World No. 8 Lindsay Davenport in a third set tiebreak. Her ranking broke into the top 100 on April 14, 1997. She made her debut in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament at the French Open, reaching the second round before losing to Nathalie Tauziat. She then lost in the first round of Wimbledon to Magdalena Grzybowska. During her debut at the US Open, she lost the final to Martina Hingis after defeating Irina Spîrlea in a semifinal famous for "the bump" in which Spîrlea intentionally collided with Williams during a changeover. Richard Williams, her father, later claimed that this incident was racially motivated.[12] She was the first woman since Pam Shriver in 1978 to reach a US Open singles final on her first attempt and was the first unseeded US Open women's singles finalist since 1958. On September 8, 1997, her ranking broke into the top 50 for the first time. She ended the year ranked World No. 22.
In her debut at the Australian Open, Williams defeated younger sister Serena in the second round, which was the sisters' first professional meeting. Venus eventually lost in the quarterfinals to World No. 3 Davenport.
Three weeks later, Williams defeated World No. 2 Davenport for the first time in the semifinals of the IGA Tennis Classic in Oklahoma City. Williams then defeated Joannette Kruger in the final to win the first singles title of her career. In her first Tier I event of the year, Williams lost in the semifinals of the State Farm Evert Cup in Indian Wells to World No. 1 Hingis. The following week, Williams won the Tier I Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida, defeating World No. 1 Hingis in the semifinals. On March 30, 1998, her ranking broke into the top 10 for the first time, at World No. 10.
Williams played only one tournament on clay before the 1998 French Open. At the Italian Open in Rome, she defeated sister Serena in the quarterfinals and World No. 5 Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals before losing to World No. 1 Hingis in the final. Williams lost again to Hingis in the quarterfinals of the French Open. Williams lost her first match at the Direct Line International Championships in Eastbourne on grass before losing to eventual champion and World No. 3 Jana Novotná in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. On July 27, 1998, her ranking rose to World No. 5.
Williams played three tournaments during the North American 1998 summer hard court season. She reached her fifth final of the year at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California, defeating World No. 6 Monica Seles in the semifinals before losing to World No. 1 Davenport. Patellar tendonitis in her left knee caused her to retire from her quarterfinal match at the tournament in San Diego while trailing Mary Pierce 4–0 in the third set. At the US Open, Williams defeated fourth seeded Sánchez Vicario in the quarterfinals before losing to second seeded and eventual champion Davenport in the semifinals.
Williams played four tournaments the remainder of 1998. She won her third title of the year at the Grand Slam Cup in Munich in September, defeating World No. 9 Patty Schnyder in the final. She lost in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Filderstadt before losing in the final of the Tier I Swisscom Challenge in Zürich to World No. 1 Davenport and the semifinals of the Tier I Kremlin Cup in Moscow to Pierce. She had earned enough points during the year to participate in the year-ending Chase Championship but withdrew from the tournament because of tendinitis in her knee. She finished the year ranked World No. 5.
In 1998, Williams teamed with Justin Gimelstob to win the mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open and the French Open. Her sister Serena won the other two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles that year, completing a "Williams Family Mixed Doubles Grand Slam". Williams won the first two women's doubles titles of her career, in Oklahoma City and Zürich. Both titles came with sister Serena, becoming only the third pair of sisters to win a WTA tour doubles title.[13]
Williams started the 1999 tour in Australia, where she lost to World No. 10 Steffi Graf in the quarterfinals of the Medibank International in Sydney and World No. 1 Davenport in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. However, she rebounded at the Faber Grand Prix in Hanover, defeating Graf for the first time in the semifinals before losing the final to World No. 3 Novotná. Williams then successfully defended her titles in both Oklahoma City and Key Biscayne. She defeated Novotná and Graf to reach the final in Key Biscayne, where she defeated Serena in three sets in the first final on the WTA Tour to be contested by two sisters.
Williams played four clay court events during the spring. She lost her first match at the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida. Three weeks later, however, she won her first title on clay at the Betty Barclay Cup in Hamburg, defeating Mary Pierce in the final. Williams then won the Tier I Italian Open in Rome, defeating World No. 1 Hingis in the semifinals and World No. 8 Pierce in the final. At the French Open, she extended her winning streak to 22 matches before losing in the fourth round to World No. 125 Barbara Schwartz. Williams teamed with Serena to win the women's doubles title at this event, the first Grand Slam title the pair won together.
At the 1999 Wimbledon Championships, Williams defeated World No. 17 Anna Kournikova in the fourth round to reach the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year, where she lost to eventual runner-up Graf.
Williams rebounded in the summer when she won two Fed Cup matches against Italy and lost in the final of the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford to World No. 1 Davenport. One week later, Williams defeated Davenport in the semifinals of the TIG Tennis Classic in San Diego before losing to World No. 2 Hingis in the final. In her last tournament before the US Open, Williams won the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, Connecticut, defeating World No. 5 Seles in the semifinals and Davenport in the final. On August 30, 1999, her world ranking reached third for the first time. Seeded third at the US Open, Williams lost in the semifinals to World No. 1 Hingis in three sets. However, she teamed with singles champion Serena at this event to win their second Grand Slam women's doubles title.
During the remainder of the year, Williams contributed to the USA's victory over Russia in the Fed Cup final, winning one singles rubber before joining Serena to win the doubles rubber. At the Grand Slam Cup in Munich, Venus defeated Hingis in the semifinals before losing to Serena for the first time in the final. Venus won her sixth title of the year at the Tier I event in Zurich, defeating World No. 1 Hingis in the final. Four weeks later, she lost to Davenport in the semifinals of the tournament in Philadelphia. Making her debut at the year-ending Chase Championships, Williams lost to Hingis in the semifinals. She finished the year ranked World No. 3.
2000–02: Williams sisters domination[edit]
In 2000, Williams missed the first five months of the year with tendinitis in both wrists. She returned to the tour during the European clay court season. She lost in the quarterfinals of the Betty Barclay Cup in Hamburg to Amanda Coetzer and in the third round of the Tier I Italian Open in Rome to Jelena Dokić. Although she had won only two of her four matches before the French Open, she was seeded fourth there. She won her first four matches in Paris without losing a set before losing in the quarterfinals to eighth-seeded and former champion Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in three sets.
Williams then won 35 consecutive singles matches and six tournaments. She won her first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon, defeating World No. 1 Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals, sister Serena in the semifinals, and defending champion Lindsay Davenport in the final. She also teamed with Serena to win the women's doubles title at this event.
She won three Tier II events during the North American summer hard court season, defeating Davenport in the final of the tournament in Stanford, California and Monica Seles in the finals of both the tournament in San Diego and the tournament in New Haven, Connecticut.
At the US Open, Williams defeated still-World No. 1 Hingis in the semifinals and World No. 2 Davenport in the final. At the Olympic Games in Sydney, she defeated Sánchez Vicario in the quarterfinals, Seles in the semifinals, and Elena Dementieva in the final to win the gold medal. She also won the gold medal in women's doubles with her sister Serena. Davenport eventually snapped her winning streak in October in the final of the tournament in Linz. Williams did not play a tournament the rest of the year because of anemia. She finished the year ranked World No. 3 and with six singles titles.
In 2001, Williams reached the semifinals of the Australian Open for the first time, where she lost to World No. 1 Hingis. However, Venus teamed with Serena to win the doubles title at the event, completing a Career Grand Slam in women's doubles for the pair.
Williams also reached the semifinals of the Tier I Tennis Masters Series tournament in Indian Wells, California, where she controversially defaulted her match with sister Serena just before the match started. Venus had been suffering from knee tendinitis throughout the tournament and eventually this prevented her from playing. The following day, Venus and her father Richard were booed as they made their way to their seats to watch the final.[14] Serena was subsequently booed during the final with Kim Clijsters and during the trophy presentation. Due to this, neither Williams sister has entered the tournament since.[15] Venus rebounded from the Indian Wells 'boycott' controversy to win the next tournament on the tour calendar, the Tier I Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida. She defeated Hingis in the semifinals and World No. 4 Jennifer Capriati in the final, after saving eight championship points. Because of this victory, her ranking rose to a career high of World No. 2.
During the European clay court season, Williams won the Tier II tournament in Hamburg but lost in the third round of the Tier I EUROCARD Ladies German Open to World No. 18 Justine Henin and the first round of the French Open to Barbara Schett. This was only the second time that she had lost in the first round of a Grand Slam singles tournament. Williams then successfully defended her Wimbledon title, defeating third-seeded Davenport in the semifinals and eighth-seeded Henin in three sets in Henin's first Wimbledon final.
During the North American summer hard court season, Williams won for the second consecutive year the tournaments in San Diego, defeating Seles in the final, and in New Haven, defeating Davenport in the final. Williams also won the US Open singles title for the second consecutive year, without dropping a set. In the quarterfinals, she beat fifth-seeded Clijsters, followed by a semifinal victory over World No. 2 Capriati. She played Serena in the final, which was the first Grand Slam singles final contested by two sisters during the open era. Venus won the match and her fourth Grand Slam singles title. Venus also became only the sixth woman in history to win the singles titles at both Wimbledon and the US Open in consecutive years, the others being Martina Navrátilová (twice), Steffi Graf (twice), Althea Gibson, Maureen Connolly Brinker, and Helen Wills Moody (twice).
Williams began 2002 by winning the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts in Gold Coast, Australia, defeating Henin in the final. However, she then lost for the first time in her career to Seles in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Williams then went on to win the Open Gaz de France in Paris when Jelena Dokić withdrew from the final, and the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium, defeating Henin in the final. As a result of her strong start to the season, Williams assumed the World No. 1 position for the first time on February 25, dislodging Capriati. Williams was the first African-American woman ever to hold the ranking. She held it for just three weeks before surrendering it back to Capriati.
Williams failed to defend her title in Miami after losing in the semifinals to Serena. However, she made a strong start to the clay-court season, winning the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida, defeating Henin in the final. A week after winning that tournament, she once again replaced Capriati as the World No. 1, before losing it again to Capriati after three weeks. During those three weeks, Williams had made the final in Hamburg, defeating Hingis in the semifinals before losing to Clijsters in the final. Seeded second at the French Open, Williams defeated former champion Seles to reach the semifinals for the first time. There, she defeated Clarisa Fernández. In the final, Williams met Serena for a second time in a Grand Slam final, with Serena winning. Venus once again replaced Capriati as the World No. 1 as a result of reaching the final.
As the top seed at Wimbledon, Williams defeated Henin in the semifinals to make the final for the third consecutive year. However, there, she lost to Serena. This result meant Serena replaced Venus as the World No. 1. The Williams sisters teamed up to win the women's doubles title at the event, their fifth Grand Slam women's doubles title together.
Williams won the titles in San Diego and New Haven for the third consecutive year, defeating Davenport and Dokic to win the former and defeating Davenport in the final of the latter. At the US Open, Williams defeated Seles in the quarterfinals and Amélie Mauresmo in three sets to make the final. Playing Serena for their third consecutive Grand Slam final, Serena won once again. After that, Venus played just four more matches during the season. She reached the semifinals at the year-ending Sanex Championships after defeating Seles in the quarterfinals, but she then was forced to retire against Clijsters due to injury. Williams finished the year ranked World No. 2 having won seven titles, her best showing in both respects of her career.
2003–06: Injuries and losses[edit]
Williams started 2003 by defeating fifth seed Justine Henin to make the final of the Australian Open for the first time. In the final, however, she lost to sister Serena. This marked the first time in the open era that the same two players had met in four consecutive Grand Slam finals. Venus and Serena teamed to win the women's doubles title at the event, their sixth Grand Slam title in women's doubles.
In February, Williams won the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium for the second consecutive year, defeating Kim Clijsters in the final. However, shortly afterwards, she began to struggle with injury. She reached the final of the clay-court J&S Cup in Warsaw, before being forced to retire against Amélie Mauresmo. She then suffered her earliest exit at a Grand Slam tournament in two years when she lost in the fourth round of the French Open to Vera Zvonareva.
At Wimbledon, Williams was seeded fourth. Williams defeated former champion Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals and Kim Clijsters in the semifinals to advance to her fourth consecutive Wimbledon final, where she lost again to sister Serena.
Wimbledon was Williams's last event of the year as an abdominal injury that occurred during the Clijsters match prevented her from playing again. While she was recovering from the injury, her sister Yetunde Price was murdered.[16] Williams finished the year ranked world no. 11. It was the first time in nearly six years that she had dropped out of the top 10.
In 2004, Williams came back to the tour suffering inconsistent results. As the third seed because of a protected ranking, she reached the third round of the Australian Open, where she lost to Lisa Raymond. She then lost in the quarterfinals of her next three tournaments.
Williams began to find her form at the beginning of the clay-court season. At the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, Williams defeated Conchita Martínez in the final to win her first title in over a year and the second Tier I title on clay of her career. She then won in Warsaw, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final, before reaching the final of the Tier I German Open in Berlin. She then withdrew from that match against Mauresmo due to injury. Going into the French Open, Williams had the best clay-court record among the women and was among the favorites to win the title; however, after making the quarterfinals to extend her winning streak on the surface to 19 matches, she lost to eventual champion Anastasia Myskina. Despite her defeat, she re-entered the top 10.
At Wimbledon, Williams lost a controversial second-round match to Croatian Karolina Šprem. The umpire of the match, Ted Watts, awarded Šprem an unearned point in the second-set tiebreak. Upon the conclusion of the match, he was relieved of his duties.[17] This defeat marked the first time since 1997 that Williams had exited Wimbledon prior to the quarterfinals. After Wimbledon, Williams reached her fourth final of the year at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California, where she was beaten by Lindsay Davenport for the first time since 2000.
As the defending champion at the Athens Olympics, Williams lost in the third round to Mary Pierce. She then won three very close matches against Petra Mandula, Shikha Uberoi and Chanda Rubin to make the fourth round of the US Open where she lost to Davenport, the first time she had ever lost at the US Open prior to the semifinals. Williams completed the year by losing in the quarterfinals of three indoor tournaments in the fall, a period that included defeat in her first meeting with 17-year-old Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova at the Zurich Open. Williams finished the year as world no. 9 and did not qualify for the year-ending WTA Tour Championships.
In 2005, Williams started the year by losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Alicia Molik. She then reached the final in Antwerp, defeating Clijsters and Myskina en route. In the final, Williams was a set and a service break up against Mauresmo before eventually losing.
In March, at the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami, Williams defeated sister and Australian Open champion Serena in the quarterfinals, the first time she had defeated Serena since 2001. Venus went on to lose in the semifinals to world no. 3 Sharapova. In May, Williams won her first title in over a year at the clay-court İstanbul Cup, defeating Nicole Vaidišová in the final. However, at the French Open, she lost in the third round to 15-year-old Sesil Karatantcheva, who subsequently tested positive for steroids and was suspended.
Williams was seeded 14th at Wimbledon. In the quarterfinals of the tournament, she defeated French Open runner-up Pierce in an epic second-set tiebreak, winning it 12–10 to make the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in two years. There, she defeated defending champion and second-seeded Maria Sharapova to make the Wimbledon final for the fifth time in six years. Playing top-seeded Davenport in the final, Williams saved a match point with a backhand winner en route to winning. This was Williams's third Wimbledon singles title, her fifth Grand Slam singles title overall and her first since 2001. It was the first time in 70 years that a player had won after being down match point during the women's final at Wimbledon.[citation needed] In addition, Williams was the lowest-ranked (world no. 16) and lowest-seeded (14th) champion in tournament history.[citation needed] Williams returned to the top 10 following the victory.
Following Wimbledon, Williams reached her fourth final of the year in Stanford, where she lost to Clijsters. At the US Open, Williams achieved her second consecutive win over Serena in the fourth round, but then lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Kim Clijsters. Williams did not qualify for the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships because of an injury sustained during the tournament in Beijing. She finished the year ranked world no. 10. It was the first year since 2001 that she had finished a year ranked higher than Serena.



 Venus Williams prepares to serve during the 2006 J&S Cup in Warsaw
In 2006, Williams was upset in the first round of the Australian Open by Tszvetana Pironkova, which was her earliest loss ever at that tournament. After that loss, she did not play again for three months due to a wrist injury. She returned in late April on clay in Warsaw, where she defeated former world no. 1 Martina Hingis in the second round, before losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals. Williams completed the clay-court season by reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open, where she lost to Nicole Vaidišová.
Williams was the defending champion and one of the favorites to win the singles title at Wimbledon. However, she lost in the third round to 26th-seeded Jelena Janković. After the loss, Williams said that she was having pain in her left wrist, although she admitted that the injury was not the cause of her loss. Williams did not play in the US Open series or the US Open itself due to the wrist injury. During her first tournament in almost three months in October, she reinjured her wrist at the tournament in Luxembourg and lost in the second round to qualifier Agnieszka Radwańska. Williams finished the season as world no. 46, her lowest finish since she began to play on the WTA Tour full-time in 1997. It was the second consecutive year she finished higher than Serena, who finished the year at world no. 95.
2007–09: Return to form[edit]
Williams withdrew from the 2007 Australian Open, the second consecutive Grand Slam that she had missed due to her recurring wrist injury. She returned in February at the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, USA, defeating top-seeded Shahar Pe'er in the final, her first singles title since her victory at Wimbledon in 2005.
At the beginning of the clay-court season, Williams reached the semifinals of the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, where she lost to Jelena Janković on a third set tiebreak. She also lost to fourth seed Janković in the third round of the French Open, her third consecutive loss to Janković. During her second round win over Ashley Harkleroad, Williams hit a 206 km/h (128 mph) serve, which is the second fastest woman's serve ever recorded and the fastest ever recorded during a main draw match.



 Venus competing in the WTT
Williams was ranked World No. 31 going into Wimbledon and was seeded 23rd at the tournament due to her previous results at Wimbledon. Williams was a game away from defeat in her first round match against Alla Kudryavtseva and in her third round match against Akiko Morigami she was two points away from defeat, but she eventually won both 7–5 in the third set. She then advanced to reach her sixth Wimbledon final, after beating Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Ana Ivanovic in straight sets en route, where she defeated 18th seed Marion Bartoli also in straight sets. Williams thus became only the fourth woman in the open era to win Wimbledon at least four times, along with Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf. She also became the lowest-seeded Wimbledon champion in history, breaking the record she herself set in 2005. Williams returned to the top 20 as a result of the win.[18]
At the US Open, after setting a Grand-Slam record 129 mph (208 km/h) serve in the opening round,[19] Williams advanced to her first Grand Slam semifinal outside of Wimbledon since 2003. However she then lost to eventual champion Justine Henin. The tournament resulted in Williams's ranking moving up to World No. 9. Williams then won her third title of the year at the Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships in Seoul, South Korea, defeating Maria Kirilenko in the final, before then losing in the final of the Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo to Virginie Razzano. Williams had earned enough points during the year to qualify for the year-ending WTA Tour Championships in Madrid; however, she withdrew because of continuing problems with anemia.[20] Williams finished the year as World No. 8 with three titles, her best performance in both respects since 2002, and a winning percentage of 83 percent.
In 2008, as the eighth seed at the Australian Open, Williams reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2003. However, she then lost to eventual runner-up Ana Ivanovic. Williams made her first semifinal of the year at the Bangalore Open in Bangalore, India, where she met sister Serena for the first time since 2005 with Serena winning despite Venus holding a match point in the third set tie break.
Williams missed two tournaments at the beginning of the clay-court season due to undisclosed medical problems.[21] At the French Open, Williams was seeded eighth but was eliminated by 26th-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta in the third round.
Williams was the defending champion and seventh-seeded player at Wimbledon. Without dropping a set, she reached her seventh Wimbledon singles final. She then won her fifth Wimbledon singles title, and seventh Grand Slam singles title overall, by beating sister Serena in straight sets. This was the first time since 2003 that Venus and Serena had played each other in a Grand Slam final and was the first time since 2001 that Venus had defeated her in a Grand Slam final. Venus and Serena then teamed to win the women's doubles title, their first Grand Slam doubles title together since 2003.
Williams lost in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics to Li Na. She did, however, earn a gold medal along with Serena in women's doubles, their second gold medal as a team, having won together at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. At the US Open, Williams was playing some of her best tennis since dominating the circuit in 2003, However, she was defeated in two tiebreaks by Serena in an epic quarter final match after Venus led 5–3 in both sets, and would later win the tournament.



 Venus Williams at the 2008 WTA Tour Championships
At the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany in October, Williams defeated a player ranked in the top three for the first time that season by defeating World No. 3 Dinara Safina to reach her third semifinal of the year. There, she lost to Janković. A fortnight later, Williams won the Zurich Open, defeating Ivanovic in the semifinals before defeating Pennetta in the final to claim her second title of the year and secure a position in the year-ending 2008 WTA Tour Championships in Doha, Qatar. There, Williams defeated World No. 2 Safina, World No. 3 Serena and World No. 5 Dementieva in the preliminary round-robin stage. In the semifinals, Williams defeated World No. 1 Janković before winning the year-ending tournament for the first time by defeating Vera Zvonareva in the final. She ended the year ranked sixth in the world with three titles and a winning percentage of 78 percent.
As the sixth seed at the 2009 Australian Open, Williams lost in the second round to Carla Suárez Navarro after holding a match point in the third set. However, she teamed up with Serena to win the women's doubles title at the event, their eighth Grand Slam doubles title together. Venus rebounded in singles play in February at the Premier 5 (formerly Tier I) Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating defending champion and World No. 4 Dementieva in the quarterfinals and World No. 1 Serena in the semifinals on a third set tiebreak. The latter win meant that Venus led the head-to-head in career matches with her sister for the first time since 2002. Venus went on to defeat Virginie Razzano in the final. This win meant Williams was ranked in the top five for the first time since 2003, while it also marked her 40th professional singles title, only the twelfth player in the open era to achieve the feat.[22] Williams won another title the following week at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico, defeating Pennetta in the final. This was her first title on clay since 2005.
On European clay, Williams reached the semifinals in Rome before losing to World No. 1 Safina. This run meant Williams was ranked in the top three for the first time since 2003. Seeded third at the French Open, Williams lost to Ágnes Szávay in the third round, the third consecutive year she had exited at that stage.[23]
Williams was seeded third at Wimbledon. She advanced to her eighth Wimbledon final where she had won 36 straight sets (held since Wimbledon 2007). In the final however she lost the first set tie break and from then on lost in two sets to sister Serena. The Williams sisters teamed up to win the doubles title at the tournament for the fourth time.
In Stanford, Williams defeated Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva to advance to the finals, where she would lose to Marion Bartoli. Teaming with her sister, she played doubles and won the title, defeating Monica Niculescu and Yung-Jan Chan.



 Venus lost to the eventual champion at the US Open
At the 2009 US Open, as the third seed, Williams made it to the fourth round before losing to Kim Clijsters in three sets. Venus then teamed up with Serena to play doubles at the open, where they won the title over defending champions and world No. 1s in doubles, Cara Black and Liezel Huber, claiming their third grand slam doubles title in 2009.
Williams's last tournament in 2009 was the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships, where she was the defending champion in singles. She was in the maroon group which includes her sister Serena, along with Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova. She lost her first match against Dementieva, and her second match against Serena- both in straight sets, after taking the first set. In her third and final RR match, Williams defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova. Because of Dementieva's loss to Kuznetsova in their round robin match, Venus advanced to the semifinal of the championships. In her semifinal match, she defeated Jelena Janković of Serbia to advance to her second consecutive final in the tournament. In the final, she lost to her sister Serena. In doubles, Venus teamed with Serena as the second seed. However, they lost to Nuria Llagostera Vives and María José Martínez Sánchez in the semifinal. Their doubles record at the end of the year stood at 24–2.
Venus finished 2009 ranked world number 6 in singles (with a winning percentage of 70 percent) and world number 3 in doubles with Serena, in spite of playing only 6 events together in 2009.
2010: Return to top 2[edit]
Williams played at the Australian Open as the sixth seed. She defeated 17th-seeded Francesca Schiavone in the fourth round. She was two points from defeating 16th-seeded Li Na in the quarterfinals before losing in three sets. In doubles, she teamed with her sister Serena to successfully defend their title, defeating the top-ranked team of Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the final. The Williams sisters are undefeated in Grand Slam women's doubles finals and are 4–0 in Australian Open doubles finals.



 Williams at the 2010 Wimbledon.
Williams then played the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she was the defending champion. Seeded third, she successfully defended her title by defeating fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka in the final.
Williams next played on clay at the Abierto Mexico Telcel in Acapulco where she was the defending champion. She reached the semifinals after recovering from a 1–5 third set deficit to Laura Pous Tió in the quarterfinals. In the final, she defeated first-time finalist Polona Hercog from Slovenia. This was her 43rd career title, the most among active female players.
Her next tournament was the Premier Mandatory Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, where she was seeded third. She defeated World No. 9 Agnieszka Radwańska in the quarterfinals and World No. 13 Marion Bartoli in the semifinals to reach her third straight WTA tour final and fourth Sony Ericsson Open final. She was defeated by Kim Clijsters in the final in just 58 minutes, ending her 15-match winning streak. By reaching the final, her ranking improved to World No. 4 and she crossed the $26 million mark in career prize money, the only player besides Serena to do so.
The knee injury that hampered her during the final of the Sony Ericsson Open forced her to skip the Fed Cup tie against Russia and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Williams returned to the tour at the Premier 5 Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. She suffered the worst defeat of her career in the quarterfinals, losing to World No. 4 Jelena Janković 6–0, 6–1. Despite this loss, Williams's ranking improved to World No. 3 on May 10.



 Williams at the 2010 Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open
Her next tournament was the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, a Premier Mandatory tournament. She lost to Aravane Rezaï in the final. In doubles, she teamed with Serena to win the title.
On May 17, her ranking improved to World No. 2, behind only Serena. This was the fourth time that the William sisters' have occupied the top two spots, and the first time since May 2003.
Her next tournament was the French Open, where she played both singles and doubles despite her knee injury. Seeded second in singles, she advanced past the third round at this tournament for the first time since 2006 before losing to Nadia Petrova in the round of 16. She also played doubles with Serena as the top seeds. Their defeat of Huber and Anabel Medina Garrigues in the semifinals increased their doubles ranking to World No. 1. They then defeated 12th seeded Květa Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik in the final to win their fourth consecutive Grand Slam women's doubles title.
Her next tournament was the Wimbledon Championships, where she had reached the final the previous three years. Despite her knee injury, she made it to the quarterfinals, where she lost to Tsvetana Pironkova. Pironkova was ranked 82nd in the world and had never gone past the second round of a Grand Slam event. As a result, Williams dropped to #4 in the world. She was the defending champion in doubles with her sister Serena, having won the tournament in the previous two years. However, they lost this time in the quarterfinals to Elena Vesnina and Vera Zvonareva.
Williams then missed all tournaments in the US Open Series because of a left knee injury but still participated at the US Open as the third seed. She won three matches to move into the fourth round. Williams became one of only two women in 2010 (along with Caroline Wozniacki) to reach at least the fourth round at all four Grand Slam singles tournaments. Williams then defeated Pe'er and French Open champion Schiavone en route to her eighth US Open semifinal, against defending champion Clijsters. Williams won the first set of their match and recovered from 5–2 down in the second set but ultimately double-faulted on a key point near the end of the match and lost in three sets. Because of Serena's withdrawal from the US Open, Venus did not participate at the doubles event where she was the defending champion.
The recovery of her left knee took longer than expected and it forced her to miss the rest of 2010, including the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships and Fed Cup final.[24] Williams ended the year ranked fifth in singles, the first time she ended a year in the top five since 2002, while playing only nine tournaments. She finished the year ranked eleventh in doubles.
2011: Injuries and illness[edit]



 Williams in 2011
Williams started 2011 by participating at the Hong Kong Tennis Classic. She lost both her singles matches against Vera Zvonareva and Li Na, but she managed to help Team America to win the silver group. Her next tournament was the 2011 Australian Open where she was the fourth seed. She retired in the second game of her third round match against the 30th seed Andrea Petkovic due to a hip muscle injury.[25] This was Williams's first retirement during a match in a Grand Slam tournament since 1994 and thus ended her record of most Grand Slam matches without ever retiring, with 250 consecutive matches.[26] This was also her first retirement from a match since LA Women's Tennis Championships in Los Angeles in 2004, ending her 294 consecutive matches without retiring.
The injury forced Williams to pull out of the Fed Cup quarterfinal against Belgium, the Dubai Tennis Championships, and the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, where she was the two-time defending champion in both tournaments. She also pulled out of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami causing her ranking to drop to world no. 15. Further, she missed Madrid and Rome. This caused her rankings to drop to world no. 29. Originally scheduled to come back in Brussels, she eventually withdrew from the Premier tournament. Further, she also missed Roland Garros, marking the first Grand Slam tournament since 2003 US Open where neither of the Williams sisters are competing.
Williams then made her first appearance since the Australian Open in Eastbourne. Unseeded, she lost for the first time in eleven meetings to Daniela Hantuchová in the quarterfinals. She was seeded 23rd at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. She played for nearly three hours in her second round match against Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm, winning in three tough sets. She then defeated Spaniard María José Martínez Sánchez in the third round but was defeated by Bulgarian 32nd seed Tsvetana Pironkova in the fourth round.
Originally scheduled to participate in Toronto and Cincinnati, Williams withdrew due to viral illness.[27] Her next scheduled tournament was the US Open.[28] As an unseeded player, Williams defeated Vesna Dolonts in the first round. She was scheduled to meet 22nd seed Sabine Lisicki in the second round, but withdrew before the match began due to Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease with which she was recently diagnosed.[29][30] This marked the first time in her career that she did not reach the quarterfinals or better in any of the grandslam tournaments in a season. As a result, her ranking dropped to world no. 105.
Williams did not play for the rest of the year in competitive level; although she did appear in three exhibitions tournaments in November and early December. She played a match against Serena in Colombia which she won in straight sets.[31] The week later, the sisters appeared in Milan, Italy to play exhibition against Italian duo Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta. Williams lost both her singles tie-break matches but won the doubles pairing with her sister.[32] Williams then headed to Barbados to play her third exhibition tournament where she lost to Victoria Azarenka.
She ended the year ranked world no. 102. This is her first finish of a season ranked outside of the world top 50 since 1997.
2012: Comeback to WTA tour[edit]
Williams was scheduled to play in Auckland as her preparation before the Australian Open.[33] However, she withdrew from the tournament because of her ongoing health problems. Further, she announced in her website that she also withdrew from the Australian Open. However, she also mentioned her intention to come back to the WTA circuit in February.[34] As a result, her ranking dropped further to world no. 135. Williams returned to the competition in the doubles match of the Fed Cup's World Group II tie between USA and Belarus that was held in Worcester, Massachusetts on 4–5 February.[35] She partnered with Liezel Huber and won the dead-rubber in straight sets.
Williams was granted wildcards to participate in Miami[36] and Charleston.[37] In her first singles match since the 2011 US Open, Williams defeated Japanese veteran, Kimiko Date-Krumm in straight sets in the first round of Miami. She followed up the victory by defeating world no. 3 Petra Kvitová in the second round, her first Top 3 victory since defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2009. Then, she beat Aleksandra Wozniak in a three-set tiebreaker in the third round, in a match that lasted almost three hours and where she saved a match point, to advance to the fourth round. In the round of 16, she bested world no. 15, Ana Ivanovic in three sets to reach the quarterfinals where she appeared fatigued and lost to the eventual champion, Agnieszka Radwańska in straight sets. Her run improved her ranking to no. 87. A week later in Charleston, she reached her second consecutive quarterfinals appearance, defeating Jelena Janković en route. She lost in three sets in the quarterfinals to Samantha Stosur.



 Williams at the French Open.
In the following the clay court season, Williams was granted wildcards to participate in Madrid and Rome. In Madrid, she lost in the second round to Angelique Kerber but still improved her world ranking to no. 63. A week later in Rome, she reached her third quarterfinals of the four tournaments she had participated in with a straight-sets victory against Samantha Stosur in the third round. She lost in the quarterfinals in straight sets to the world no. 2, defending and eventual champion Maria Sharapova.[38] Her appearance in Rome increased her ranking to world no. 52 and putting her as the third-ranked American. She lost in the second round of the French Open to Agnieszka Radwańska in straight sets.
She next participated in the Wimbledon tournament, where for the first time since 1997 she was not seeded.[39] She was drawn against Elena Vesnina in the first round, to whom Venus lost in straight sets.[40] It was also the first time Venus lost in the first round of a Grand Slam Tournament since the 2006 Australian Open, as well as the first opening round loss at Wimbledon since her pro tennis debut appearance there in 1997.[41] Williams fared much better in her return to doubles competition where she played alongside her sister, Serena. In just the pair's first tournament since 2010 Wimbledon, the unseeded sisters advanced to the final with notable victories against fourth-seeded Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova in the second round and top-seeded Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond in the semifinals. The Williams sisters claimed their fifth Wimbledon doubles title after defeating sixth-seeded Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká in straight sets in the final, on the same day Serena won her fifth Wimbledon singles title.
Williams's next stop was the 2012 Summer Olympics Games which was held in the same venue as Wimbledon. She entered the women's singles and women's doubles events, partnering with sister Serena in doubles. In singles, Williams defeated Sara Errani and Aleksandra Wozniak in convincing fashion to reach the third round where she faced Angelique Kerber. She lost to Kerber in two tiebreaks despite having three set points and leading 5–1 in the tiebreak in the first set. In doubles, the unseeded Williams sisters advanced to the final which was a repeat of Wimbledon's final match against fourth-seeded Hlaváčková and Hradecká. The sisters won their third gold medal in doubles after defeating the Czech pair in straight sets.
Next, Williams participated in Cincinnati where she received a singles wild card entry. She defeated her first two opponents, 14th seeded Maria Kirilenko and Chanelle Scheepers, in three tight sets before crushing 8th seeded Errani in the third round. In the quarterfinals, she defeated her second top 10 opponent in a row Samantha Stosur in three sets which advanced her to her first semifinals appearance since the 2010 US Open. In the semifinals Williams played through a back injury, eventually losing in three sets to Li Na in a match where her average first serve was between 80–90 miles per hour.[citation needed] Her semifinals run would bring her ranking back to within the top 50 for the first time in almost a year. At the US Open Williams lost in a second round match against Angelique Kerber in three sets, after she had a 4–2 lead in the third set.[citation needed]
Williams won her 44th career WTA title and her first in over two and half years at the 2012 BGL Luxembourg Open. She defeated Belinda Bencic, Mona Barthel, Roberta Vinci, and Andrea Petkovic to reach the final. There she defeated Monica Niculescu in two sets. With the title, Williams's ranking rose to #24 and ended 2012 with this ranking.
2013: Back injury[edit]
At the 2013 Hopman Cup, and playing for USA (with John Isner), the first rubber was against South Africa. Williams beat Chanelle Scheepers and, with John Isner, they comfortably defeated the South African pair Chanelle Scheepers and Kevin Anderson. In USA's second rubber against France, she won both her singles and in mixed doubles defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Mathilde Johansson. Next she faced Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain and won in two sets.
From there Williams went onto the Australian Open, seeded 25, after missing it the previous year due to injury. She beat Galina Voskoboeva and Alizé Cornet before losing to the second seed, Maria Sharapova. Her next tournament was Brasil Tennis Cup. She participated the tournament as the 1st seed. She defeated Mirjana Lučić-Baroni in the first round, Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round and Magdaléna Rybáriková during the quarterfinals. Reaching her first semifinal of the year, she was then defeated by Olga Puchkova in three sets, 6–4, 4–6, 5–7. This tournament allowed Williams to strengthen her position in the Top 20. She retired from the 2013 Sony Open Tennis in the third round due to a lower back injury.



 Williams at the US Open
One week after Miami, Williams participated in Charleston as the fifth seed. She reached the semifinals, after playing both her third round and quarterfinals matches on the same day, where she lost to her sister, Serena, in two sets in the sisters' first meeting since the 2009 WTA Tour Championships.A few weeks later she participated in Fed Cup, in a tie between the United States and Sweden. After Sloane Stephens lost the opening match, Williams stepped into her spot, winning a match against Johanna Larsson 6–3, 7–5, after converting on her eighth match point. This was the first time in Williams's career that she clinched the winning match in a Fed Cup tie, leading the United States to a 3–2 victory over Sweden. Venus's next event was the Mutua Madrid Open where she withdrew just before playing her 1st Round match, her next tournament was the Italian Open in Rome where she lost in the 1st Round to Laura Robson 6–3, 6–2. Venus then played at the 2013 French Open where she lost to Urszula Radwanska in the 1st Round she was also entered in Doubles with her sister Serena but pulled out just before their 1st Round match, Venus pulled out of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships due to a back injury it was the first time she has missed Wimbledon in her career. At the Roger's Cup, she lost in the first round to 13th seed Kirsten Flipkens in 3 sets. At the 2013 Western and Southern Open, she defeated Qualifier Jana Cepelova in 2 sets, before losing in the 2nd round to Elena Vesnina in 3 sets. Her next tournament was the 2013 US Open. She pulled an upset in the first round by defeating 12th seed Kirsten Flipkens in a rematch of the Roger's Cup first round. She then was defeated by Zheng Jie in 3 sets. She entered the doubles with Serena Williams. They beat Carla Suarez Navarro and Silvia Soler Espinosa in the first round. In the 2nd round, the duo beat the 7th seeded team of Abigail Spears and Raquel Kops-Jones, and defeated the 11th seeded team of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Lucie Safarova in the 3rd round. In the Quarterfinals, they defeated the 1st seeded team of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in a rematch of the Australian Open Quarterfinals. Their run ended in the Semifinals against the 5th seeded team and eventual champions Lucie Hradecka and Andrea Hlavackova. Her next tournament was the Toray Pan Pacific Open. She defeated Mona Barthel in the first round, and upset the 1st seeded and World Number 2 Victoria Azarenka in the 2nd round. In the 3rd round, she came back from a set down to beat the 13th seed Simona Halep in 3 sets to make it to the quarterfinals of the Premier 5 event. In the quarterfinals she defeated Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in three sets. Venus fell in the semi-finals of the tournament to Petra Kvitova in another three set match. Venus then played at the 2013 China Open in Beijing where she played Singles & Doubles, Venus lost her 2nd Round match in Singles losing to Sabine Lisicki 6–1, 6–2 and she also lost her 1st Round match in Doubles despite having two match points. Venus's last tournament of the season was the 2013 Kremlin Cup in Moscow but she withdrew due to injury bringing an end to her 2013 season.
2014: Ending title drought and return to top 20[edit]
Venus started her official tennis season as the world no. 47 at the 2014 ASB Classic in Auckland where she made it to the final and finished runner-up to Ana Ivanovic. She next participated at the 2014 Australian Open where, as an unseeded player, she lost in the first round to world no. 23 Ekaterina Makarova in three sets. Williams lost to world no. 6 Petra Kvitová in the second round in Doha at the 2014 Qatar Total Open despite having match point in the third set tie-break. Williams then entered the Dubai Tennis Championships where she defeated five top forty players to win her biggest title since the Mutua Madrid Open in 2010 and, at 33 years and 8 months of age, becoming the seventh oldest woman to win a WTA singles title. En route, she avenged her loss to Ana Ivanovic in Auckland 6-2, 6-1 and her sister Serena’s loss to Alizé Cornet in the semi-finals, and for the title, with the score reading 6-3, 6-0 in the final. She also kept her head-to-head record perfect versus Caroline Wozniacki. Williams then competed in Miami at the 2014 Sony Open Tennis and in Charleston at the 2014 Family Circle Cup where she lost to Dominika Cibulková on hard and Eugenie Bouchard on clay, respectively - both in the round of 16 and both in three sets. Venus’s only loss of the year up until that point not having gone the distance of three sets occurred at her next tournament in Rome at the 2014 Internazionali BNL d'Italia where she lost 4-6, 2-6 to Carla Suárez Navarro. At the 2014 French Open, Venus was upset by world no. 56 Anna Karolína Schmiedlová in three sets. Venus then made it through to the third round of the Wimbledon Championships where she lost 7-5, 6-7, 5-7 to eventual champion Petra Kvitová in a classic and much praised encounter featuring 34 holds of serve to only 2 breaks. Williams was the only player to have won a set against Kvitová during the 2014 Wimbledon Championships.
Venus played her first tournament of the 2014 US Open Series at the 2014 Bank of the West Classic where she is a two-time former champion. In the second round she scored her first top 10 victory of the year and, in the process, improved her head-to-head record against Victoria Azarenka to 4-0. Williams lost to world no. 18 Andrea Petkovic in three sets in the quarterfinals. At the 2014 Rogers Cup, Venus defeated world no. 24 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in three sets - scoring her first ever victory at that tournament (on her fifth attempt). She defeated world no. 7 Angelique Kerber in the third round in a three-set thriller described by one of the commentators as "quite simply one of the matches of the 2014 season so far on the WTA". Williams produced yet another upset by winning in three against Carla Suárez Navarro to advance to the semi-finals, where she defeated younger sister and world no. 1, Serena Williams, in the pair's 25th meeting. It was her 14th victory over a reigning world no. 1 and her first since the 2009 Wimbledon Championships when she defeated Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-0 in the semi-finals. It was also the first time since 2009 that Venus had beaten Serena. She lost the championship match 4-6, 2-6 to world no. 5 Agnieszka Radwańska. At her final tournament before the 2014 US Open, Williams lost in a tight three-setter to world no. 17 Lucie Šafářová in the first round at the 2014 Western & Southern Open. At the US Open Venus made it to the third round for the first time since 2010 and was two points away (multiple times) from moving into the Round of 16 before ultimately going down to 13th seeded Sara Errani for the first time in four meetings.
Venus' next tournament was at the 2014 Coupe Banque Nationale in Quebec, where she received a wildcard as the no. 1 seed. She advanced to the quarter-finals in straight set first and second round victories and is set to play Czech player, Lucie Hradecká. She defeated Hradecká in a lengthy 2 hour and 13 minute match, winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(3). Williams then played fellow countrywomen, Shelby Rogers in the semi-final and won in straight sets to progress to her fourth final of the year. Unfortunately, she lost to a resurgent Mirjana Lučić-Baroni in straight sets. Williams then played at the 2014 Wuhan Open, where she lost in the first round to Caroline Garcia despite having held a match point. Her final tournament of the year was at the 2014 China Open where she won her first two matches before withdrawing prior to the third round. Venus finished the year ranked world no. 19 in singles - the first time since 2010 that she's finished inside the top 20. Williams joined Bangalore Raptors team in 2014 for the first edition of Champions Tennis League India.[42]
2015: Australian Open big form[edit]
Venus started off her season at the 2015 ASB Classic where she won her 46th career singles title by defeating Caroline Wozniacki in three sets in the final. Then, at the Australian Open, Venus made it to the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2010 US Open. She defeated Camila Giorgi in the third round having to recover from 4-6, 2-4 and 0-40 down to reach the second week of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since the 2011 Wimbledon Championships and then overturned a three-match losing streak to Agnieszka Radwańska before losing to Madison Keys after being up a break in the deciding set. Venus had her 16-match winning streak at the Dubai Tennis Championships ended by Lucie Šafářová in the third round. Her next tournament was at the Qatar Total Open where she saved a match point in a heated encounter versus Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová in the second round before defeating Agnieszka Radwańska for a second time in 2015 to advance to the semifinals. She ended up losing in three sets to Victoria Azarenka. Venus competed at the Miami Open, where she won against Samantha Stosur in the third round and Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round (scoring her fourth top-10 win of the season and improving her head-to-head record against Wozniacki to a perfect 7-0). In the quarterfinals, she was defeated by Carla Suárez Navarro in three sets.
At the 2015 French Open, she lost in straight sets to Sloane Stephens for a score 7-6,6-1 in the first round.
Fight for equal prize money[edit]
Despite years of protesting by tennis pioneer Billie Jean King and others, in 2005 the French Open and Wimbledon still refused to pay women's and men's players equally through all rounds. In 2005, Williams met with officials from both tournaments, arguing that female tennis players should be paid as much as male tennis players.[43] Although WTA tour President Larry Scott commented that she left "a very meaningful impression", Williams's demands were rejected.
The turning point was an essay published in The Times on the eve of Wimbledon in 2006. In it, Williams accused Wimbledon of being on the "wrong side of history", writing:

I feel so strongly that Wimbledon's stance devalues the principle of meritocracy and diminishes the years of hard work that women on the tour have put into becoming professional tennis players.
 I believe that athletes – especially female athletes in the world's leading sport for women – should serve as role models. The message I like to convey to women and girls across the globe is that there is no glass ceiling. My fear is that Wimbledon is loudly and clearly sending the opposite message....
 Wimbledon has argued that women's tennis is worth less for a variety of reasons; it says, for example, that because men play a best of five sets game they work harder for their prize money.
 This argument just doesn’t make sense; first of all, women players would be happy to play five sets matches in grand slam tournaments....
 Secondly, tennis is unique in the world of professional sports. No other sport has men and women competing for a grand slam championship on the same stage, at the same time. So in the eyes of the general public the men's and women's games have the same value.
 Third, ... we enjoy huge and equal celebrity and are paid for the value we deliver to broadcasters and spectators, not the amount of time we spend on the stage. And, for the record, the ladies’ final at Wimbledon in 2005 lasted 45 minutes longer than the men's....
 Wimbledon has justified treating women as second class because we do more for the tournament. The argument goes that the top women – who are more likely also to play doubles matches than their male peers – earn more than the top men if you count singles, doubles and mixed doubles prize money. So the more we support the tournament, the more unequally we should be treated! But doubles and mixed doubles are separate events from the singles competition. Is Wimbledon suggesting that, if the top women withdrew from the doubles events, that then we would deserve equal prize money in singles? And how then does the All England Club explain why the pot of women's doubles prize money is nearly £130,000 smaller than the men's doubles prize money?
 I intend to keep doing everything I can until Billie Jean's original dream of equality is made real. It's a shame that the name of the greatest tournament in tennis, an event that should be a positive symbol for the sport, is tarnished.[43]
In response, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and members of Parliament publicly endorsed Williams's arguments.[44] Later that year, the Women's Tennis Association and UNESCO teamed for a campaign to promote gender equality in sports, asking Williams to lead the campaign.[45] Under enormous pressure, Wimbledon announced in February 2007 that it would award equal prize money to all competitors in all rounds, and the French Open followed suit a day later.[46] In the aftermath, the Chicago Sun-Times cited Williams as "the single factor" that "changed the minds of the boys" and a leader whose "willingness to take a public stand separates her not only from most of her female peers, but also from our most celebrated male athletes."[47] Williams herself commented, "Somewhere in the world a little girl is dreaming of holding a giant trophy in her hands and being viewed as an equal to boys who have similar dreams."[48]
Venus herself became the first woman to benefit from the equalization of prize money at Wimbledon, as she won the 2007 tournament and was awarded the same amount as the male winner Roger Federer. Venus's fight for equality was documented in Nine for IX, Venus Vs. It premiered on July 2, 2013.[49][50]
Personal life[edit]



 Williams for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's "National Wear Red Day"
On December 13, 2007, Williams received her associate degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.[51]
Beginning the 2011 fall semester, Williams began pursuing a bachelor's degree in the school of business through an online degree program at Indiana University East in Richmond, Indiana.[52] Her ultimate goal is to get an MBA in the near future.[53]
Williams's longtime boyfriend, pro golfer Dorian Andrews, was a visible presence from the time of Wimbledon 2007 until 2010, when Kuehne dated and (in May 2011) married his current wife, Andy. Williams is now dating Cuban model Elio Pis whom she met when he modeled for her EleVen fashion line.[54]
In 2003, Venus and Serena Williams's older sister Yetunde Price, 31, was shot dead in Compton, California, near the courts on which the sisters once practiced. Price was the Williams sisters' personal assistant. The Williams family issued this statement shortly after the death: "We are extremely shocked, saddened and devastated by the shooting death of our beloved Yetunde. She was our nucleus and our rock. She was a personal assistant, confidante, and adviser to her sisters, and her death leaves a void that can never be filled. Our grief is overwhelming, and this is the saddest day of our lives."[55]
In 2011, Williams was forced to withdraw from the US Open before her second-round match, following a Sjögren's syndrome diagnosis.[30]
After the diagnosis, she adopted a vegan diet, as well as reducing her intake of calories and sugars.[56]
Like her mother and sister Serena, Williams is a Jehovah's Witness and has a practice of not voting. She has, however, expressed her support for Barack Obama.[57]
Entrepreneur[edit]



 Williams in July 2010
Williams is the chief executive officer of her interior design firm V Starr Interiors located in Jupiter, Florida. Her company designed the set of the Tavis Smiley Show on the Public Broadcasting Service, the Olympic athletes' apartments as part of New York City's failed bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, and residences and businesses in the Palm Beach, Florida area.[58]
In 2001, Williams was named one of the 30 most powerful women in America by the Ladies Home Journal.[59]
In 2007, Williams teamed with retailer Steve & Barry's to launch her own fashion line, EleVen. "I love fashion and the idea that I am using my design education to actually create clothing and footwear that I will wear on and off the tennis court is a dream come true for me. The vision has been to create a collection that will allow women to enjoy an active lifestyle while remaining fashionable at the same time. I'm thrilled with everything we've created to launch EleVen."[60][61]
In June 2009, Williams was named 77th in the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities compiled by Forbes magazine.[62]
In August 2009, Williams and her sister Serena became part-owners of the Miami Dolphins. The announcement was made during a press conference overlooking the practice field. This made the sisters the first African-American females to obtain ownership in an NFL franchise. Stephan Ross, the majority owner of the Dolphins, said "We are thrilled to have Venus and Serena join the Dolphins as limited partners. They are among the most admired athletes in the world and have become global ambassadors for the game of tennis. Their addition to our ownership group further reflects our commitment to connect with aggressively and embrace the great diversity that makes South Florida a multicultural gem."[63]
In late June 2010, Williams released her first book, Come to Win; on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession, which she co-wrote with Kelly E. Carter. In promotion of the book she embarked on a tour around America in support of the release, whilst also appearing on several talk shows, including The Early Show and Good Morning America. This gave her a place in the Top 5 of The New York Times Best Seller List.[64]
Recognition[edit]
In 2005 Tennis Magazine ranked her as the 25th-best player in 40 years.[65][66] In June 2011, she was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time.[67]
Equipment[edit]
Coach: David Witt, Richard Williams, Oracene Price
Racket: Wilson BLX Blade Team (104)
Clothing: EleVen
Shoes: Nike
In 1995, when Williams was 14 years old, she signed an endorsement deal with Reebok and wore the company's apparel and shoes.[68][69] She used Wilson Hammer 6.2 Stretch racket.[70]
Career statistics[edit]
Main article: Venus Williams career statistics
Grand Slam performance timeline[edit]
Key
W  F  SF QF R# RR LQ (Q#) A P Z# PO SF-B F-S G NMS NH
Won tournament; or reached Final; Semifinal; Quarter-final; Round 4, 3, 2, 1; competed at a Round Robin stage; lost in Qualification Round; absent from tournament event; played in a Davis Cup Zonal Group (with its number indication) or Play-off; won a bronze, silver (F or S) or gold medal at the Olympics; a downgraded Masters Series/1000 tournament (Not a Masters Series); or a tournament that was Not Held in a given year.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated either at the conclusion of a tournament, or when the player's participation in the tournament has ended.

Tournament
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
SR
W–L
Australian Open A QF QF A SF QF F 3R 4R 1R A QF 2R QF 3R A 3R 1R QF 0 / 15 45–15
French Open 2R QF 4R QF 1R F 4R QF 3R QF 3R 3R 3R 4R A 2R 1R 2R 1R 0 / 18 42–18
Wimbledon 1R QF QF W W F F 2R W 3R W W F QF 4R 1R A 3R  5 / 17 73–12
US Open F SF SF W W F A 4R QF A SF QF 4R SF 2R 2R 2R 3R  2 / 16 64–13
Win–Loss
7–3
17–4
15–4
18–1
19–2
22–4
15–3
10–4
16–3
6–3
14–2
17–3
12–4
16–4
6–2
2–3
3–3
5–4
4-2
7 / 66
224–58

Grand Slam finals[edit]
Singles: 14 (7 titles, 7 runner-ups)[edit]

Outcome
Year
Championship
Surface
Opponent
Score

Runner-up 1997 US Open Hard Switzerland Martina Hingis 0–6, 4–6
Winner 2000 Wimbledon Grass United States Lindsay Davenport 6–3, 7–6(7–3)
Winner 2000 US Open Hard United States Lindsay Davenport 6–4, 7–5
Winner 2001 Wimbledon (2) Grass Belgium Justine Henin 6–1, 3–6, 6–0
Winner 2001 US Open (2) Hard United States Serena Williams 6–2, 6–4
Runner-up 2002 French Open Clay United States Serena Williams 5–7, 3–6
Runner-up 2002 Wimbledon Grass United States Serena Williams 6–7(4–7), 3–6
Runner-up 2002 US Open (2) Hard United States Serena Williams 4–6, 3–6
Runner-up 2003 Australian Open Hard United States Serena Williams 6–7(4–7), 6–3, 4–6
Runner-up 2003 Wimbledon (2) Grass United States Serena Williams 6–4, 4–6, 2–6
Winner 2005 Wimbledon (3) Grass United States Lindsay Davenport 4–6, 7–6(7–4), 9–7
Winner 2007 Wimbledon (4) Grass France Marion Bartoli 6–4, 6–1
Winner 2008 Wimbledon (5) Grass United States Serena Williams 7–5, 6–4
Runner-up 2009 Wimbledon (3) Grass United States Serena Williams 6–7(3–7), 2–6

Women's doubles: 13 finals (13 titles)[edit]

Outcome
Year
Championship
Partner
Opponent
Score

Winner 1999 French Open United States Serena Williams Switzerland Martina Hingis
Russia Anna Kournikova 6–3, 6–7(2–7), 8–6
Winner 1999 US Open United States Serena Williams United States Chanda Rubin
France Sandrine Testud 4–6, 6–1, 6–4
Winner 2000 Wimbledon United States Serena Williams France Julie Halard-Decugis
Japan Ai Sugiyama 6–3, 6–2
Winner 2001 Australian Open United States Serena Williams United States Lindsay Davenport
United States Corina Morariu 6–2, 2–6, 6–4
Winner 2002 Wimbledon (2) United States Serena Williams Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez 6–2, 7–5
Winner 2003 Australian Open (2) United States Serena Williams Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
Winner 2008 Wimbledon (3) United States Serena Williams United States Lisa Raymond
Australia Samantha Stosur 6–2, 6–2
Winner 2009 Australian Open (3) United States Serena Williams Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová
Japan Ai Sugiyama 6–3, 6–3
Winner 2009 Wimbledon (4) United States Serena Williams Australia Samantha Stosur
Australia Rennae Stubbs 7–6(7–4), 6–4
Winner 2009 US Open (2) United States Serena Williams Zimbabwe Cara Black
United States Liezel Huber 6–2, 6–2
Winner 2010 Australian Open (4) United States Serena Williams Zimbabwe Cara Black
United States Liezel Huber 6–4, 6–3
Winner 2010 French Open (2) United States Serena Williams Czech Republic Květa Peschke
Slovenia Katarina Srebotnik 6–2, 6–3
Winner 2012 Wimbledon (5) United States Serena Williams Czech Republic Andrea Hlaváčková
Czech Republic Lucie Hradecká 7-5, 6-4

Mixed doubles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)[edit]

Outcome
Year
Championship
Surface
Partner
Opponents
Score

Winner 1998 Australian Open Hard United States Justin Gimelstob Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
Czechoslovakia Cyril Suk 6–2, 6–1
Winner 1998 French Open Clay United States Justin Gimelstob United States Serena Williams
Argentina Luis Lobo 6–4, 6–4
Runner-up 2006 Wimbledon Grass United States Bob Bryan Russia Vera Zvonareva
Israel Andy Ram 3–6, 2–6

Records and achievements[edit]
These records were attained in Open Era of tennis.
Records in bold indicate peer-less achievements.
Records in italics are currently active streaks.
Championship Years Record accomplished Player tied
1999 French Open – 2012 Wimbledon 1999–2012 First 13 Grand Slam doubles finals won (with Serena Williams) Stands alone
2002 French Open – 2003 Australian Open 2002–2003 Four consecutive runner-up finishes Chris Evert
2002 French Open – 2003 Australian Open 2002–2003 Four consecutive runner-up finishes to the same player (Serena Williams) Stands alone
Wimbledon 2005 Longest women's singles final[71] Lindsay Davenport
Wimbledon 2007 Lowest-ranked champion (31st)[72] Stands alone
Wimbledon 2007 Lowest-seeded champion (23rd)[72] Stands alone
Wimbledon 2008 Fastest serve by a woman (129 mph)[73] Stands alone
US Open 2007 Fastest serve by a woman (129 mph)[74][75] Stands alone
Summer Olympics 2000–2012 4 Gold Medals Serena Williams
Summer Olympics 2000–2012 3 Doubles Gold Medals (with Serena Williams) Stands alone
Miami Masters 1998–2002 22 consecutive singles matches won at this tournament Steffi Graf
Dubai Tennis Championships 2009–2015 16 consecutive singles matches won at this tournament Stands alone
Dubai Tennis Championships 2010–2014 2 consecutive singles titles without dropping a set Justine Henin
Dubai Tennis Championships 2014 Only unseeded player to have won in singles and as a wildcard Stands alone
New Haven Open at Yale 1999–2002 4 consecutive singles titles Caroline Wozniacki
New Haven Open at Yale 1999–2000 2 consecutive singles titles without dropping a set Stands alone
Rogers Cup 2014 Oldest singles finalist (34 years, 2 months) Stands alone
In 1997, Williams became the first woman since Pam Shriver in 1978 to reach the singles final of the US Open on her first attempt.[76]
In 1997, Williams became the first unseeded singles finalist at the US Open.[76]
In 1997, the combined ages of Williams at age 17 and Martina Hingis at age 16 in the US Open final were the lowest in the open era history of that tournament.
At 1999 IGA SuperThrift Classic in Oklahoma City marking the first time in tennis history that sisters won titles in the same week (Serena won the Open Gaz de France in Paris).
At the 1999 Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne became the first pair of sisters in the open era to meet in a tournament final (with Serena Williams).
In 2000, Williams became the second African-American to win Wimbledon during the open era.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at the same Olympic Games, after Helen Wills Moody in 1924. Serena Williams has since joined these 2 women in completing this feat when she won gold in the Singles and Doubles at 2012 London Olympics.
By winning the 2001 Australian Open doubles championship, Venus and Serena Williams became the fifth pair to complete a Career Doubles Grand Slam and the only pair to win a Career Doubles Golden Slam.
The 2001 US Open marked the first time in the open era, and only the second time in 117 years, that sisters met in a Grand Slam singles final (with Serena Williams).
In 2001, she became the third woman in the open era, after Navratilova and Graf, to win both Wimbledon and the US Open in consecutive years.
In February 2002, she became the first African-American woman to become World No. 1 since the computer rankings began in 1975.
In 2002 became the first ever siblings to rank Top 2 at same time with sister Serena.
At Wimbledon in 2003, she reached her fourth consecutive Wimbledon final, which since the abolishment of the challenge round system is tied with Helen Wills Moody for fourth behind Navratilova's nine, King's five, and Evert's five.
Williams and Hingis hold the open era record for consecutive losses in Grand Slam singles finals (five). One of four women, the others being Serena Williams, Navratilova and Graf, to win the Wimbledon singles title at least five times during the open era.
During the 2008 WTA Tour Championships became the 3rd player after Steffi Graf and Serena Williams to beat the second Dinara Safina, third Serena Williams and first Jelena Jankovic ranked players in the same tournament.
At Wimbledon in 2009, Williams defeated World No. 1 Dinara Safina in the semifinals 6–1, 6–0, which was the most one-sided women's semifinal at Wimbledon since 1969, when King defeated Rosemary Casals by the same score.
Williams held the record for the fastest serve in women's tennis at 207.9 km/h (129.2 mph), achieved at the 2007 US Open. She held this record for almost 8 years, until her record was broken by Sabine Lisicki at the 2014 Stanford Classic with a service speed of 210.8 km/h (131.0 mph).
Awards[edit]
See also: WTA Awards
1995Sports Image Foundation Award for conducting tennis clinics in low-income areas
1997WTA Newcomer of the Year
September's Olympic Committee Female Athlete
1998Tennis Magazine's Most Improved Player
2000WTA Player of the Year
WTA Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
Sports Illustrated for Women's Sportswoman of the Year
Teen Choice Awards – Extraordinary Achievement Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.62)
Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year for team sports (with Serena Williams)
2001Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award
EMMA Best Sport Personality Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.57)
2002Best Female Athlete ESPY Award
Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.60)
2003The President's Award of the 34th NAACP Image Awards
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.65)
2004Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.1)
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.77)
2005Glamour Magazine's Women of the Year Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.81)
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.3)
2006Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award
BET's Best Female Athlete of the Year
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.1)
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.90)
 2007Gitanjali Diamond Award
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.3)
Vogue Magazine Top 10 Best Dressed List for 2007
2008Whirlpool 6th Sense Player of the Year Award
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.3)
Anti-Defamation League Americanism Award
Whirlpool 6th Sense Player of the Year Award
ITF Women's Doubles World Champion (with Serena Williams)
WTA Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
WTA Fan Favorite Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
Doha 21st Century Leaders Awards – Outstanding Leadership
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.77)
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.2)
2010Caesars Tennis Classic Achievement Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.83)
YWCA GLA Phenomenal Woman of the Year Award
WTA Fan Favorite Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
Forbes 30 Utterly Inspiring Role Models
Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women in the World (No.60)
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.2)
2011Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.86)
TIME Magazine 30 Legends of Women's Tennis
Forbes Most Powerful Black Women In The U.S. (No.10)
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.2)
2012World TeamTennis Finals Most Valuable Player
WTA Player Service Award
WTA Fan Favorite Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
2013BET Black Girls Rock! Star Power Award
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.3)
2014Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.3)
WTA Fan Favorite Dress (2014 Wimbledon)
Tennis Magazine Top 10 Matches of 2014 No.3 (2014 Wimbledon 3rd Round)
ESPN Tennis Top 10 Women's Matches of 2014 No.3 (2014 Wimbledon 3rd Round)

See also[edit]

Portal icon Tennis portal
WTA Tour records
Grand Slam (tennis)
List of WTA number 1 ranked players
List of female tennis players
List of tennis tournaments
List of tennis rivalries
Tennis records of the Open Era - Women's Singles
Overall tennis records - Womens's Singles
Graf–Navratilova rivalry
Graf–Sabatini rivalry
Graf–Seles rivalry
Hingis – V. Williams rivalry
Williams sisters rivalry
List of Grand Slam women's singles champions
List of Grand Slam women's doubles champions
List of Grand Slam mixed doubles champions
References[edit]
Notes
1.Jump up ^ "Family Tree Legends". Family Tree Legends. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
2.Jump up ^ Chase, Chris (July 15, 2010). "Ranking the top-10 women's tennis players of all time – Busted Racquet – Tennis Blog – Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
3.Jump up ^ "All-Time Women's Majors Titles". Blueridgenow.com. June 5, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
4.Jump up ^ "Williams sisters net gold in doubles, beating off Spaniards in final". ESPN. August 17, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
5.Jump up ^ Chase, Chris (September 13, 2010). "Ranking the top-10 women's tennis players of all time – Busted Racquet – Tennis – Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
6.Jump up ^ Kaufman, Michelle (April 22, 2007). "Venus, Serena reflect as they prepare for Fed Cup". blackathlete.net. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
7.Jump up ^ Peyser, Marc; Samuels, Allison (August 24, 1998). "Venus And Serena Against The World". Newsweek. Retrieved April 19, 2009.[dead link]
8.Jump up ^ Lydia Pyle, 2005, Venus and Serena Williams, p. 10.
9.Jump up ^ the, United States. "Venus Williams: Biography from". Answers.com. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
10.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Interview Australian Open – Jan 17". Tennis-x.com. January 17, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
11.Jump up ^ 'Harder, Better, Faster...' Article discussing the serve speeds of women in 2008 – Nov 28[dead link]
12.Jump up ^ "Venus Envy". Sportsillustrated.com. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
13.Jump up ^ "WTA, Info, Venus Williams". WTA Tour, Inc. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
14.Jump up ^ "What Happened at Indian Wells?". ESPN. March 11, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
15.Jump up ^ Rogers, Martin (September 13, 2010). "Indian Wells boycott hurts Williamses more than it helps". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
16.Jump up ^ Keating, Gina; Tippit, Sarah. Eldest sister of Venus, Serena shot dead, Rediff, September 15, 2003. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
17.Jump up ^ Burt, Jason. Seeds are shaken by Sprem's flowering talent, The Independent, June 27, 2004. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
18.Jump up ^ "Williams joins women's elite with fourth Wimbledon title". Sport.monstersandcritics.com. July 7, 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
19.Jump up ^ "Sister Sister: Venus sets record with 129 mph (208 km/h) serve; Serena sails". SI.com. August 27, 2007. Retrieved April 19, 2008.
20.Jump up ^ Sharapova, Hantuchova Round Out Elite Eight Field[dead link]
21.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Out of Tennis Indefinitely with Mystery Illness". Tennis-x.com. April 9, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
22.Jump up ^ Williams Beats Razzano for 40th Career Singles Title[dead link]
23.Jump up ^ "Venus crashes out of French Open". BBC Sport. May 29, 2009. Retrieved May 30, 2009.
24.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams out for the remainder of 2010; Will miss Fed Cup Final , Pro Tennis – News". USTA. October 6, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
25.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Injury: Tennis Star Withdraws From Australian Open". Huffington Post. January 21, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
26.Jump up ^ "Venus Retires, Petkovic Moves Through". Wtatennis.com. January 21, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
27.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Out Again For The Western & Southern Open". tennisnow.com. 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
28.Jump up ^ Lynch, Lauren. "Venus Williams Out Again For The Western & Southern Open". Tennis Now. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
29.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Pulls Out Of U.S. Open : NPR". npr.org. 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
30.^ Jump up to: a b Lila (2011-08-31). "Venus Williams Leaves US Open. 10 Things You Should Know About Sjogren's Syndrome". Celebritydiagnosis.com. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
31.Jump up ^ Venus defeats Serena in exhibition in Colombia
32.Jump up ^ Schiavone beats Venus, Serena in Milan
33.Jump up ^ "Tennis: Venus Williams pulls out of ASB Classic". NZ Herald News. December 20, 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
34.Jump up ^ 2012 Australia Open
35.Jump up ^ [1]
36.Jump up ^ V. Williams, Gonzalez, and Nalbandian Granted Sony Ericsson Open Wildcards
37.Jump up ^ Venus Williams Enters Cup
38.Jump up ^ Maria Sharapova ends Venus Williams' run. Accessed 20 May 2012.
39.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams". USA Today. June 20, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
40.Jump up ^ Brown, Oliver (June 25, 2012). "Venus Williams". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 2012-06-25.
41.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams ousted in first round".
42.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams play for Bangalore Raptors in CTL". 16 November 2014.
43.^ Jump up to: a b Williams, Venus. Wimbledon has sent me a message: I'm only a second-class champion, The Times, June 26, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
44.Jump up ^ "Blair adds support for equal pay". BBC Sport. June 28, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
45.Jump up ^ WTA Tour and UNESCO to promote gender equality, International Herald Tribune, November 11, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
46.Jump up ^ Roland Garros Awards Equal Pay[dead link]
47.Jump up ^ "French Open To Give Equal Paydays To Male, Female Winners", Sports Business Daily
48.Jump up ^ Slezak, Carol. "We haven't heard last of Venus", Chicago Sun-Times, March 18, 2007.
49.Jump up ^ Cingari, Jennifer (February 19, 2013). "ESPN Films and espnW Announce Nine for IX". Retrieved February 27, 2013.
50.Jump up ^ "Air dates set for Nine for IX series". espnW.com. April 10, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
51.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Aces Fashion Degree from Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale". Artinstitutes.edu. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
52.Jump up ^ "Tennis star Venus Williams enrolls at Indiana University East". indystar.com. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
53.Jump up ^ "Sister Act: Serena and Venus Williams". http://hamptons-magazine.com. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
54.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Is Dating Cuban Model Elio Pis". People. September 9, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
55.Jump up ^ "Williams sisters 'shocked' by shooting death of oldest sister – Sports". Findarticles.com. September 29, 2003. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
56.Jump up ^ "Vegan Venus Williams talks about food and tennis". Mercury News. January 14, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
57.Jump up ^ Leibenluft, Jacob (June 26, 2008). "Why Don't Jehovah's Witnesses Vote?". Slate. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
58.Jump up ^ Vstarr Interiors[dead link]
59.Jump up ^ "#21 to #25". Ladies Home Journal.[dead link]
60.Jump up ^ "Eleven website". Elevenbyvenus.com. September 6, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
61.Jump up ^ Venus Unveils EleVen Clothing Range[dead link]
62.Jump up ^ "#77 Venus Williams". Forbes Magazine. June 3, 2009.
63.Jump up ^ Williams sisters buy into Dolphins group ESPN, August 25, 2009
64.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams book on NYT Bestseller list". Usta.com. July 15, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
65.Jump up ^ "40 Greatest Players of the Tennis Era (25–28)". Tennis Magazine. May 17, 2006. Retrieved April 22, 2009.[dead link]
66.Jump up ^ "High time we appreciate Venus Williams". ESPN. September 13, 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
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68.Jump up ^ "DEAL WITH VENUS IN THE STARS FOR REEBOK". SportsBusiness Journal. May 22, 1995. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
69.Jump up ^ "WHAT THEY'RE WEARING (AND HITTING WITH) AT THE U.S. OPEN". SportsBusiness Journal. August 28, 2000. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
70.Jump up ^ "What they're wearing (and hitting with) at Wimbledon". SportsBusiness Journal. June 25, 2001. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
71.Jump up ^ "Venus rallies to win longest Wimbledon final". MSNBC. July 3, 2005. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
72.^ Jump up to: a b "A Trio of Favorites at Wimbledon". MSNBC. June 19, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
73.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Defeats Sister Serena, Taking Fifth Wimbledon Title". Fox News. July 5, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
74.Jump up ^ "Venus sets record with 129-mph serve; Serena sails". SI.com. August 27, 2007. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
75.Jump up ^ "Venus serves up a record". Tvnz.co.nz. August 28, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
76.^ Jump up to: a b 1997 U.S. OPEN: A Phenomenal Final; Hingus (sic) and Williams Show Improvement With Every Match,The New York Times, September 7, 1997. Retrieved July 30, 2009.
BibliographyEdmondson, Jacqueline (2005). Venus and Serena Williams: A Biography. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-313-33165-0.
External links[edit]

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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venus_Williams








Venus Williams

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For this tennis player's detailed statistics, records, and other achievements, see Venus Williams career statistics.
Venus Williams
Venus Williams 2012.jpg
Country
 United States
Residence
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Born
June 17, 1980 (age 34)
Lynwood, California
Height
6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Turned pro
October 31, 1994
Plays
Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach(es)
Richard Williams
Oracene Price
 David Witt
Prize money
$30,595,369
Singles

Career record
688–184 (78.9%)
Career titles
46
Highest ranking
No. 1 (February 25, 2002)
Current ranking
No. 16 (May 11, 2015)
Grand Slam Singles results

Australian Open
F (2003)
French Open
F (2002)
Wimbledon
W (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008)
US Open
W (2000, 2001)
Other tournaments

Tour Finals
W (2008)
Olympic Games
Gold medal.svg Gold medal (2000)
Doubles

Career record
174–30 (85.29%)
Career titles
21 WTA
Highest ranking
No. 1 (June 7, 2010)
Current ranking
No. 128 (March 23, 2015)
Grand Slam Doubles results

Australian Open
W (2001, 2003, 2009, 2010)
French Open
W (1999, 2010)
Wimbledon
W (2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012)
US Open
W (1999, 2009)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals
SF (2009)
Olympic Games
Gold medal.svg Gold medal (2000, 2008, 2012)
Mixed doubles

Career record
25–6 (80.65%)
Career titles
2
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results

Australian Open
W (1998)
French Open
W (1998)
Wimbledon
F (2006)
US Open
QF (1998)
Other mixed doubles tournaments
Team competitions

Fed Cup
W (1999), Record 21–4
Hopman Cup
RR (2013)
Last updated on: March 23, 2015.
Venus Williams

Medal record

Women's tennis

Competitor for the  United States

Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Singles
Gold medal – first place 2000 Sydney Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing Doubles
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Doubles
Venus Ebony Starr Williams[1] (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player who is a former World No. 1 and is ranked World No. 11 in singles as of February 1, 2015.[2] She has been ranked World No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association on three separate occasions, for a total of eleven weeks. She became the World No. 1 for the first time on February 25, 2002, becoming the first black American woman to achieve this feat during the Open Era. She is credited as changing the women's game and ushering a new, modern era of power and athleticism on the women's professional tennis tour. She is also regarded as the best grass court player of her generation and she is widely considered as one of the all-time greats of women's tennis.
Her seven Grand Slam singles titles ties her seventh on the all time list,[3] and is more than any other active female player except for her younger sister Serena Williams. Her 22 overall Grand Slam titles consist of seven in singles, thirteen in women's doubles, and two in mixed doubles. Her five Wimbledon singles titles tie her with two other women for eighth place on the all-time list. Venus Williams is one of only four women in the open era to have won five or more Wimbledon singles titles. Between the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2001 US Open, Williams won four of the six Grand Slam singles tournaments held. She is one of only five women in the open era to win 200 or more main draw Grand Slam singles matches.
Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, one in singles and three in women's doubles.[4] She and her sister Serena have won more Olympic gold medals than any other female tennis players. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at the same Olympic Games, after Helen Wills Moody in 1924.
With 46 career singles titles, Williams is behind only her sister Serena amongst active players on the WTA Tour. Her 35-match winning streak from the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2000 Generali Ladies Linz tournament final is the longest winning streak since January 1, 2000. She is also one of only three active WTA players to have made the finals of all four Grand Slams, the other players being her sister Serena Williams and Russian Maria Sharapova.[5]
Venus Williams has played against her sister Serena Williams in 25 professional matches since 1998, with Venus winning 11 of the 25 matches. They have played against each other in eight Grand Slam singles finals, with Serena winning six times. Beginning with the 2002 French Open, they opposed each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals, the first time in the Open Era that the same two players played against each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals. On the doubles side, the pair have won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles playing alongside each other and are undefeated in Grand Slam finals.


Contents  [hide]
1 Early life
2 Playing style
3 Professional career 3.1 1994–96: Professional debut
3.2 1997–99: Early success
3.3 2000–02: Williams sisters domination
3.4 2003–06: Injuries and losses
3.5 2007–09: Return to form
3.6 2010: Return to top 2
3.7 2011: Injuries and illness
3.8 2012: Comeback to WTA tour
3.9 2013: Back injury
3.10 2014: Ending title drought and return to top 20
3.11 2015: Australian Open big form
4 Fight for equal prize money
5 Personal life 5.1 Entrepreneur
6 Recognition
7 Equipment
8 Career statistics 8.1 Grand Slam performance timeline
8.2 Grand Slam finals 8.2.1 Singles: 14 (7 titles, 7 runner-ups)
8.2.2 Women's doubles: 13 finals (13 titles)
8.2.3 Mixed doubles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)

9 Records and achievements
10 Awards
11 See also
12 References
13 External links

Early life[edit]
Venus Ebony Starr Williams was born in Lynwood, California, to Richard Williams and Oracene Price.
The Williams family moved from Compton, California, to West Palm Beach, when she was ten, so that Venus and Serena could attend the tennis academy of Rick Macci, who took notice of the sisters and who would provide additional coaching. He did not always agree with Williams's father but respected that "he treated his daughters like kids, allowed them to be little girls".[6] Richard stopped sending his daughters to national junior tennis tournaments when Williams was eleven, since he wanted them to take it slow and focus on school work. Another motivation was racial, as he had allegedly heard parents of other players talk negatively about the Williams sisters during tournaments.[7] At that time, Venus Williams held a 63–0 record on the United States Tennis Association junior tour and was ranked No. 1 among the under-12 players in Southern California.[8] In 1995, Richard pulled his daughters out of Macci's academy, and from then on took over all coaching at their home.
Playing style[edit]


 This section of a biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (October 2012)
Williams is a very powerful baseliner, equipped with an attacking all-court game. Her game is very well adapted to grass, where she feels most comfortable, which is reflected in her five Wimbledon singles titles. Across her career, she has developed into a skillful volleyer and effectively utilizes her long "wingspan" (1.85m) and agility around the net.[9] Williams also has great court coverage using her long reach to play with balls that most players reject and is capable of hitting outright winners from a defensive position.[10]
Williams holds the record for fastest serve in three of the four Grand Slam tournaments: 2007 French Open second round, 2008 Wimbledon final, 2007 US Open first round – 129 mph (208 km/h).[11] At Wimbledon in 2008, her average first serve speed was 115 mph (185 km/h) in the quarterfinal, 116 mph (187 km/h) in the semifinal, and 111 mph (179 km/h) in the final.[citation needed]
Williams has always been an explosive hitter of the ball off the ground, but her backhand is the more consistently reliable of her groundstrokes.[citation needed] Her backhand is equally effective down-the-line or crosscourt (frequently for a set-up approach shot).[citation needed] Her forehand occasionally breaks down under pressure.[citation needed] However, it is still the more powerful of her groundstrokes and yields many winners, from a variety of court positions.[citation needed] Additionally, it is one of the most powerful forehands in the women's game,[citation needed] frequently struck in the 85 – 90 mph (140 km/h) range.[citation needed] In the 2008 Wimbledon women's final, Venus struck a forehand winner measured at 94 mph (IBM/Wimbledon).[citation needed]
The low bounces that grass produces tend to make her first serve an even more powerful weapon.[citation needed] Her movement on grass is also among the best on the WTA tour.[citation needed] Clay is Williams's weakest surface although she has suffered numerous injuries prior to the French Open.[citation needed] Her movement is suspect and her powerful serve and groundstrokes are less effective.[citation needed] Still, she has won numerous[clarification needed] titles on clay.
Professional career[edit]


 This section of a biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (August 2012)
1994–96: Professional debut[edit]
Venus Williams turned professional on October 31, 1994, at the age of fourteen. In the second round of her first professional tournament, the Bank of the West Classic in Oakland, Williams was up a set and a service break against World No. 2 Arantxa Sánchez Vicario before losing the match. That was the only tournament Williams played in 1994.
In 1995, Williams played three more events as a wild card, falling in the first round of the tournament in Los Angeles and the tournament in Toronto but reaching the quarterfinals of the tournament in Oakland, defeating World No. 18 Amy Frazier in the second round for her first win over a top 20 ranked player before losing to Magdalena Maleeva.
Williams played five events in 1996, falling in the first round four times but reaching the third round in Los Angeles, before losing to World Number 1 Steffi Graf.
1997–99: Early success[edit]
Williams played 15 tour events in 1997, including five Tier I tournaments. She reached the quarterfinals in three of the Tier I events – the State Farm Evert Cup in Indian Wells, California, the European Indoor Championships in Zürich, and the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. In Indian Wells in March, Williams defeated World No. 9 Iva Majoli in the third round for her first win over a player ranked in the top 10. She then lost in the quarterfinals to World No. 8 Lindsay Davenport in a third set tiebreak. Her ranking broke into the top 100 on April 14, 1997. She made her debut in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament at the French Open, reaching the second round before losing to Nathalie Tauziat. She then lost in the first round of Wimbledon to Magdalena Grzybowska. During her debut at the US Open, she lost the final to Martina Hingis after defeating Irina Spîrlea in a semifinal famous for "the bump" in which Spîrlea intentionally collided with Williams during a changeover. Richard Williams, her father, later claimed that this incident was racially motivated.[12] She was the first woman since Pam Shriver in 1978 to reach a US Open singles final on her first attempt and was the first unseeded US Open women's singles finalist since 1958. On September 8, 1997, her ranking broke into the top 50 for the first time. She ended the year ranked World No. 22.
In her debut at the Australian Open, Williams defeated younger sister Serena in the second round, which was the sisters' first professional meeting. Venus eventually lost in the quarterfinals to World No. 3 Davenport.
Three weeks later, Williams defeated World No. 2 Davenport for the first time in the semifinals of the IGA Tennis Classic in Oklahoma City. Williams then defeated Joannette Kruger in the final to win the first singles title of her career. In her first Tier I event of the year, Williams lost in the semifinals of the State Farm Evert Cup in Indian Wells to World No. 1 Hingis. The following week, Williams won the Tier I Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, Florida, defeating World No. 1 Hingis in the semifinals. On March 30, 1998, her ranking broke into the top 10 for the first time, at World No. 10.
Williams played only one tournament on clay before the 1998 French Open. At the Italian Open in Rome, she defeated sister Serena in the quarterfinals and World No. 5 Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals before losing to World No. 1 Hingis in the final. Williams lost again to Hingis in the quarterfinals of the French Open. Williams lost her first match at the Direct Line International Championships in Eastbourne on grass before losing to eventual champion and World No. 3 Jana Novotná in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon. On July 27, 1998, her ranking rose to World No. 5.
Williams played three tournaments during the North American 1998 summer hard court season. She reached her fifth final of the year at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California, defeating World No. 6 Monica Seles in the semifinals before losing to World No. 1 Davenport. Patellar tendonitis in her left knee caused her to retire from her quarterfinal match at the tournament in San Diego while trailing Mary Pierce 4–0 in the third set. At the US Open, Williams defeated fourth seeded Sánchez Vicario in the quarterfinals before losing to second seeded and eventual champion Davenport in the semifinals.
Williams played four tournaments the remainder of 1998. She won her third title of the year at the Grand Slam Cup in Munich in September, defeating World No. 9 Patty Schnyder in the final. She lost in the second round of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Filderstadt before losing in the final of the Tier I Swisscom Challenge in Zürich to World No. 1 Davenport and the semifinals of the Tier I Kremlin Cup in Moscow to Pierce. She had earned enough points during the year to participate in the year-ending Chase Championship but withdrew from the tournament because of tendinitis in her knee. She finished the year ranked World No. 5.
In 1998, Williams teamed with Justin Gimelstob to win the mixed doubles titles at the Australian Open and the French Open. Her sister Serena won the other two Grand Slam mixed doubles titles that year, completing a "Williams Family Mixed Doubles Grand Slam". Williams won the first two women's doubles titles of her career, in Oklahoma City and Zürich. Both titles came with sister Serena, becoming only the third pair of sisters to win a WTA tour doubles title.[13]
Williams started the 1999 tour in Australia, where she lost to World No. 10 Steffi Graf in the quarterfinals of the Medibank International in Sydney and World No. 1 Davenport in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. However, she rebounded at the Faber Grand Prix in Hanover, defeating Graf for the first time in the semifinals before losing the final to World No. 3 Novotná. Williams then successfully defended her titles in both Oklahoma City and Key Biscayne. She defeated Novotná and Graf to reach the final in Key Biscayne, where she defeated Serena in three sets in the first final on the WTA Tour to be contested by two sisters.
Williams played four clay court events during the spring. She lost her first match at the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida. Three weeks later, however, she won her first title on clay at the Betty Barclay Cup in Hamburg, defeating Mary Pierce in the final. Williams then won the Tier I Italian Open in Rome, defeating World No. 1 Hingis in the semifinals and World No. 8 Pierce in the final. At the French Open, she extended her winning streak to 22 matches before losing in the fourth round to World No. 125 Barbara Schwartz. Williams teamed with Serena to win the women's doubles title at this event, the first Grand Slam title the pair won together.
At the 1999 Wimbledon Championships, Williams defeated World No. 17 Anna Kournikova in the fourth round to reach the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year, where she lost to eventual runner-up Graf.
Williams rebounded in the summer when she won two Fed Cup matches against Italy and lost in the final of the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford to World No. 1 Davenport. One week later, Williams defeated Davenport in the semifinals of the TIG Tennis Classic in San Diego before losing to World No. 2 Hingis in the final. In her last tournament before the US Open, Williams won the Pilot Pen Tennis in New Haven, Connecticut, defeating World No. 5 Seles in the semifinals and Davenport in the final. On August 30, 1999, her world ranking reached third for the first time. Seeded third at the US Open, Williams lost in the semifinals to World No. 1 Hingis in three sets. However, she teamed with singles champion Serena at this event to win their second Grand Slam women's doubles title.
During the remainder of the year, Williams contributed to the USA's victory over Russia in the Fed Cup final, winning one singles rubber before joining Serena to win the doubles rubber. At the Grand Slam Cup in Munich, Venus defeated Hingis in the semifinals before losing to Serena for the first time in the final. Venus won her sixth title of the year at the Tier I event in Zurich, defeating World No. 1 Hingis in the final. Four weeks later, she lost to Davenport in the semifinals of the tournament in Philadelphia. Making her debut at the year-ending Chase Championships, Williams lost to Hingis in the semifinals. She finished the year ranked World No. 3.
2000–02: Williams sisters domination[edit]
In 2000, Williams missed the first five months of the year with tendinitis in both wrists. She returned to the tour during the European clay court season. She lost in the quarterfinals of the Betty Barclay Cup in Hamburg to Amanda Coetzer and in the third round of the Tier I Italian Open in Rome to Jelena Dokić. Although she had won only two of her four matches before the French Open, she was seeded fourth there. She won her first four matches in Paris without losing a set before losing in the quarterfinals to eighth-seeded and former champion Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in three sets.
Williams then won 35 consecutive singles matches and six tournaments. She won her first Grand Slam singles title at Wimbledon, defeating World No. 1 Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals, sister Serena in the semifinals, and defending champion Lindsay Davenport in the final. She also teamed with Serena to win the women's doubles title at this event.
She won three Tier II events during the North American summer hard court season, defeating Davenport in the final of the tournament in Stanford, California and Monica Seles in the finals of both the tournament in San Diego and the tournament in New Haven, Connecticut.
At the US Open, Williams defeated still-World No. 1 Hingis in the semifinals and World No. 2 Davenport in the final. At the Olympic Games in Sydney, she defeated Sánchez Vicario in the quarterfinals, Seles in the semifinals, and Elena Dementieva in the final to win the gold medal. She also won the gold medal in women's doubles with her sister Serena. Davenport eventually snapped her winning streak in October in the final of the tournament in Linz. Williams did not play a tournament the rest of the year because of anemia. She finished the year ranked World No. 3 and with six singles titles.
In 2001, Williams reached the semifinals of the Australian Open for the first time, where she lost to World No. 1 Hingis. However, Venus teamed with Serena to win the doubles title at the event, completing a Career Grand Slam in women's doubles for the pair.
Williams also reached the semifinals of the Tier I Tennis Masters Series tournament in Indian Wells, California, where she controversially defaulted her match with sister Serena just before the match started. Venus had been suffering from knee tendinitis throughout the tournament and eventually this prevented her from playing. The following day, Venus and her father Richard were booed as they made their way to their seats to watch the final.[14] Serena was subsequently booed during the final with Kim Clijsters and during the trophy presentation. Due to this, neither Williams sister has entered the tournament since.[15] Venus rebounded from the Indian Wells 'boycott' controversy to win the next tournament on the tour calendar, the Tier I Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida. She defeated Hingis in the semifinals and World No. 4 Jennifer Capriati in the final, after saving eight championship points. Because of this victory, her ranking rose to a career high of World No. 2.
During the European clay court season, Williams won the Tier II tournament in Hamburg but lost in the third round of the Tier I EUROCARD Ladies German Open to World No. 18 Justine Henin and the first round of the French Open to Barbara Schett. This was only the second time that she had lost in the first round of a Grand Slam singles tournament. Williams then successfully defended her Wimbledon title, defeating third-seeded Davenport in the semifinals and eighth-seeded Henin in three sets in Henin's first Wimbledon final.
During the North American summer hard court season, Williams won for the second consecutive year the tournaments in San Diego, defeating Seles in the final, and in New Haven, defeating Davenport in the final. Williams also won the US Open singles title for the second consecutive year, without dropping a set. In the quarterfinals, she beat fifth-seeded Clijsters, followed by a semifinal victory over World No. 2 Capriati. She played Serena in the final, which was the first Grand Slam singles final contested by two sisters during the open era. Venus won the match and her fourth Grand Slam singles title. Venus also became only the sixth woman in history to win the singles titles at both Wimbledon and the US Open in consecutive years, the others being Martina Navrátilová (twice), Steffi Graf (twice), Althea Gibson, Maureen Connolly Brinker, and Helen Wills Moody (twice).
Williams began 2002 by winning the Mondial Australian Women's Hardcourts in Gold Coast, Australia, defeating Henin in the final. However, she then lost for the first time in her career to Seles in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. Williams then went on to win the Open Gaz de France in Paris when Jelena Dokić withdrew from the final, and the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium, defeating Henin in the final. As a result of her strong start to the season, Williams assumed the World No. 1 position for the first time on February 25, dislodging Capriati. Williams was the first African-American woman ever to hold the ranking. She held it for just three weeks before surrendering it back to Capriati.
Williams failed to defend her title in Miami after losing in the semifinals to Serena. However, she made a strong start to the clay-court season, winning the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida, defeating Henin in the final. A week after winning that tournament, she once again replaced Capriati as the World No. 1, before losing it again to Capriati after three weeks. During those three weeks, Williams had made the final in Hamburg, defeating Hingis in the semifinals before losing to Clijsters in the final. Seeded second at the French Open, Williams defeated former champion Seles to reach the semifinals for the first time. There, she defeated Clarisa Fernández. In the final, Williams met Serena for a second time in a Grand Slam final, with Serena winning. Venus once again replaced Capriati as the World No. 1 as a result of reaching the final.
As the top seed at Wimbledon, Williams defeated Henin in the semifinals to make the final for the third consecutive year. However, there, she lost to Serena. This result meant Serena replaced Venus as the World No. 1. The Williams sisters teamed up to win the women's doubles title at the event, their fifth Grand Slam women's doubles title together.
Williams won the titles in San Diego and New Haven for the third consecutive year, defeating Davenport and Dokic to win the former and defeating Davenport in the final of the latter. At the US Open, Williams defeated Seles in the quarterfinals and Amélie Mauresmo in three sets to make the final. Playing Serena for their third consecutive Grand Slam final, Serena won once again. After that, Venus played just four more matches during the season. She reached the semifinals at the year-ending Sanex Championships after defeating Seles in the quarterfinals, but she then was forced to retire against Clijsters due to injury. Williams finished the year ranked World No. 2 having won seven titles, her best showing in both respects of her career.
2003–06: Injuries and losses[edit]
Williams started 2003 by defeating fifth seed Justine Henin to make the final of the Australian Open for the first time. In the final, however, she lost to sister Serena. This marked the first time in the open era that the same two players had met in four consecutive Grand Slam finals. Venus and Serena teamed to win the women's doubles title at the event, their sixth Grand Slam title in women's doubles.
In February, Williams won the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp, Belgium for the second consecutive year, defeating Kim Clijsters in the final. However, shortly afterwards, she began to struggle with injury. She reached the final of the clay-court J&S Cup in Warsaw, before being forced to retire against Amélie Mauresmo. She then suffered her earliest exit at a Grand Slam tournament in two years when she lost in the fourth round of the French Open to Vera Zvonareva.
At Wimbledon, Williams was seeded fourth. Williams defeated former champion Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinals and Kim Clijsters in the semifinals to advance to her fourth consecutive Wimbledon final, where she lost again to sister Serena.
Wimbledon was Williams's last event of the year as an abdominal injury that occurred during the Clijsters match prevented her from playing again. While she was recovering from the injury, her sister Yetunde Price was murdered.[16] Williams finished the year ranked world no. 11. It was the first time in nearly six years that she had dropped out of the top 10.
In 2004, Williams came back to the tour suffering inconsistent results. As the third seed because of a protected ranking, she reached the third round of the Australian Open, where she lost to Lisa Raymond. She then lost in the quarterfinals of her next three tournaments.
Williams began to find her form at the beginning of the clay-court season. At the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, Williams defeated Conchita Martínez in the final to win her first title in over a year and the second Tier I title on clay of her career. She then won in Warsaw, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final, before reaching the final of the Tier I German Open in Berlin. She then withdrew from that match against Mauresmo due to injury. Going into the French Open, Williams had the best clay-court record among the women and was among the favorites to win the title; however, after making the quarterfinals to extend her winning streak on the surface to 19 matches, she lost to eventual champion Anastasia Myskina. Despite her defeat, she re-entered the top 10.
At Wimbledon, Williams lost a controversial second-round match to Croatian Karolina Šprem. The umpire of the match, Ted Watts, awarded Šprem an unearned point in the second-set tiebreak. Upon the conclusion of the match, he was relieved of his duties.[17] This defeat marked the first time since 1997 that Williams had exited Wimbledon prior to the quarterfinals. After Wimbledon, Williams reached her fourth final of the year at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, California, where she was beaten by Lindsay Davenport for the first time since 2000.
As the defending champion at the Athens Olympics, Williams lost in the third round to Mary Pierce. She then won three very close matches against Petra Mandula, Shikha Uberoi and Chanda Rubin to make the fourth round of the US Open where she lost to Davenport, the first time she had ever lost at the US Open prior to the semifinals. Williams completed the year by losing in the quarterfinals of three indoor tournaments in the fall, a period that included defeat in her first meeting with 17-year-old Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova at the Zurich Open. Williams finished the year as world no. 9 and did not qualify for the year-ending WTA Tour Championships.
In 2005, Williams started the year by losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Alicia Molik. She then reached the final in Antwerp, defeating Clijsters and Myskina en route. In the final, Williams was a set and a service break up against Mauresmo before eventually losing.
In March, at the NASDAQ-100 Open in Miami, Williams defeated sister and Australian Open champion Serena in the quarterfinals, the first time she had defeated Serena since 2001. Venus went on to lose in the semifinals to world no. 3 Sharapova. In May, Williams won her first title in over a year at the clay-court İstanbul Cup, defeating Nicole Vaidišová in the final. However, at the French Open, she lost in the third round to 15-year-old Sesil Karatantcheva, who subsequently tested positive for steroids and was suspended.
Williams was seeded 14th at Wimbledon. In the quarterfinals of the tournament, she defeated French Open runner-up Pierce in an epic second-set tiebreak, winning it 12–10 to make the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the first time in two years. There, she defeated defending champion and second-seeded Maria Sharapova to make the Wimbledon final for the fifth time in six years. Playing top-seeded Davenport in the final, Williams saved a match point with a backhand winner en route to winning. This was Williams's third Wimbledon singles title, her fifth Grand Slam singles title overall and her first since 2001. It was the first time in 70 years that a player had won after being down match point during the women's final at Wimbledon.[citation needed] In addition, Williams was the lowest-ranked (world no. 16) and lowest-seeded (14th) champion in tournament history.[citation needed] Williams returned to the top 10 following the victory.
Following Wimbledon, Williams reached her fourth final of the year in Stanford, where she lost to Clijsters. At the US Open, Williams achieved her second consecutive win over Serena in the fourth round, but then lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Kim Clijsters. Williams did not qualify for the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships because of an injury sustained during the tournament in Beijing. She finished the year ranked world no. 10. It was the first year since 2001 that she had finished a year ranked higher than Serena.



 Venus Williams prepares to serve during the 2006 J&S Cup in Warsaw
In 2006, Williams was upset in the first round of the Australian Open by Tszvetana Pironkova, which was her earliest loss ever at that tournament. After that loss, she did not play again for three months due to a wrist injury. She returned in late April on clay in Warsaw, where she defeated former world no. 1 Martina Hingis in the second round, before losing to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals. Williams completed the clay-court season by reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open, where she lost to Nicole Vaidišová.
Williams was the defending champion and one of the favorites to win the singles title at Wimbledon. However, she lost in the third round to 26th-seeded Jelena Janković. After the loss, Williams said that she was having pain in her left wrist, although she admitted that the injury was not the cause of her loss. Williams did not play in the US Open series or the US Open itself due to the wrist injury. During her first tournament in almost three months in October, she reinjured her wrist at the tournament in Luxembourg and lost in the second round to qualifier Agnieszka Radwańska. Williams finished the season as world no. 46, her lowest finish since she began to play on the WTA Tour full-time in 1997. It was the second consecutive year she finished higher than Serena, who finished the year at world no. 95.
2007–09: Return to form[edit]
Williams withdrew from the 2007 Australian Open, the second consecutive Grand Slam that she had missed due to her recurring wrist injury. She returned in February at the Cellular South Cup in Memphis, USA, defeating top-seeded Shahar Pe'er in the final, her first singles title since her victory at Wimbledon in 2005.
At the beginning of the clay-court season, Williams reached the semifinals of the Tier I Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina, where she lost to Jelena Janković on a third set tiebreak. She also lost to fourth seed Janković in the third round of the French Open, her third consecutive loss to Janković. During her second round win over Ashley Harkleroad, Williams hit a 206 km/h (128 mph) serve, which is the second fastest woman's serve ever recorded and the fastest ever recorded during a main draw match.



 Venus competing in the WTT
Williams was ranked World No. 31 going into Wimbledon and was seeded 23rd at the tournament due to her previous results at Wimbledon. Williams was a game away from defeat in her first round match against Alla Kudryavtseva and in her third round match against Akiko Morigami she was two points away from defeat, but she eventually won both 7–5 in the third set. She then advanced to reach her sixth Wimbledon final, after beating Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Ana Ivanovic in straight sets en route, where she defeated 18th seed Marion Bartoli also in straight sets. Williams thus became only the fourth woman in the open era to win Wimbledon at least four times, along with Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf. She also became the lowest-seeded Wimbledon champion in history, breaking the record she herself set in 2005. Williams returned to the top 20 as a result of the win.[18]
At the US Open, after setting a Grand-Slam record 129 mph (208 km/h) serve in the opening round,[19] Williams advanced to her first Grand Slam semifinal outside of Wimbledon since 2003. However she then lost to eventual champion Justine Henin. The tournament resulted in Williams's ranking moving up to World No. 9. Williams then won her third title of the year at the Hansol Korea Open Tennis Championships in Seoul, South Korea, defeating Maria Kirilenko in the final, before then losing in the final of the Japan Open Tennis Championships in Tokyo to Virginie Razzano. Williams had earned enough points during the year to qualify for the year-ending WTA Tour Championships in Madrid; however, she withdrew because of continuing problems with anemia.[20] Williams finished the year as World No. 8 with three titles, her best performance in both respects since 2002, and a winning percentage of 83 percent.
In 2008, as the eighth seed at the Australian Open, Williams reached the quarterfinals for the first time since 2003. However, she then lost to eventual runner-up Ana Ivanovic. Williams made her first semifinal of the year at the Bangalore Open in Bangalore, India, where she met sister Serena for the first time since 2005 with Serena winning despite Venus holding a match point in the third set tie break.
Williams missed two tournaments at the beginning of the clay-court season due to undisclosed medical problems.[21] At the French Open, Williams was seeded eighth but was eliminated by 26th-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta in the third round.
Williams was the defending champion and seventh-seeded player at Wimbledon. Without dropping a set, she reached her seventh Wimbledon singles final. She then won her fifth Wimbledon singles title, and seventh Grand Slam singles title overall, by beating sister Serena in straight sets. This was the first time since 2003 that Venus and Serena had played each other in a Grand Slam final and was the first time since 2001 that Venus had defeated her in a Grand Slam final. Venus and Serena then teamed to win the women's doubles title, their first Grand Slam doubles title together since 2003.
Williams lost in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics to Li Na. She did, however, earn a gold medal along with Serena in women's doubles, their second gold medal as a team, having won together at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. At the US Open, Williams was playing some of her best tennis since dominating the circuit in 2003, However, she was defeated in two tiebreaks by Serena in an epic quarter final match after Venus led 5–3 in both sets, and would later win the tournament.



 Venus Williams at the 2008 WTA Tour Championships
At the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany in October, Williams defeated a player ranked in the top three for the first time that season by defeating World No. 3 Dinara Safina to reach her third semifinal of the year. There, she lost to Janković. A fortnight later, Williams won the Zurich Open, defeating Ivanovic in the semifinals before defeating Pennetta in the final to claim her second title of the year and secure a position in the year-ending 2008 WTA Tour Championships in Doha, Qatar. There, Williams defeated World No. 2 Safina, World No. 3 Serena and World No. 5 Dementieva in the preliminary round-robin stage. In the semifinals, Williams defeated World No. 1 Janković before winning the year-ending tournament for the first time by defeating Vera Zvonareva in the final. She ended the year ranked sixth in the world with three titles and a winning percentage of 78 percent.
As the sixth seed at the 2009 Australian Open, Williams lost in the second round to Carla Suárez Navarro after holding a match point in the third set. However, she teamed up with Serena to win the women's doubles title at the event, their eighth Grand Slam doubles title together. Venus rebounded in singles play in February at the Premier 5 (formerly Tier I) Dubai Tennis Championships, defeating defending champion and World No. 4 Dementieva in the quarterfinals and World No. 1 Serena in the semifinals on a third set tiebreak. The latter win meant that Venus led the head-to-head in career matches with her sister for the first time since 2002. Venus went on to defeat Virginie Razzano in the final. This win meant Williams was ranked in the top five for the first time since 2003, while it also marked her 40th professional singles title, only the twelfth player in the open era to achieve the feat.[22] Williams won another title the following week at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, Mexico, defeating Pennetta in the final. This was her first title on clay since 2005.
On European clay, Williams reached the semifinals in Rome before losing to World No. 1 Safina. This run meant Williams was ranked in the top three for the first time since 2003. Seeded third at the French Open, Williams lost to Ágnes Szávay in the third round, the third consecutive year she had exited at that stage.[23]
Williams was seeded third at Wimbledon. She advanced to her eighth Wimbledon final where she had won 36 straight sets (held since Wimbledon 2007). In the final however she lost the first set tie break and from then on lost in two sets to sister Serena. The Williams sisters teamed up to win the doubles title at the tournament for the fourth time.
In Stanford, Williams defeated Maria Sharapova and Elena Dementieva to advance to the finals, where she would lose to Marion Bartoli. Teaming with her sister, she played doubles and won the title, defeating Monica Niculescu and Yung-Jan Chan.



 Venus lost to the eventual champion at the US Open
At the 2009 US Open, as the third seed, Williams made it to the fourth round before losing to Kim Clijsters in three sets. Venus then teamed up with Serena to play doubles at the open, where they won the title over defending champions and world No. 1s in doubles, Cara Black and Liezel Huber, claiming their third grand slam doubles title in 2009.
Williams's last tournament in 2009 was the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships, where she was the defending champion in singles. She was in the maroon group which includes her sister Serena, along with Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova. She lost her first match against Dementieva, and her second match against Serena- both in straight sets, after taking the first set. In her third and final RR match, Williams defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova. Because of Dementieva's loss to Kuznetsova in their round robin match, Venus advanced to the semifinal of the championships. In her semifinal match, she defeated Jelena Janković of Serbia to advance to her second consecutive final in the tournament. In the final, she lost to her sister Serena. In doubles, Venus teamed with Serena as the second seed. However, they lost to Nuria Llagostera Vives and María José Martínez Sánchez in the semifinal. Their doubles record at the end of the year stood at 24–2.
Venus finished 2009 ranked world number 6 in singles (with a winning percentage of 70 percent) and world number 3 in doubles with Serena, in spite of playing only 6 events together in 2009.
2010: Return to top 2[edit]
Williams played at the Australian Open as the sixth seed. She defeated 17th-seeded Francesca Schiavone in the fourth round. She was two points from defeating 16th-seeded Li Na in the quarterfinals before losing in three sets. In doubles, she teamed with her sister Serena to successfully defend their title, defeating the top-ranked team of Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the final. The Williams sisters are undefeated in Grand Slam women's doubles finals and are 4–0 in Australian Open doubles finals.



 Williams at the 2010 Wimbledon.
Williams then played the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she was the defending champion. Seeded third, she successfully defended her title by defeating fourth-seeded Victoria Azarenka in the final.
Williams next played on clay at the Abierto Mexico Telcel in Acapulco where she was the defending champion. She reached the semifinals after recovering from a 1–5 third set deficit to Laura Pous Tió in the quarterfinals. In the final, she defeated first-time finalist Polona Hercog from Slovenia. This was her 43rd career title, the most among active female players.
Her next tournament was the Premier Mandatory Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, where she was seeded third. She defeated World No. 9 Agnieszka Radwańska in the quarterfinals and World No. 13 Marion Bartoli in the semifinals to reach her third straight WTA tour final and fourth Sony Ericsson Open final. She was defeated by Kim Clijsters in the final in just 58 minutes, ending her 15-match winning streak. By reaching the final, her ranking improved to World No. 4 and she crossed the $26 million mark in career prize money, the only player besides Serena to do so.
The knee injury that hampered her during the final of the Sony Ericsson Open forced her to skip the Fed Cup tie against Russia and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Williams returned to the tour at the Premier 5 Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. She suffered the worst defeat of her career in the quarterfinals, losing to World No. 4 Jelena Janković 6–0, 6–1. Despite this loss, Williams's ranking improved to World No. 3 on May 10.



 Williams at the 2010 Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open
Her next tournament was the Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, a Premier Mandatory tournament. She lost to Aravane Rezaï in the final. In doubles, she teamed with Serena to win the title.
On May 17, her ranking improved to World No. 2, behind only Serena. This was the fourth time that the William sisters' have occupied the top two spots, and the first time since May 2003.
Her next tournament was the French Open, where she played both singles and doubles despite her knee injury. Seeded second in singles, she advanced past the third round at this tournament for the first time since 2006 before losing to Nadia Petrova in the round of 16. She also played doubles with Serena as the top seeds. Their defeat of Huber and Anabel Medina Garrigues in the semifinals increased their doubles ranking to World No. 1. They then defeated 12th seeded Květa Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik in the final to win their fourth consecutive Grand Slam women's doubles title.
Her next tournament was the Wimbledon Championships, where she had reached the final the previous three years. Despite her knee injury, she made it to the quarterfinals, where she lost to Tsvetana Pironkova. Pironkova was ranked 82nd in the world and had never gone past the second round of a Grand Slam event. As a result, Williams dropped to #4 in the world. She was the defending champion in doubles with her sister Serena, having won the tournament in the previous two years. However, they lost this time in the quarterfinals to Elena Vesnina and Vera Zvonareva.
Williams then missed all tournaments in the US Open Series because of a left knee injury but still participated at the US Open as the third seed. She won three matches to move into the fourth round. Williams became one of only two women in 2010 (along with Caroline Wozniacki) to reach at least the fourth round at all four Grand Slam singles tournaments. Williams then defeated Pe'er and French Open champion Schiavone en route to her eighth US Open semifinal, against defending champion Clijsters. Williams won the first set of their match and recovered from 5–2 down in the second set but ultimately double-faulted on a key point near the end of the match and lost in three sets. Because of Serena's withdrawal from the US Open, Venus did not participate at the doubles event where she was the defending champion.
The recovery of her left knee took longer than expected and it forced her to miss the rest of 2010, including the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships and Fed Cup final.[24] Williams ended the year ranked fifth in singles, the first time she ended a year in the top five since 2002, while playing only nine tournaments. She finished the year ranked eleventh in doubles.
2011: Injuries and illness[edit]



 Williams in 2011
Williams started 2011 by participating at the Hong Kong Tennis Classic. She lost both her singles matches against Vera Zvonareva and Li Na, but she managed to help Team America to win the silver group. Her next tournament was the 2011 Australian Open where she was the fourth seed. She retired in the second game of her third round match against the 30th seed Andrea Petkovic due to a hip muscle injury.[25] This was Williams's first retirement during a match in a Grand Slam tournament since 1994 and thus ended her record of most Grand Slam matches without ever retiring, with 250 consecutive matches.[26] This was also her first retirement from a match since LA Women's Tennis Championships in Los Angeles in 2004, ending her 294 consecutive matches without retiring.
The injury forced Williams to pull out of the Fed Cup quarterfinal against Belgium, the Dubai Tennis Championships, and the Abierto Mexicano Telcel, where she was the two-time defending champion in both tournaments. She also pulled out of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami causing her ranking to drop to world no. 15. Further, she missed Madrid and Rome. This caused her rankings to drop to world no. 29. Originally scheduled to come back in Brussels, she eventually withdrew from the Premier tournament. Further, she also missed Roland Garros, marking the first Grand Slam tournament since 2003 US Open where neither of the Williams sisters are competing.
Williams then made her first appearance since the Australian Open in Eastbourne. Unseeded, she lost for the first time in eleven meetings to Daniela Hantuchová in the quarterfinals. She was seeded 23rd at the 2011 Wimbledon Championships. She played for nearly three hours in her second round match against Japanese veteran Kimiko Date-Krumm, winning in three tough sets. She then defeated Spaniard María José Martínez Sánchez in the third round but was defeated by Bulgarian 32nd seed Tsvetana Pironkova in the fourth round.
Originally scheduled to participate in Toronto and Cincinnati, Williams withdrew due to viral illness.[27] Her next scheduled tournament was the US Open.[28] As an unseeded player, Williams defeated Vesna Dolonts in the first round. She was scheduled to meet 22nd seed Sabine Lisicki in the second round, but withdrew before the match began due to Sjögren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease with which she was recently diagnosed.[29][30] This marked the first time in her career that she did not reach the quarterfinals or better in any of the grandslam tournaments in a season. As a result, her ranking dropped to world no. 105.
Williams did not play for the rest of the year in competitive level; although she did appear in three exhibitions tournaments in November and early December. She played a match against Serena in Colombia which she won in straight sets.[31] The week later, the sisters appeared in Milan, Italy to play exhibition against Italian duo Francesca Schiavone and Flavia Pennetta. Williams lost both her singles tie-break matches but won the doubles pairing with her sister.[32] Williams then headed to Barbados to play her third exhibition tournament where she lost to Victoria Azarenka.
She ended the year ranked world no. 102. This is her first finish of a season ranked outside of the world top 50 since 1997.
2012: Comeback to WTA tour[edit]
Williams was scheduled to play in Auckland as her preparation before the Australian Open.[33] However, she withdrew from the tournament because of her ongoing health problems. Further, she announced in her website that she also withdrew from the Australian Open. However, she also mentioned her intention to come back to the WTA circuit in February.[34] As a result, her ranking dropped further to world no. 135. Williams returned to the competition in the doubles match of the Fed Cup's World Group II tie between USA and Belarus that was held in Worcester, Massachusetts on 4–5 February.[35] She partnered with Liezel Huber and won the dead-rubber in straight sets.
Williams was granted wildcards to participate in Miami[36] and Charleston.[37] In her first singles match since the 2011 US Open, Williams defeated Japanese veteran, Kimiko Date-Krumm in straight sets in the first round of Miami. She followed up the victory by defeating world no. 3 Petra Kvitová in the second round, her first Top 3 victory since defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova in 2009. Then, she beat Aleksandra Wozniak in a three-set tiebreaker in the third round, in a match that lasted almost three hours and where she saved a match point, to advance to the fourth round. In the round of 16, she bested world no. 15, Ana Ivanovic in three sets to reach the quarterfinals where she appeared fatigued and lost to the eventual champion, Agnieszka Radwańska in straight sets. Her run improved her ranking to no. 87. A week later in Charleston, she reached her second consecutive quarterfinals appearance, defeating Jelena Janković en route. She lost in three sets in the quarterfinals to Samantha Stosur.



 Williams at the French Open.
In the following the clay court season, Williams was granted wildcards to participate in Madrid and Rome. In Madrid, she lost in the second round to Angelique Kerber but still improved her world ranking to no. 63. A week later in Rome, she reached her third quarterfinals of the four tournaments she had participated in with a straight-sets victory against Samantha Stosur in the third round. She lost in the quarterfinals in straight sets to the world no. 2, defending and eventual champion Maria Sharapova.[38] Her appearance in Rome increased her ranking to world no. 52 and putting her as the third-ranked American. She lost in the second round of the French Open to Agnieszka Radwańska in straight sets.
She next participated in the Wimbledon tournament, where for the first time since 1997 she was not seeded.[39] She was drawn against Elena Vesnina in the first round, to whom Venus lost in straight sets.[40] It was also the first time Venus lost in the first round of a Grand Slam Tournament since the 2006 Australian Open, as well as the first opening round loss at Wimbledon since her pro tennis debut appearance there in 1997.[41] Williams fared much better in her return to doubles competition where she played alongside her sister, Serena. In just the pair's first tournament since 2010 Wimbledon, the unseeded sisters advanced to the final with notable victories against fourth-seeded Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova in the second round and top-seeded Liezel Huber and Lisa Raymond in the semifinals. The Williams sisters claimed their fifth Wimbledon doubles title after defeating sixth-seeded Andrea Hlaváčková and Lucie Hradecká in straight sets in the final, on the same day Serena won her fifth Wimbledon singles title.
Williams's next stop was the 2012 Summer Olympics Games which was held in the same venue as Wimbledon. She entered the women's singles and women's doubles events, partnering with sister Serena in doubles. In singles, Williams defeated Sara Errani and Aleksandra Wozniak in convincing fashion to reach the third round where she faced Angelique Kerber. She lost to Kerber in two tiebreaks despite having three set points and leading 5–1 in the tiebreak in the first set. In doubles, the unseeded Williams sisters advanced to the final which was a repeat of Wimbledon's final match against fourth-seeded Hlaváčková and Hradecká. The sisters won their third gold medal in doubles after defeating the Czech pair in straight sets.
Next, Williams participated in Cincinnati where she received a singles wild card entry. She defeated her first two opponents, 14th seeded Maria Kirilenko and Chanelle Scheepers, in three tight sets before crushing 8th seeded Errani in the third round. In the quarterfinals, she defeated her second top 10 opponent in a row Samantha Stosur in three sets which advanced her to her first semifinals appearance since the 2010 US Open. In the semifinals Williams played through a back injury, eventually losing in three sets to Li Na in a match where her average first serve was between 80–90 miles per hour.[citation needed] Her semifinals run would bring her ranking back to within the top 50 for the first time in almost a year. At the US Open Williams lost in a second round match against Angelique Kerber in three sets, after she had a 4–2 lead in the third set.[citation needed]
Williams won her 44th career WTA title and her first in over two and half years at the 2012 BGL Luxembourg Open. She defeated Belinda Bencic, Mona Barthel, Roberta Vinci, and Andrea Petkovic to reach the final. There she defeated Monica Niculescu in two sets. With the title, Williams's ranking rose to #24 and ended 2012 with this ranking.
2013: Back injury[edit]
At the 2013 Hopman Cup, and playing for USA (with John Isner), the first rubber was against South Africa. Williams beat Chanelle Scheepers and, with John Isner, they comfortably defeated the South African pair Chanelle Scheepers and Kevin Anderson. In USA's second rubber against France, she won both her singles and in mixed doubles defeated Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Mathilde Johansson. Next she faced Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain and won in two sets.
From there Williams went onto the Australian Open, seeded 25, after missing it the previous year due to injury. She beat Galina Voskoboeva and Alizé Cornet before losing to the second seed, Maria Sharapova. Her next tournament was Brasil Tennis Cup. She participated the tournament as the 1st seed. She defeated Mirjana Lučić-Baroni in the first round, Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round and Magdaléna Rybáriková during the quarterfinals. Reaching her first semifinal of the year, she was then defeated by Olga Puchkova in three sets, 6–4, 4–6, 5–7. This tournament allowed Williams to strengthen her position in the Top 20. She retired from the 2013 Sony Open Tennis in the third round due to a lower back injury.



 Williams at the US Open
One week after Miami, Williams participated in Charleston as the fifth seed. She reached the semifinals, after playing both her third round and quarterfinals matches on the same day, where she lost to her sister, Serena, in two sets in the sisters' first meeting since the 2009 WTA Tour Championships.A few weeks later she participated in Fed Cup, in a tie between the United States and Sweden. After Sloane Stephens lost the opening match, Williams stepped into her spot, winning a match against Johanna Larsson 6–3, 7–5, after converting on her eighth match point. This was the first time in Williams's career that she clinched the winning match in a Fed Cup tie, leading the United States to a 3–2 victory over Sweden. Venus's next event was the Mutua Madrid Open where she withdrew just before playing her 1st Round match, her next tournament was the Italian Open in Rome where she lost in the 1st Round to Laura Robson 6–3, 6–2. Venus then played at the 2013 French Open where she lost to Urszula Radwanska in the 1st Round she was also entered in Doubles with her sister Serena but pulled out just before their 1st Round match, Venus pulled out of the 2013 Wimbledon Championships due to a back injury it was the first time she has missed Wimbledon in her career. At the Roger's Cup, she lost in the first round to 13th seed Kirsten Flipkens in 3 sets. At the 2013 Western and Southern Open, she defeated Qualifier Jana Cepelova in 2 sets, before losing in the 2nd round to Elena Vesnina in 3 sets. Her next tournament was the 2013 US Open. She pulled an upset in the first round by defeating 12th seed Kirsten Flipkens in a rematch of the Roger's Cup first round. She then was defeated by Zheng Jie in 3 sets. She entered the doubles with Serena Williams. They beat Carla Suarez Navarro and Silvia Soler Espinosa in the first round. In the 2nd round, the duo beat the 7th seeded team of Abigail Spears and Raquel Kops-Jones, and defeated the 11th seeded team of Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova and Lucie Safarova in the 3rd round. In the Quarterfinals, they defeated the 1st seeded team of Sara Errani and Roberta Vinci in a rematch of the Australian Open Quarterfinals. Their run ended in the Semifinals against the 5th seeded team and eventual champions Lucie Hradecka and Andrea Hlavackova. Her next tournament was the Toray Pan Pacific Open. She defeated Mona Barthel in the first round, and upset the 1st seeded and World Number 2 Victoria Azarenka in the 2nd round. In the 3rd round, she came back from a set down to beat the 13th seed Simona Halep in 3 sets to make it to the quarterfinals of the Premier 5 event. In the quarterfinals she defeated Canadian Eugenie Bouchard in three sets. Venus fell in the semi-finals of the tournament to Petra Kvitova in another three set match. Venus then played at the 2013 China Open in Beijing where she played Singles & Doubles, Venus lost her 2nd Round match in Singles losing to Sabine Lisicki 6–1, 6–2 and she also lost her 1st Round match in Doubles despite having two match points. Venus's last tournament of the season was the 2013 Kremlin Cup in Moscow but she withdrew due to injury bringing an end to her 2013 season.
2014: Ending title drought and return to top 20[edit]
Venus started her official tennis season as the world no. 47 at the 2014 ASB Classic in Auckland where she made it to the final and finished runner-up to Ana Ivanovic. She next participated at the 2014 Australian Open where, as an unseeded player, she lost in the first round to world no. 23 Ekaterina Makarova in three sets. Williams lost to world no. 6 Petra Kvitová in the second round in Doha at the 2014 Qatar Total Open despite having match point in the third set tie-break. Williams then entered the Dubai Tennis Championships where she defeated five top forty players to win her biggest title since the Mutua Madrid Open in 2010 and, at 33 years and 8 months of age, becoming the seventh oldest woman to win a WTA singles title. En route, she avenged her loss to Ana Ivanovic in Auckland 6-2, 6-1 and her sister Serena’s loss to Alizé Cornet in the semi-finals, and for the title, with the score reading 6-3, 6-0 in the final. She also kept her head-to-head record perfect versus Caroline Wozniacki. Williams then competed in Miami at the 2014 Sony Open Tennis and in Charleston at the 2014 Family Circle Cup where she lost to Dominika Cibulková on hard and Eugenie Bouchard on clay, respectively - both in the round of 16 and both in three sets. Venus’s only loss of the year up until that point not having gone the distance of three sets occurred at her next tournament in Rome at the 2014 Internazionali BNL d'Italia where she lost 4-6, 2-6 to Carla Suárez Navarro. At the 2014 French Open, Venus was upset by world no. 56 Anna Karolína Schmiedlová in three sets. Venus then made it through to the third round of the Wimbledon Championships where she lost 7-5, 6-7, 5-7 to eventual champion Petra Kvitová in a classic and much praised encounter featuring 34 holds of serve to only 2 breaks. Williams was the only player to have won a set against Kvitová during the 2014 Wimbledon Championships.
Venus played her first tournament of the 2014 US Open Series at the 2014 Bank of the West Classic where she is a two-time former champion. In the second round she scored her first top 10 victory of the year and, in the process, improved her head-to-head record against Victoria Azarenka to 4-0. Williams lost to world no. 18 Andrea Petkovic in three sets in the quarterfinals. At the 2014 Rogers Cup, Venus defeated world no. 24 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in three sets - scoring her first ever victory at that tournament (on her fifth attempt). She defeated world no. 7 Angelique Kerber in the third round in a three-set thriller described by one of the commentators as "quite simply one of the matches of the 2014 season so far on the WTA". Williams produced yet another upset by winning in three against Carla Suárez Navarro to advance to the semi-finals, where she defeated younger sister and world no. 1, Serena Williams, in the pair's 25th meeting. It was her 14th victory over a reigning world no. 1 and her first since the 2009 Wimbledon Championships when she defeated Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-0 in the semi-finals. It was also the first time since 2009 that Venus had beaten Serena. She lost the championship match 4-6, 2-6 to world no. 5 Agnieszka Radwańska. At her final tournament before the 2014 US Open, Williams lost in a tight three-setter to world no. 17 Lucie Šafářová in the first round at the 2014 Western & Southern Open. At the US Open Venus made it to the third round for the first time since 2010 and was two points away (multiple times) from moving into the Round of 16 before ultimately going down to 13th seeded Sara Errani for the first time in four meetings.
Venus' next tournament was at the 2014 Coupe Banque Nationale in Quebec, where she received a wildcard as the no. 1 seed. She advanced to the quarter-finals in straight set first and second round victories and is set to play Czech player, Lucie Hradecká. She defeated Hradecká in a lengthy 2 hour and 13 minute match, winning 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(3). Williams then played fellow countrywomen, Shelby Rogers in the semi-final and won in straight sets to progress to her fourth final of the year. Unfortunately, she lost to a resurgent Mirjana Lučić-Baroni in straight sets. Williams then played at the 2014 Wuhan Open, where she lost in the first round to Caroline Garcia despite having held a match point. Her final tournament of the year was at the 2014 China Open where she won her first two matches before withdrawing prior to the third round. Venus finished the year ranked world no. 19 in singles - the first time since 2010 that she's finished inside the top 20. Williams joined Bangalore Raptors team in 2014 for the first edition of Champions Tennis League India.[42]
2015: Australian Open big form[edit]
Venus started off her season at the 2015 ASB Classic where she won her 46th career singles title by defeating Caroline Wozniacki in three sets in the final. Then, at the Australian Open, Venus made it to the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2010 US Open. She defeated Camila Giorgi in the third round having to recover from 4-6, 2-4 and 0-40 down to reach the second week of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time since the 2011 Wimbledon Championships and then overturned a three-match losing streak to Agnieszka Radwańska before losing to Madison Keys after being up a break in the deciding set. Venus had her 16-match winning streak at the Dubai Tennis Championships ended by Lucie Šafářová in the third round. Her next tournament was at the Qatar Total Open where she saved a match point in a heated encounter versus Barbora Záhlavová-Strýcová in the second round before defeating Agnieszka Radwańska for a second time in 2015 to advance to the semifinals. She ended up losing in three sets to Victoria Azarenka. Venus competed at the Miami Open, where she won against Samantha Stosur in the third round and Caroline Wozniacki in the fourth round (scoring her fourth top-10 win of the season and improving her head-to-head record against Wozniacki to a perfect 7-0). In the quarterfinals, she was defeated by Carla Suárez Navarro in three sets.
At the 2015 French Open, she lost in straight sets to Sloane Stephens for a score 7-6,6-1 in the first round.
Fight for equal prize money[edit]
Despite years of protesting by tennis pioneer Billie Jean King and others, in 2005 the French Open and Wimbledon still refused to pay women's and men's players equally through all rounds. In 2005, Williams met with officials from both tournaments, arguing that female tennis players should be paid as much as male tennis players.[43] Although WTA tour President Larry Scott commented that she left "a very meaningful impression", Williams's demands were rejected.
The turning point was an essay published in The Times on the eve of Wimbledon in 2006. In it, Williams accused Wimbledon of being on the "wrong side of history", writing:

I feel so strongly that Wimbledon's stance devalues the principle of meritocracy and diminishes the years of hard work that women on the tour have put into becoming professional tennis players.
 I believe that athletes – especially female athletes in the world's leading sport for women – should serve as role models. The message I like to convey to women and girls across the globe is that there is no glass ceiling. My fear is that Wimbledon is loudly and clearly sending the opposite message....
 Wimbledon has argued that women's tennis is worth less for a variety of reasons; it says, for example, that because men play a best of five sets game they work harder for their prize money.
 This argument just doesn’t make sense; first of all, women players would be happy to play five sets matches in grand slam tournaments....
 Secondly, tennis is unique in the world of professional sports. No other sport has men and women competing for a grand slam championship on the same stage, at the same time. So in the eyes of the general public the men's and women's games have the same value.
 Third, ... we enjoy huge and equal celebrity and are paid for the value we deliver to broadcasters and spectators, not the amount of time we spend on the stage. And, for the record, the ladies’ final at Wimbledon in 2005 lasted 45 minutes longer than the men's....
 Wimbledon has justified treating women as second class because we do more for the tournament. The argument goes that the top women – who are more likely also to play doubles matches than their male peers – earn more than the top men if you count singles, doubles and mixed doubles prize money. So the more we support the tournament, the more unequally we should be treated! But doubles and mixed doubles are separate events from the singles competition. Is Wimbledon suggesting that, if the top women withdrew from the doubles events, that then we would deserve equal prize money in singles? And how then does the All England Club explain why the pot of women's doubles prize money is nearly £130,000 smaller than the men's doubles prize money?
 I intend to keep doing everything I can until Billie Jean's original dream of equality is made real. It's a shame that the name of the greatest tournament in tennis, an event that should be a positive symbol for the sport, is tarnished.[43]
In response, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and members of Parliament publicly endorsed Williams's arguments.[44] Later that year, the Women's Tennis Association and UNESCO teamed for a campaign to promote gender equality in sports, asking Williams to lead the campaign.[45] Under enormous pressure, Wimbledon announced in February 2007 that it would award equal prize money to all competitors in all rounds, and the French Open followed suit a day later.[46] In the aftermath, the Chicago Sun-Times cited Williams as "the single factor" that "changed the minds of the boys" and a leader whose "willingness to take a public stand separates her not only from most of her female peers, but also from our most celebrated male athletes."[47] Williams herself commented, "Somewhere in the world a little girl is dreaming of holding a giant trophy in her hands and being viewed as an equal to boys who have similar dreams."[48]
Venus herself became the first woman to benefit from the equalization of prize money at Wimbledon, as she won the 2007 tournament and was awarded the same amount as the male winner Roger Federer. Venus's fight for equality was documented in Nine for IX, Venus Vs. It premiered on July 2, 2013.[49][50]
Personal life[edit]



 Williams for the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's "National Wear Red Day"
On December 13, 2007, Williams received her associate degree in fashion design from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.[51]
Beginning the 2011 fall semester, Williams began pursuing a bachelor's degree in the school of business through an online degree program at Indiana University East in Richmond, Indiana.[52] Her ultimate goal is to get an MBA in the near future.[53]
Williams's longtime boyfriend, pro golfer Dorian Andrews, was a visible presence from the time of Wimbledon 2007 until 2010, when Kuehne dated and (in May 2011) married his current wife, Andy. Williams is now dating Cuban model Elio Pis whom she met when he modeled for her EleVen fashion line.[54]
In 2003, Venus and Serena Williams's older sister Yetunde Price, 31, was shot dead in Compton, California, near the courts on which the sisters once practiced. Price was the Williams sisters' personal assistant. The Williams family issued this statement shortly after the death: "We are extremely shocked, saddened and devastated by the shooting death of our beloved Yetunde. She was our nucleus and our rock. She was a personal assistant, confidante, and adviser to her sisters, and her death leaves a void that can never be filled. Our grief is overwhelming, and this is the saddest day of our lives."[55]
In 2011, Williams was forced to withdraw from the US Open before her second-round match, following a Sjögren's syndrome diagnosis.[30]
After the diagnosis, she adopted a vegan diet, as well as reducing her intake of calories and sugars.[56]
Like her mother and sister Serena, Williams is a Jehovah's Witness and has a practice of not voting. She has, however, expressed her support for Barack Obama.[57]
Entrepreneur[edit]



 Williams in July 2010
Williams is the chief executive officer of her interior design firm V Starr Interiors located in Jupiter, Florida. Her company designed the set of the Tavis Smiley Show on the Public Broadcasting Service, the Olympic athletes' apartments as part of New York City's failed bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games, and residences and businesses in the Palm Beach, Florida area.[58]
In 2001, Williams was named one of the 30 most powerful women in America by the Ladies Home Journal.[59]
In 2007, Williams teamed with retailer Steve & Barry's to launch her own fashion line, EleVen. "I love fashion and the idea that I am using my design education to actually create clothing and footwear that I will wear on and off the tennis court is a dream come true for me. The vision has been to create a collection that will allow women to enjoy an active lifestyle while remaining fashionable at the same time. I'm thrilled with everything we've created to launch EleVen."[60][61]
In June 2009, Williams was named 77th in the Top 100 Most Powerful Celebrities compiled by Forbes magazine.[62]
In August 2009, Williams and her sister Serena became part-owners of the Miami Dolphins. The announcement was made during a press conference overlooking the practice field. This made the sisters the first African-American females to obtain ownership in an NFL franchise. Stephan Ross, the majority owner of the Dolphins, said "We are thrilled to have Venus and Serena join the Dolphins as limited partners. They are among the most admired athletes in the world and have become global ambassadors for the game of tennis. Their addition to our ownership group further reflects our commitment to connect with aggressively and embrace the great diversity that makes South Florida a multicultural gem."[63]
In late June 2010, Williams released her first book, Come to Win; on How Sports Can Help You Top Your Profession, which she co-wrote with Kelly E. Carter. In promotion of the book she embarked on a tour around America in support of the release, whilst also appearing on several talk shows, including The Early Show and Good Morning America. This gave her a place in the Top 5 of The New York Times Best Seller List.[64]
Recognition[edit]
In 2005 Tennis Magazine ranked her as the 25th-best player in 40 years.[65][66] In June 2011, she was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time.[67]
Equipment[edit]
Coach: David Witt, Richard Williams, Oracene Price
Racket: Wilson BLX Blade Team (104)
Clothing: EleVen
Shoes: Nike
In 1995, when Williams was 14 years old, she signed an endorsement deal with Reebok and wore the company's apparel and shoes.[68][69] She used Wilson Hammer 6.2 Stretch racket.[70]
Career statistics[edit]
Main article: Venus Williams career statistics
Grand Slam performance timeline[edit]
Key
W  F  SF QF R# RR LQ (Q#) A P Z# PO SF-B F-S G NMS NH
Won tournament; or reached Final; Semifinal; Quarter-final; Round 4, 3, 2, 1; competed at a Round Robin stage; lost in Qualification Round; absent from tournament event; played in a Davis Cup Zonal Group (with its number indication) or Play-off; won a bronze, silver (F or S) or gold medal at the Olympics; a downgraded Masters Series/1000 tournament (Not a Masters Series); or a tournament that was Not Held in a given year.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated either at the conclusion of a tournament, or when the player's participation in the tournament has ended.

Tournament
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
SR
W–L
Australian Open A QF QF A SF QF F 3R 4R 1R A QF 2R QF 3R A 3R 1R QF 0 / 15 45–15
French Open 2R QF 4R QF 1R F 4R QF 3R QF 3R 3R 3R 4R A 2R 1R 2R 1R 0 / 18 42–18
Wimbledon 1R QF QF W W F F 2R W 3R W W F QF 4R 1R A 3R  5 / 17 73–12
US Open F SF SF W W F A 4R QF A SF QF 4R SF 2R 2R 2R 3R  2 / 16 64–13
Win–Loss
7–3
17–4
15–4
18–1
19–2
22–4
15–3
10–4
16–3
6–3
14–2
17–3
12–4
16–4
6–2
2–3
3–3
5–4
4-2
7 / 66
224–58

Grand Slam finals[edit]
Singles: 14 (7 titles, 7 runner-ups)[edit]

Outcome
Year
Championship
Surface
Opponent
Score

Runner-up 1997 US Open Hard Switzerland Martina Hingis 0–6, 4–6
Winner 2000 Wimbledon Grass United States Lindsay Davenport 6–3, 7–6(7–3)
Winner 2000 US Open Hard United States Lindsay Davenport 6–4, 7–5
Winner 2001 Wimbledon (2) Grass Belgium Justine Henin 6–1, 3–6, 6–0
Winner 2001 US Open (2) Hard United States Serena Williams 6–2, 6–4
Runner-up 2002 French Open Clay United States Serena Williams 5–7, 3–6
Runner-up 2002 Wimbledon Grass United States Serena Williams 6–7(4–7), 3–6
Runner-up 2002 US Open (2) Hard United States Serena Williams 4–6, 3–6
Runner-up 2003 Australian Open Hard United States Serena Williams 6–7(4–7), 6–3, 4–6
Runner-up 2003 Wimbledon (2) Grass United States Serena Williams 6–4, 4–6, 2–6
Winner 2005 Wimbledon (3) Grass United States Lindsay Davenport 4–6, 7–6(7–4), 9–7
Winner 2007 Wimbledon (4) Grass France Marion Bartoli 6–4, 6–1
Winner 2008 Wimbledon (5) Grass United States Serena Williams 7–5, 6–4
Runner-up 2009 Wimbledon (3) Grass United States Serena Williams 6–7(3–7), 2–6

Women's doubles: 13 finals (13 titles)[edit]

Outcome
Year
Championship
Partner
Opponent
Score

Winner 1999 French Open United States Serena Williams Switzerland Martina Hingis
Russia Anna Kournikova 6–3, 6–7(2–7), 8–6
Winner 1999 US Open United States Serena Williams United States Chanda Rubin
France Sandrine Testud 4–6, 6–1, 6–4
Winner 2000 Wimbledon United States Serena Williams France Julie Halard-Decugis
Japan Ai Sugiyama 6–3, 6–2
Winner 2001 Australian Open United States Serena Williams United States Lindsay Davenport
United States Corina Morariu 6–2, 2–6, 6–4
Winner 2002 Wimbledon (2) United States Serena Williams Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez 6–2, 7–5
Winner 2003 Australian Open (2) United States Serena Williams Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
Winner 2008 Wimbledon (3) United States Serena Williams United States Lisa Raymond
Australia Samantha Stosur 6–2, 6–2
Winner 2009 Australian Open (3) United States Serena Williams Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová
Japan Ai Sugiyama 6–3, 6–3
Winner 2009 Wimbledon (4) United States Serena Williams Australia Samantha Stosur
Australia Rennae Stubbs 7–6(7–4), 6–4
Winner 2009 US Open (2) United States Serena Williams Zimbabwe Cara Black
United States Liezel Huber 6–2, 6–2
Winner 2010 Australian Open (4) United States Serena Williams Zimbabwe Cara Black
United States Liezel Huber 6–4, 6–3
Winner 2010 French Open (2) United States Serena Williams Czech Republic Květa Peschke
Slovenia Katarina Srebotnik 6–2, 6–3
Winner 2012 Wimbledon (5) United States Serena Williams Czech Republic Andrea Hlaváčková
Czech Republic Lucie Hradecká 7-5, 6-4

Mixed doubles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)[edit]

Outcome
Year
Championship
Surface
Partner
Opponents
Score

Winner 1998 Australian Open Hard United States Justin Gimelstob Czechoslovakia Helena Suková
Czechoslovakia Cyril Suk 6–2, 6–1
Winner 1998 French Open Clay United States Justin Gimelstob United States Serena Williams
Argentina Luis Lobo 6–4, 6–4
Runner-up 2006 Wimbledon Grass United States Bob Bryan Russia Vera Zvonareva
Israel Andy Ram 3–6, 2–6

Records and achievements[edit]
These records were attained in Open Era of tennis.
Records in bold indicate peer-less achievements.
Records in italics are currently active streaks.
Championship Years Record accomplished Player tied
1999 French Open – 2012 Wimbledon 1999–2012 First 13 Grand Slam doubles finals won (with Serena Williams) Stands alone
2002 French Open – 2003 Australian Open 2002–2003 Four consecutive runner-up finishes Chris Evert
2002 French Open – 2003 Australian Open 2002–2003 Four consecutive runner-up finishes to the same player (Serena Williams) Stands alone
Wimbledon 2005 Longest women's singles final[71] Lindsay Davenport
Wimbledon 2007 Lowest-ranked champion (31st)[72] Stands alone
Wimbledon 2007 Lowest-seeded champion (23rd)[72] Stands alone
Wimbledon 2008 Fastest serve by a woman (129 mph)[73] Stands alone
US Open 2007 Fastest serve by a woman (129 mph)[74][75] Stands alone
Summer Olympics 2000–2012 4 Gold Medals Serena Williams
Summer Olympics 2000–2012 3 Doubles Gold Medals (with Serena Williams) Stands alone
Miami Masters 1998–2002 22 consecutive singles matches won at this tournament Steffi Graf
Dubai Tennis Championships 2009–2015 16 consecutive singles matches won at this tournament Stands alone
Dubai Tennis Championships 2010–2014 2 consecutive singles titles without dropping a set Justine Henin
Dubai Tennis Championships 2014 Only unseeded player to have won in singles and as a wildcard Stands alone
New Haven Open at Yale 1999–2002 4 consecutive singles titles Caroline Wozniacki
New Haven Open at Yale 1999–2000 2 consecutive singles titles without dropping a set Stands alone
Rogers Cup 2014 Oldest singles finalist (34 years, 2 months) Stands alone
In 1997, Williams became the first woman since Pam Shriver in 1978 to reach the singles final of the US Open on her first attempt.[76]
In 1997, Williams became the first unseeded singles finalist at the US Open.[76]
In 1997, the combined ages of Williams at age 17 and Martina Hingis at age 16 in the US Open final were the lowest in the open era history of that tournament.
At 1999 IGA SuperThrift Classic in Oklahoma City marking the first time in tennis history that sisters won titles in the same week (Serena won the Open Gaz de France in Paris).
At the 1999 Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne became the first pair of sisters in the open era to meet in a tournament final (with Serena Williams).
In 2000, Williams became the second African-American to win Wimbledon during the open era.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at the same Olympic Games, after Helen Wills Moody in 1924. Serena Williams has since joined these 2 women in completing this feat when she won gold in the Singles and Doubles at 2012 London Olympics.
By winning the 2001 Australian Open doubles championship, Venus and Serena Williams became the fifth pair to complete a Career Doubles Grand Slam and the only pair to win a Career Doubles Golden Slam.
The 2001 US Open marked the first time in the open era, and only the second time in 117 years, that sisters met in a Grand Slam singles final (with Serena Williams).
In 2001, she became the third woman in the open era, after Navratilova and Graf, to win both Wimbledon and the US Open in consecutive years.
In February 2002, she became the first African-American woman to become World No. 1 since the computer rankings began in 1975.
In 2002 became the first ever siblings to rank Top 2 at same time with sister Serena.
At Wimbledon in 2003, she reached her fourth consecutive Wimbledon final, which since the abolishment of the challenge round system is tied with Helen Wills Moody for fourth behind Navratilova's nine, King's five, and Evert's five.
Williams and Hingis hold the open era record for consecutive losses in Grand Slam singles finals (five). One of four women, the others being Serena Williams, Navratilova and Graf, to win the Wimbledon singles title at least five times during the open era.
During the 2008 WTA Tour Championships became the 3rd player after Steffi Graf and Serena Williams to beat the second Dinara Safina, third Serena Williams and first Jelena Jankovic ranked players in the same tournament.
At Wimbledon in 2009, Williams defeated World No. 1 Dinara Safina in the semifinals 6–1, 6–0, which was the most one-sided women's semifinal at Wimbledon since 1969, when King defeated Rosemary Casals by the same score.
Williams held the record for the fastest serve in women's tennis at 207.9 km/h (129.2 mph), achieved at the 2007 US Open. She held this record for almost 8 years, until her record was broken by Sabine Lisicki at the 2014 Stanford Classic with a service speed of 210.8 km/h (131.0 mph).
Awards[edit]
See also: WTA Awards
1995Sports Image Foundation Award for conducting tennis clinics in low-income areas
1997WTA Newcomer of the Year
September's Olympic Committee Female Athlete
1998Tennis Magazine's Most Improved Player
2000WTA Player of the Year
WTA Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
Sports Illustrated for Women's Sportswoman of the Year
Teen Choice Awards – Extraordinary Achievement Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.62)
Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year for team sports (with Serena Williams)
2001Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award
EMMA Best Sport Personality Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.57)
2002Best Female Athlete ESPY Award
Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.60)
2003The President's Award of the 34th NAACP Image Awards
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.65)
2004Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.1)
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.77)
2005Glamour Magazine's Women of the Year Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.81)
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.3)
2006Best Female Tennis Player ESPY Award
BET's Best Female Athlete of the Year
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.1)
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.90)
 2007Gitanjali Diamond Award
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.3)
Vogue Magazine Top 10 Best Dressed List for 2007
2008Whirlpool 6th Sense Player of the Year Award
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.3)
Anti-Defamation League Americanism Award
Whirlpool 6th Sense Player of the Year Award
ITF Women's Doubles World Champion (with Serena Williams)
WTA Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
WTA Fan Favorite Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
Doha 21st Century Leaders Awards – Outstanding Leadership
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.77)
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.2)
2010Caesars Tennis Classic Achievement Award
Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.83)
YWCA GLA Phenomenal Woman of the Year Award
WTA Fan Favorite Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
Forbes 30 Utterly Inspiring Role Models
Forbes 100 Most Powerful Women in the World (No.60)
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.2)
2011Forbes The Celebrity 100 (No.86)
TIME Magazine 30 Legends of Women's Tennis
Forbes Most Powerful Black Women In The U.S. (No.10)
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.2)
2012World TeamTennis Finals Most Valuable Player
WTA Player Service Award
WTA Fan Favorite Doubles Team of the Year (with Serena Williams)
2013BET Black Girls Rock! Star Power Award
Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.3)
2014Harris Poll Top 10 Favorite Female Sports Star (No.3)
WTA Fan Favorite Dress (2014 Wimbledon)
Tennis Magazine Top 10 Matches of 2014 No.3 (2014 Wimbledon 3rd Round)
ESPN Tennis Top 10 Women's Matches of 2014 No.3 (2014 Wimbledon 3rd Round)

See also[edit]

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References[edit]
Notes
1.Jump up ^ "Family Tree Legends". Family Tree Legends. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
2.Jump up ^ Chase, Chris (July 15, 2010). "Ranking the top-10 women's tennis players of all time – Busted Racquet – Tennis Blog – Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
3.Jump up ^ "All-Time Women's Majors Titles". Blueridgenow.com. June 5, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
4.Jump up ^ "Williams sisters net gold in doubles, beating off Spaniards in final". ESPN. August 17, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
5.Jump up ^ Chase, Chris (September 13, 2010). "Ranking the top-10 women's tennis players of all time – Busted Racquet – Tennis – Yahoo! Sports". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
6.Jump up ^ Kaufman, Michelle (April 22, 2007). "Venus, Serena reflect as they prepare for Fed Cup". blackathlete.net. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
7.Jump up ^ Peyser, Marc; Samuels, Allison (August 24, 1998). "Venus And Serena Against The World". Newsweek. Retrieved April 19, 2009.[dead link]
8.Jump up ^ Lydia Pyle, 2005, Venus and Serena Williams, p. 10.
9.Jump up ^ the, United States. "Venus Williams: Biography from". Answers.com. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
10.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Interview Australian Open – Jan 17". Tennis-x.com. January 17, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
11.Jump up ^ 'Harder, Better, Faster...' Article discussing the serve speeds of women in 2008 – Nov 28[dead link]
12.Jump up ^ "Venus Envy". Sportsillustrated.com. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
13.Jump up ^ "WTA, Info, Venus Williams". WTA Tour, Inc. Retrieved October 4, 2011.
14.Jump up ^ "What Happened at Indian Wells?". ESPN. March 11, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
15.Jump up ^ Rogers, Martin (September 13, 2010). "Indian Wells boycott hurts Williamses more than it helps". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
16.Jump up ^ Keating, Gina; Tippit, Sarah. Eldest sister of Venus, Serena shot dead, Rediff, September 15, 2003. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
17.Jump up ^ Burt, Jason. Seeds are shaken by Sprem's flowering talent, The Independent, June 27, 2004. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
18.Jump up ^ "Williams joins women's elite with fourth Wimbledon title". Sport.monstersandcritics.com. July 7, 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
19.Jump up ^ "Sister Sister: Venus sets record with 129 mph (208 km/h) serve; Serena sails". SI.com. August 27, 2007. Retrieved April 19, 2008.
20.Jump up ^ Sharapova, Hantuchova Round Out Elite Eight Field[dead link]
21.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Out of Tennis Indefinitely with Mystery Illness". Tennis-x.com. April 9, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
22.Jump up ^ Williams Beats Razzano for 40th Career Singles Title[dead link]
23.Jump up ^ "Venus crashes out of French Open". BBC Sport. May 29, 2009. Retrieved May 30, 2009.
24.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams out for the remainder of 2010; Will miss Fed Cup Final , Pro Tennis – News". USTA. October 6, 2010. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
25.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Injury: Tennis Star Withdraws From Australian Open". Huffington Post. January 21, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
26.Jump up ^ "Venus Retires, Petkovic Moves Through". Wtatennis.com. January 21, 2011. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
27.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Out Again For The Western & Southern Open". tennisnow.com. 2011. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
28.Jump up ^ Lynch, Lauren. "Venus Williams Out Again For The Western & Southern Open". Tennis Now. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
29.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Pulls Out Of U.S. Open : NPR". npr.org. 2011. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
30.^ Jump up to: a b Lila (2011-08-31). "Venus Williams Leaves US Open. 10 Things You Should Know About Sjogren's Syndrome". Celebritydiagnosis.com. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
31.Jump up ^ Venus defeats Serena in exhibition in Colombia
32.Jump up ^ Schiavone beats Venus, Serena in Milan
33.Jump up ^ "Tennis: Venus Williams pulls out of ASB Classic". NZ Herald News. December 20, 2011. Retrieved 2012-01-01.
34.Jump up ^ 2012 Australia Open
35.Jump up ^ [1]
36.Jump up ^ V. Williams, Gonzalez, and Nalbandian Granted Sony Ericsson Open Wildcards
37.Jump up ^ Venus Williams Enters Cup
38.Jump up ^ Maria Sharapova ends Venus Williams' run. Accessed 20 May 2012.
39.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams". USA Today. June 20, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-25.
40.Jump up ^ Brown, Oliver (June 25, 2012). "Venus Williams". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 2012-06-25.
41.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams ousted in first round".
42.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams play for Bangalore Raptors in CTL". 16 November 2014.
43.^ Jump up to: a b Williams, Venus. Wimbledon has sent me a message: I'm only a second-class champion, The Times, June 26, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
44.Jump up ^ "Blair adds support for equal pay". BBC Sport. June 28, 2006. Retrieved November 26, 2011.
45.Jump up ^ WTA Tour and UNESCO to promote gender equality, International Herald Tribune, November 11, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2008.
46.Jump up ^ Roland Garros Awards Equal Pay[dead link]
47.Jump up ^ "French Open To Give Equal Paydays To Male, Female Winners", Sports Business Daily
48.Jump up ^ Slezak, Carol. "We haven't heard last of Venus", Chicago Sun-Times, March 18, 2007.
49.Jump up ^ Cingari, Jennifer (February 19, 2013). "ESPN Films and espnW Announce Nine for IX". Retrieved February 27, 2013.
50.Jump up ^ "Air dates set for Nine for IX series". espnW.com. April 10, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
51.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Aces Fashion Degree from Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale". Artinstitutes.edu. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
52.Jump up ^ "Tennis star Venus Williams enrolls at Indiana University East". indystar.com. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
53.Jump up ^ "Sister Act: Serena and Venus Williams". http://hamptons-magazine.com. Retrieved August 26, 2011.
54.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Is Dating Cuban Model Elio Pis". People. September 9, 2012. Retrieved September 16, 2012.
55.Jump up ^ "Williams sisters 'shocked' by shooting death of oldest sister – Sports". Findarticles.com. September 29, 2003. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
56.Jump up ^ "Vegan Venus Williams talks about food and tennis". Mercury News. January 14, 2013. Retrieved April 14, 2013.
57.Jump up ^ Leibenluft, Jacob (June 26, 2008). "Why Don't Jehovah's Witnesses Vote?". Slate. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
58.Jump up ^ Vstarr Interiors[dead link]
59.Jump up ^ "#21 to #25". Ladies Home Journal.[dead link]
60.Jump up ^ "Eleven website". Elevenbyvenus.com. September 6, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
61.Jump up ^ Venus Unveils EleVen Clothing Range[dead link]
62.Jump up ^ "#77 Venus Williams". Forbes Magazine. June 3, 2009.
63.Jump up ^ Williams sisters buy into Dolphins group ESPN, August 25, 2009
64.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams book on NYT Bestseller list". Usta.com. July 15, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2010.
65.Jump up ^ "40 Greatest Players of the Tennis Era (25–28)". Tennis Magazine. May 17, 2006. Retrieved April 22, 2009.[dead link]
66.Jump up ^ "High time we appreciate Venus Williams". ESPN. September 13, 2010. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
67.Jump up ^ William Lee Adams (June 22, 2011). "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future – Venus Williams". TIME. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
68.Jump up ^ "DEAL WITH VENUS IN THE STARS FOR REEBOK". SportsBusiness Journal. May 22, 1995. Retrieved September 11, 2014.
69.Jump up ^ "WHAT THEY'RE WEARING (AND HITTING WITH) AT THE U.S. OPEN". SportsBusiness Journal. August 28, 2000. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
70.Jump up ^ "What they're wearing (and hitting with) at Wimbledon". SportsBusiness Journal. June 25, 2001. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
71.Jump up ^ "Venus rallies to win longest Wimbledon final". MSNBC. July 3, 2005. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
72.^ Jump up to: a b "A Trio of Favorites at Wimbledon". MSNBC. June 19, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
73.Jump up ^ "Venus Williams Defeats Sister Serena, Taking Fifth Wimbledon Title". Fox News. July 5, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
74.Jump up ^ "Venus sets record with 129-mph serve; Serena sails". SI.com. August 27, 2007. Retrieved 2012-06-06.
75.Jump up ^ "Venus serves up a record". Tvnz.co.nz. August 28, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2011.
76.^ Jump up to: a b 1997 U.S. OPEN: A Phenomenal Final; Hingus (sic) and Williams Show Improvement With Every Match,The New York Times, September 7, 1997. Retrieved July 30, 2009.
BibliographyEdmondson, Jacqueline (2005). Venus and Serena Williams: A Biography. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 0-313-33165-0.
External links[edit]

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Serena Williams

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Serena Williams
Serena Williams winning Wimbledon Ladies' Singles 2012.jpg
Serena Williams at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships

Country
 United States
Residence
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, U.S.[1]
Born
September 26, 1981 (age 33)
Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.
Height
1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Turned pro
September 24, 1995
Plays
Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach(es)
Richard Williams (1994–)
Oracene Price
Patrick Mouratoglou (2012–)
Prize money
US$67,278,178[2]
 (1st all-time among women athletes and 4th all-time among tennis athletes)[3]
Official website
www.serenawilliams.com
Singles

Career record
708–121 (85.4%)
Career titles
66 WTA (4th in overall rankings)
Highest ranking
No. 1 (July 8, 2002)
Current ranking
No. 1 (May 11, 2015)
Grand Slam Singles results

Australian Open
W (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015)
French Open
W (2002, 2013)
Wimbledon
W (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012)
US Open
W (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Other tournaments

Tour Finals
W (2001, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Olympic Games
Gold medal.svg Gold medal (2012)
Doubles

Career record
177–27 (86.76%)
Career titles
22
Highest ranking
No. 1 (June 7, 2010)
Current ranking
No. 128 (March 23, 2015)
Grand Slam Doubles results

Australian Open
W (2001, 2003, 2009, 2010)
French Open
W (1999, 2010)
Wimbledon
W (2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012)
US Open
W (1999, 2009)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals
SF (2009)
Olympic Games
Gold medal.svg Gold medal (2000, 2008, 2012)
Mixed doubles

Career record
27–4 (90%)
Career titles
2
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results

Australian Open
F (1999)
French Open
F (1998)
Wimbledon
W (1998)
US Open
W (1998)
Other mixed doubles tournaments
Team competitions

Fed Cup
W (1999), Record 16–1
Hopman Cup
W (2003, 2008)


Medal record[show]










Gold medal – first place  
Gold medal – first place  
Gold medal – first place  
Gold medal – first place  

Last updated on: March 23, 2015.
Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American professional tennis player who is currently ranked No. 1 in women's singles tennis. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has ranked her World No. 1 in singles on six separate occasions. She became the World No. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002, and regained this ranking for the sixth time on February 18, 2013, becoming the oldest world no. 1 player in WTA's history. Williams is also regarded by some experts and former tennis players to be the greatest female tennis player in history.[4][5] She is the only female player to have won over $60 million in prize money,[6] and is the reigning Australian Open, US Open, WTA Tour Championships and Olympic ladies singles champion.[7]
Frequently hailed as the Queen of the Court by the general media,[8][9][10][11] Williams holds the most major singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles combined amongst active players, male or female. Her record of 34 Grand Slam titles puts her seventh on the all-time list: 19 in singles, 13 in women's doubles, and 2 in mixed doubles. She is the most recent player, male or female, to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously (2002–03), and the fifth woman ever to do so. She is also the most recent player together with her sister Venus Williams to have held all four Grand Slam women's doubles titles simultaneously (2009–10). Her total of 19 Grand Slam singles titles is tied for third on the all-time list with Helen Wills Moody behind Margaret Court (24 titles) and Steffi Graf (22 titles),[12] and second in the Open Era, behind only Graf.[12] She has won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Venus and the pair are unbeaten in Grand Slam finals.[13] Serena Williams is also a five-time winner of the WTA Tour Championships.[14] The arrival of Venus and Serena Williams has been credited with launching a new era of power in women's tennis.[15][16][17][18] Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, one in women's singles and three in women's doubles, an all-time record shared with her sister Venus Williams.[19][20]


Contents  [hide]
1 Early life
2 Playing style
3 Professional career 3.1 1995–98: Professional debut
3.2 1999–2001: Becoming a top-10 player
3.3 2002–03: "Serena Slam"
3.4 2004–07: Injuries, depression, and the comeback
3.5 2008–10: Back to No. 1 and injuries
3.6 2011–13: Return to dominance, Career Golden Slam
3.7 2014-present: Continuing No. 1 and more Majors
4 On-court activities 4.1 Competition with Venus Williams
4.2 Controversies 4.2.1 Accusations of match fixing
4.2.2 2001 Indian Wells
4.2.3 2004 US Open
4.2.4 2009 US Open
4.2.5 2011 US Open

5 Off-court activities 5.1 Equipment
5.2 Fashion
5.3 Entertainment
5.4 Miami Dolphins venture
5.5 Charity work
5.6 Writing
6 Grand Slam tournaments 6.1 Grand Slam tournament performance timeline
6.2 Grand Slam tournament finals 6.2.1 Singles: 23 (19–4)
6.2.2 Women's doubles: 13 (13–0)
6.2.3 Mixed doubles: 4 finals (2–2)

7 Records and achievements
8 Filmography
9 See also
10 References
11 Works cited
12 External links

Early life[edit]
Serena Williams was born in Saginaw, Michigan, USA to Richard Williams and Oracene Price and is the youngest of Price's five daughters: half-sisters Yetunde, Lyndrea and Isha Price, and full sister Venus.[1] When the children were young, the family moved to Compton, California, where Serena started playing tennis at the age of three.[21][22] Her father home-schooled Serena and her sister Venus[23][24] and to this day, Serena Williams was and remains coached by both her parents.[1] Williams's family moved from Compton to West Palm Beach, FL[21] when she was nine so that she could attend the tennis academy of Rick Macci, who would provide additional coaching. Rick Macci spotted the exceptional talents of the sisters. He did not always agree with Williams's father, but respected that "he treated his daughters like kids, allowed them to be little girls".[25] Richard stopped sending his daughters to national junior tennis tournaments when Williams was 10, since he wanted them to take it slow and focus on school work. Another factor was racial, as he had heard white parents talk about the Williams sisters in a derogatory manner during tournaments.[26] At that time, Williams had a 46–3 record on the United States Tennis Association junior tour and was ranked No. 1 among under-10 players in Florida.[27] In 1995, when Serena was in the ninth grade, Richard pulled his daughters out of Macci's academy, and from then on took over all coaching at their home. When asked in 2000 whether having followed the normal path of playing regularly on the junior circuit would have been beneficial, Williams responded: "Everyone does different things. I think for Venus and I, we just attempted a different road, and it worked for us."[27] In 2003 sister Yetunde was fatally shot in an SUV after a confrontation with youths in Compton.[28][29]
Playing style[edit]



"She's a competitor. She doesn't like to give free points and free games.
 No matter the score she wants to win those games and those points,
 whether she's down a break point or up a break point or whatever it is."
Maria Sharapova, on Serena Williams in 2013.[30]
Williams is primarily a baseline player and her game is built around taking immediate control of rallies with her powerful and consistent serve,[31] return of serve, and forceful groundstrokes from both her forehand and backhand swings. Williams's forehand is considered to be among the most powerful shots in the women's game as is her double-handed backhand. Williams strikes her backhand groundstroke using an open stance, and uses the same open stance for her forehand. Williams's aggressive play, a "high risk" style, is balanced in part by her serve, which is considered to be the greatest in women's tennis history.[32][33][34] She consistently projects great pace in her serves and in the 2013 Australian Open, she had a peak serve speed of 126.8 mph (204.1 km/h) which is the third-fastest all-time among female players (only Venus's 129 mph[35] and Sabine Lisicki's 131 mph[36] recorded speeds are faster). What makes her serve even more deadly is her ball placement and her ability to consistently place powerful shots with great accuracy.[37] At the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, Serena hit a women's tournament record of 102 aces which was more than any of the men hit during the two weeks.[38] Serena also possesses a very solid volley and powerful overhead which is very useful for her net game. Although many think of Williams as only an offensive player, she also plays a strong defensive game.[39]
Williams is also known for her mental toughness and her ability to come back from improbable situations.[40][41] She has won three Grand Slam singles titles after saving match points (2003 Australian Open versus Kim Clijsters, 2005 Australian Open versus Maria Sharapova, and 2009 Wimbledon versus Elena Dementieva), more than any other player in history, male or female.[42] In the 2012 US Open final against Victoria Azarenka, she was down 5–3 in the third set and found herself two points away from losing the match. Williams then proceeded to win the next 4 games and defeated Azarenka.[43] She also came back from a 3-5 deficit in the third set against Kim Clijsters in the 1999 US Open and went on to win her first Grand Slam singles title. In recent years, Williams has shown an ability to serve aces at critical moments. One of these instances was the 2013 French Open final, where in the last game of the match, she fired three aces, including one clocked at 123 mph (198 km/h) on match point.[44][45]
Professional career[edit]
1995–98: Professional debut[edit]
Main article: Serena Williams's early career
Williams's first professional event was in September 1995, at the age of 14 to counteract the forthcoming changes to age-eligibility rules, at the Bell Challenge. She lost in the first round of qualifying to Anne Miller, winning just two games.[46]
Williams did not play a tournament in 1996. The following year, she lost in the qualifying rounds of three tournaments, before winning her first main-draw match in November at the Ameritech Cup Chicago. Ranked world No. 304, she upset world No. 7 Mary Pierce and world No. 4 Monica Seles, recording her first career wins over top 10 players and becoming the lowest-ranked player in the open era to defeat two top 10 opponents in one tournament.[1] She ultimately lost in the semifinals to world no. 5 Lindsay Davenport. She finished 1997 ranked world no. 99.
Williams began 1998 at the Medibank International Sydney. As a qualifier ranked world no. 96, she defeated world no. 3 Davenport in the quarterfinals, before losing to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals. Williams made her debut in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament at the Australian Open, where she defeated sixth-seeded Irina Spîrlea in the first round, before losing to sister Venus in the second round in the sisters' first professional match.[47] Williams reached six other quarterfinals during the year, but lost all of them, including her first match against world no. 1 Martina Hingis at the Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, and her second match against Venus at the Italian Open in Rome. She failed to reach the quarterfinals of any Grand Slam tournament the remainder of the year, losing in the fourth round of the French Open to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, and the third round of both Wimbledon and the US Open, to Virginia Ruano Pascual and Spîrlea, respectively. She did, however, win the mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open with Max Mirnyi, completing the Williams family's sweep of the 1998 mixed doubles Grand Slam tournaments. Williams won her first professional title in doubles in Oklahoma City with Venus, becoming the third pair of sisters to win a WTA title.[1] The Williams sisters won two more doubles titles together during the year. Serena finished the year ranked world no. 20 in singles.
1999–2001: Becoming a top-10 player[edit]
Williams lost in the third round of the 1999 Australian Open to Sandrine Testud. Williams won her first professional singles title when she defeated Amélie Mauresmo in the final of the Open Gaz de France. With Venus also winning the IGA Superthrift Classic that day, the pair became the first sisters to win professional tournaments in the same week.[48] A month later, Serena won her first Tier I singles title at the Evert Cup, defeating Steffi Graf in the final. At the Lipton International Players Championships, Williams had her 16-match winning streak ended by Venus in the first all-sister singles final in WTA history, Serena made her top-10 debut at world no. 9. She then lost in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open and the German Open, and the third round of the French Open, where she and Venus won the women's doubles title. She then missed Wimbledon because of injury. When she returned to the tour, Williams won a Fed Cup singles match, won the JPMorgan Chase Open, beating Julie Halard-Decugis in the final. She then defeated in succession grand slam champions Kim Clijsters, Conchita Martinez, Monica Seles, and defending champion Lindsay Davenport to reach the US Open final where she defeated world #1 Hingis to become the second African-American woman after Althea Gibson in 1958 to win a Grand Slam singles tournament.[1] The Williams sisters also won the doubles title at this tournament. To complete 1999, Williams won a doubles match in the Fed Cup final against Russia. Williams ended the year ranked world no. 4 in just her second full year on the main tour.
Williams started 2000 by losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Elena Likhovtseva. She failed to defend her titles in Paris and Indian Wells, although she did win the Faber Grand Prix. Williams missed the French Open because of injury. She returned at Wimbledon, where she lost to Venus in the semifinals, but they won the doubles title at the event. Williams successfully defended her title in Los Angeles, defeating Davenport in the final. She reached the final of the Du Maurier Open where an injury forced her to retire from her match with Hingis. Her defense of the US Open title ended when she lost in the quarterfinals to Davenport. Williams teamed with Venus to win the gold medal in doubles at the Sydney Olympics in September. She ended the year winning the Toyota Princess Cup. She finished the year ranked world number 6.
Williams began 2001 losing to Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals of both Sydney and the Australian Open. Serena and Venus won the doubles title at the latter tournament, becoming only the fifth doubles team in history to win all four Grand Slam women's doubles titles during their career, completing a "Career Grand Slam". Her next event was the Pacific Life Open, defeating Kim Clijsters in the final. However the final was marred by the behavior of the crowd towards Williams and her family. The crowd were incensed at the perceived match fixing of games involving the family after Venus withdrew before their semifinal. Neither Williams sister entered the tournament for fourteen years, until Serena entered in 2015, as a wild-card (and the top seed).[49] The following week at the Ericsson Open, Williams lost to Jennifer Capriati in the quarterfinals. She then lost in the quarterfinals to Capriati at the French Open and Wimbledon. This was the fourth consecutive Grand Slam tournament at which Williams had exited in the quarterfinals. At the North American hard-court season, she lost in the quarterfinals of Los Angeles, then captured her second title of the year at the Rogers Cup, defeating Capriati in the final. Williams reached the final of the US Open, losing to sister Venus. That was the first Grand Slam final contested by two sisters during the open era. At the 2001-ending Sanex Championships, Williams won the championship by walkover when Davenport withdrew before the start of the final because of a knee injury. Williams finished 2001 at world no. 6 for the second straight year.
2002–03: "Serena Slam"[edit]



 Playing Amélie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Sydney in 2002
Injury forced Williams to retire from her semifinal match at the Medibank International Sydney and to withdraw from the 2002 Australian Open. She won her first title of the year at the State Farm Women's Tennis Classic, defeating world no. 2 Jennifer Capriati in the final. She then won the Ericsson Open for the first time, becoming one of three players in the open era to defeat the world's top 3 at one tournament,[1] after beating world no. 3 Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals, world no. 2 Venus in the semifinals, and world no. 1 Capriati in the final. Her straight set win over Venus was her second career win over her sister. Williams played three clay-court tournaments before the 2002 French Open. Her first tournament was at Charleston, where she was the third seed. Serena reached the quarterfinals losing to Patty Schnyder. She reached her first clay-court final in May, at the Eurocard German Open losing to Justine Henin in a third set tiebreak. Williams went on to win her first clay court title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, defeating Capriati in the semifinals and Henin in the final.[50] This raised her ranking to a new high of world no. 3. Williams was the third seed at the French Open, where she claimed her first French Open title by defeating defending champion Capriati in the semifinals, and then defeating Venus in the final to win her Second Grand Slam title. Serena rose to a career high of no. 2 after the win, second only to older sister Venus. At the 2002 Wimbledon Championships, Williams won the title for the first time, defeating Venus to win a Grand Slam singles title without dropping a set for the first time in her career. This victory earned Williams the world no. 1 ranking, dethroning her sister and becoming only the third African-American woman to hold that ranking.[1] The Williams sisters also won the doubles title at the tournament, the fifth Grand Slam doubles title for the pair. Williams played just one tournament between Wimbledon and the US Open, losing in the quarterfinals of the JPMorgan Chase Open in Los Angeles to Chanda Rubin, ending a 21-match winning streak. As the top-seeded player at the US Open, Williams reached the final where once again she defeated her sister to win the title for the second time. Williams won two consecutive singles titles in the fall, defeating Kim Clijsters to win the Toyota Princess Cup in Tokyo, and Anastasia Myskina to win the Sparkassen Cup in Leipzig, Germany. She reached the final at the year-end Home Depot Championships, where she lost to fifth-seeded Clijsters in straight sets, ending her 18-match winning streak. Williams finished 2002 with a 56–5 record, eight singles titles, and the world no. 1 ranking. She was the first African-American (male or female) to end a year with that ranking since Althea Gibson in 1958. She was the first woman to win three Grand Slam titles in one year since Hingis in 1997.[1]
At the 2003 Australian Open, Williams went on to reach the semifinals for the first time, where she recovered from 5–1 down in the third set and saved two match points, before defeating Clijsters. She faced her sister Venus for the fourth consecutive Grand Slam final and won to become the sixth woman in the open era to complete a Career Grand Slam, joining Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and Steffi Graf. She also became the fifth woman to hold all Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously, joining Maureen Connolly Brinker, Court, Graf, and Navratilova. This feat was dubbed the Serena Slam by the press.[51][52] The Williams sisters won their sixth Grand Slam doubles title together at this event.[53]
Williams then captured singles titles at the Open Gaz de France and the Sony Ericsson Open. Williams's winning streak came to an end when she lost the final of the Family Circle Cup to Henin, her first loss of the year after 21 wins. She also lost to Mauresmo in the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. Despite these losses, Williams was the top seed at the French Open, where she lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Henin, marking Williams's first loss in a Grand Slam tournament since 2001. The match was controversial, as Williams questioned Henin's sportsmanship, and spectators applauded Williams's errors.[54] She was known to be dating professional football player LaVar Arrington at the time.[citation needed] Williams rebounded from the loss at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, defeating Henin in the semifinals and Venus in the final. This was Williams's second consecutive Wimbledon title and her sixth Grand Slam singles title overall. This was her last tournament of the year after pulling out of three events in the USA, Williams underwent surgery on the quadriceps tendon in her knee at the start of August. Initially she was expected to be out for six to eight weeks.[55]
2004–07: Injuries, depression, and the comeback[edit]
Main articles: 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 Serena Williams tennis season



 Delivering a serve at an exhibition in November 2004.
After eight months away from the tour during which her desire was questioned,[56] Williams began her comeback at the Nasdaq-100 Open in Miami, where she made a triumphant return as she won the title. This was the third consecutive year that Williams had won this tournament. Although ranked world number seven, she was seeded second at the French Open. Williams lost to Capriati in the quarterfinals. This was the first time she had lost before the semifinals at a Grand Slam singles tournament since Wimbledon in 2001. She was seeded first at Wimbledon, even though her ranking had dropped to world number ten. She reached the final, where she was defeated by 13th-seeded Sharapova in straight sets. This loss caused her ranking to drop out of the top 10 for the first time since 1999. Williams reached her third final of the year at the JPMorgan Chase Open in Los Angeles on hard courts where she lost to Lindsay Davenport which was her first loss to the American since the 2000 US Open. She returned for the US Open, where she was seeded third even though she was ranked world number 11. She lost there in the quarterfinals to Capriati in three sets in controversial fashion.[57] Williams won her second title of the year at the China Open, defeating US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. Williams qualified for the WTA Tour Championships. In the round-robin phase of the tournament, she defeated Dementieva and Anastasia Myskina, but lost to Davenport. She lost to Sharapova in the final where Williams suffered an abdominal injury that caused her to serve around 65 mph.[58] Williams finished 2004 ranked world no. 7, but did not win a Grand Slam singles tournament for the first time since 2001.
At the 2005 Australian Open, Williams rejected suggestions that she and sister Venus were a declining force in tennis, following Venus's early exit at the tournament.[59] Williams saved three match points in defeating Sharapova 8–6 in the third set of their semi final. In the final, Williams defeated top seed Davenport to win her second Australian Open singles title and seventh Grand Slam singles title, winning 12 of the last 15 games.[60] The win moved Williams back to world number two, and she stated that she was targeting the number one spot.[61] Williams completed just two tournaments between the Australian Open and Wimbledon, losing to Venus in Miami and at Internazionali BNL d'Italia to Francesca Schiavone as Williams suffered a series of retirements and withdraws.[62][63] A reoccurring ankle injury causing her to miss the French Open.[64] She returned for Wimbledon as the fourth-seeded player, but was defeated in the third round by world no. 85 Jill Craybas. At the US Open, Williams lost to her sister Venus in the fourth round. This was the earliest the sisters had met in a Grand Slam tournament since their first meeting at the 1998 Australian Open. Williams played just one more match the remainder of the year, a loss to world no. 127 Sun Tiantian at the tournament in Beijing. She failed to qualify for the year-end championship for the first time since 1998. She finished the year 2005 ranked world number 11, her first time finishing outside the top 10 since 1998.



 Serena Williams in 2006
Williams started 2006 by participating in the Australian Open. Despite being the defending champion, she lost to Daniela Hantuchová in the third round.[65] After the tournament, Williams told the press that she was injured, blaming a lack of fitness and a knee injury for keeping her off the court.[66] However, in her biography, Serena claims that she was actually suffering from depression. After she had shut herself off from the world for a period, her sisters held a type of intervention which made Williams see her therapist daily.[67] After a chance meeting with a young girl who idolized Serena, she signed up to play in Cincinnati. During her conversation with the girl, Williams felt inspired and was informed that she could be even better at tennis. Williams went home and watched some of her old matches and started to believe that she could win again.[68] She had been away from the tour for almost six months and had slipped to 139 in the world, the lowest ranking Williams had held since 1997. On her return, Williams defeated Myskina and Bethanie Mattek,[69][70] before losing in the semifinals to Vera Zvonareva.[71] She also reached the semifinals in Los Angeles, losing to Janković in straight sets. At the US Open, Williams needed a wildcard to enter the tournament, as her ranking at the cut-off time was 139th in the world, outside the automatic 102. However her ranking had improved to 79th by the time the tournament came around.[72] She lost to top-seeded Mauresmo in the fourth round.[73] She did not play again in 2006, ending the year ranked world number 95, her lowest year-end ranking since 1997.
Williams began 2007 with renewed confidence, stating her intention to return to the top of the rankings,[74] a comment 1987 Wimbledon men's singles champion and commentator Pat Cash branded "deluded."[75] Williams lost in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Hobart, Australia, a warm-up for the Australian Open. Williams was unseeded at the Australian Open because of her world no. 81 ranking and was widely regarded as "out of shape."[76] Williams experienced a huge amount of pressure on herself prior to the tournament, coming from her fans and the press as well as Serena herself about her weight, focus and needing a good showing. But just before her first match, a representative from Nike paid Williams a visit in the players' lounge, informing her that if she didn't perform to her accustomed level, the company might drop her. Williams claimed that Nike's ultimatum meant that she would have to reach the quarterfinals at least.[77] The distraction from Nike did not put Williams off, as she lost just three games to Mara Santangelo and defeated Anne Kremer in straight sets.[78] By this point, a blister had developed on Williams's foot and she had contracted a cold. In the third round, Williams found herself two points away from going home against Nadia Petrova, but fought back to win in three sets, which was her first win over a top-10 player since defeating Lindsay Davenport in the 2005 Australian Open final. Williams then made it all the way to the final, defeating Jankovic, Peer and Vaidisova. Williams described them as "good players. Strong players. Players who certainly didn't expect an overweight, out-of-shape, has been champion like me to give them a game."[79] Williams also found herself two points from going out against Peer before turning it around.[80] By the time Williams had reached the final, the cold and blister had gone, but Tracy Austin in her tournament analysis stated that Serena had a great tournament, but the ride was over and that Sharapova would have no trouble with Williams. Serena thought it was mean and unnecessary and used it as motivation with all the other criticism.[81] In the final, Williams lost just three games against Maria Sharapova winning her first title at any tournament since winning the 2005 Australian Open.[80] Williams became the first player since Chris O'Neil to win the title whilst not being seeded, and claimed her third Australian Open and eighth Grand Slam singles title overall. The win elevated Williams to 14th in the rankings. Williams dedicated the title to her deceased sister Yetunde.[82] Her performance in the final was described in the press as "one of the best performances of her career" and "arguably the most powerful display ever seen in women's tennis."[76][83] In her post match interview, Williams took a swipe at her critics, stating that she had proved them wrong.[84]



 After defeating Dinara Safina in the fourth round of the 2007 French Open
Williams won the Sony Ericsson Open for the fourth time after defeating Justine Henin. Williams had to record a come-from-behind win after being whitewashed in the first set and saving 2 match points in the second.[85] Williams played for her country in the Fed Cup for the first time since 2003 in a tie against Belgium. Williams won her opening match,[86] but withdrew from her second, due to a knee injury.[87] At the French Open, Williams lost in the quarterfinals to Henin.[88] During her fourth round match against Hantuchová at Wimbledon, Williams collapsed from an acute muscle spasm at 5–5 in the second set. After a medical timeout and holding serve to force a tiebreak, rain forced play to be suspended for nearly two hours. When the players returned, Williams won the match in three sets.[89] Williams then lost her quarterfinal match with Henin, whilst suffering from the injuries sustained in the previous round.[90] At the US Open, Williams lost her third consecutive Grand Slam singles quarterfinal to Henin.[91] Williams reached the final of Kremlin Cup, losing to Elena Dementieva. Williams qualified for the WTA Championships, but retired from her first match with Anna Chakvetadze with a knee injury and subsequently withdrew from the tournament.[92][93] Williams finished 2007 as World number seven and the top-ranked American for the first time since 2003.[88]
2008–10: Back to No. 1 and injuries[edit]
Main articles: 2008, 2009 and 2010 Serena Williams tennis season
Williams started 2008 by participating on the U.S. team that won the Hopman Cup with Mardy Fish.[94] At the Australian Open she lost in the quarterfinals to Jelena Janković.[88] This was her fourth straight loss in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament. In the women's doubles event, She and Venus lost in the quarterfinals. Williams then withdrew from three tournaments because of an urgent need for dental surgery.[95] Williams then won three consecutive singles titles at Bangalore and her fifth Miami title, tying Steffi Graf for the most singles titles at this tournament. Williams then added Family Circle Cup her first clay-court title since the 2002 French Open. Her 17-match winning streak was ended by Dinara Safina in the quarterfinals of Berlin.[88] Williams then withdrew in Rome in the quarterfinals against Alizé Cornet because of a back injury. Williams was the only former winner of the French Open in the draw, but lost in the third round to Katarina Srebotnik.



 Stretching for a ball in her first round match against Kaia Kanepi of Estonia at Wimbledon in 2008
At Wimbledon, Williams reached the finals for the first time in four years. She lost the final to her older sister Venus in straight sets, in their first Slam final since 2003. Serena and Venus then teamed to win the women's doubles title in their first Grand Slam women's doubles title since 2003. Williams played at Stanford, but retired 6–2, 3–1 down with a left knee injury from her semifinal match against qualifier Aleksandra Wozniak, the injury forced her to withdraw from Los Angeles. At the Olympics in Beijing, Williams lost to Dementieva in the quarterfinals. Serena and her sister Venus won the gold medal in doubles, beating Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual in the final. Williams at the US Open, defeated sister Venus, Safina and Jelena Janković in the final. This was her third US Open and ninth Grand Slam singles title. This victory returned her to the world no. 1 ranking for the first time since 2003.[96] At the Year-End Championships she defeated Safina and lost to her sister Venus in her round-robin matches, but withdrew from her match against Dementieva, citing a stomach muscle injury. She ended 2008 ranked world no. 2 and with four singles titles, her strongest performance in both respects since 2003.
Williams began 2009 at the Medibank International losing in the semifinals to Elena Dementieva. At the Australian Open, she claimed her tenth Grand Slam singles title by defeating Dinara Safina in the final in 59 minutes. This win returned her to the world no. 1 ranking and resulted in her becoming the all-time career prize money leader in women's sports, overtaking golfer Annika Sörenstam. In women's doubles, with Venus, they captured the title for the third time. At the Open GDF Suez, Williams withdrew before her semifinal with Dementieva because of a knee injury. Williams then played at Dubai, losing to Venus in the semifinals.



 At the 2009 Australian Open
At the Sony Ericsson Open Williams, hampered with ankle and quad injuries, was upset in the final by Victoria Azarenka. This was the first of four consecutive losses for Williams, the longest losing streak of her career.[97] She was defeated in her opening matches at Barcelona, Rome, and Madrid. Despite not having won a match on clay in 2009 before the French Open, she lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. This ended her 18-match Grand Slam tournament winning streak. She rebounded at Wimbledon, saving a match point in defeating fourth seeded Dementieva in the semifinals. In the final, Serena defeated her sister Venus to win her third Wimbledon title and her 11th Grand Slam singles title.[98] Williams and her sister Venus teamed to win the women's doubles title at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year, their ninth Grand Slam title in women's doubles.
As a US Open preparation, Williams played at Cincinnati losing in the third round and in the semifinals of the Rogers Cup. At the US Open, she lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Kim Clijsters amid controversy involving shouting at a line judge when defending match point, an offense which cost Williams the point and consequently the match. She continued in the doubles competition, teaming up with Venus to win their third Grand Slam doubles title of the year and tenth of their career.[99] Williams won all three of her round-robin matches at the year-end WTA Tour Championships, defeating Venus, Dementieva, and Kuznetsova, saving a match point against Venus. She then advanced to the final, when Wozniacki retired from their semifinal match. In the final, Williams defeated Venus for her second singles title at this event.[100] Williams finished the year ranked world no. 1 for the second time in her career, having played in 16 tournaments, more than any other year. She also broke the record previously set by Justine Henin for the most prize money earned by a female tennis player in one year, with Williams earning $6,545,586. In doubles, the Williams sisters finished the year ranked world no. 2, despite playing only six tournaments as a pair. She won five Grand Slam titles, putting her total Grand Slam titles at 23. Williams was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press.[101] She also was the ITF World Champion in singles and doubles.[102]



 Williams on her way to the singles and doubles title at the 2010 Australian Open
In 2010, Williams's first scheduled tournament was the Medibank International Sydney, losing in the final to Elena Dementieva. At the Australian Open, Williams was the defending champion in both singles and doubles. Williams reached the final, where she defeated Justine Henin for her twelfth Grand Slam singles title. In doubles, Serena and Venus successfully defended their title by defeating Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the final. Williams withdrew with a leg injury from her next events. She returned at the Rome losing to Jelena Janković in the semifinals. At the Madrid, she fell to Nadia Petrova in the third round. She teamed with Venus to win the doubles title. At the French Open, she lost to Samantha Stosur in the quarterfinals. She also played doubles with Venus as the top seeds, they won the title defeating Květa Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik in the final to win their fourth consecutive Grand Slam women's doubles title and improved their doubles ranking to world no. 1.
Her next tournament was Wimbledon, where she defeated Russian Vera Zvonareva in the final without facing a break point and breaking the serve of Zvonareva three times.[103][104] She did not lose a set in the tournament.[105] After the match, Martina Navratilova said that Williams is in the top 5 of all the women's tennis players in all of history, which she said that "it's not just about how many Slams you win or how many tournaments you win—it's just your game overall. And she's definitely got all the goods."[104] Serena was the defending champion in doubles with her sister Venus, winning the last two years. They lost in the quarterfinals to Elena Vesnina and Zvonareva. In Munich on July 7, Williams stepped on broken glass while in a restaurant, and missed the rest of the year. She ended the year ranked no. 4 in singles, despite having played only six tournaments, and no. 11 in doubles after four tournaments. On March 2, 2011, she confirmed that she had suffered a hematoma and a pulmonary embolism.[106][107][108]
2011–13: Return to dominance, Career Golden Slam[edit]
Main articles: 2011, 2012 and 2013 Serena Williams tennis season
Williams finally made a return to the practice court in March 2011.[109] She made her first appearance on the WTA tour in almost a year in Eastbourne.[110] Williams lost in round two to Vera Zvonareva, in a match that lasted over three hours.[111] Her next tournament was Wimbledon, where she was the defending champion. She reached the round of 16, where she lost to Marion Bartoli. After the loss her ranking dropped to 169. Williams won her first titles since her return to tennis triumphing in Stanford and Toronto. At the Western & Southern Open, Serena defeated Lucie Hradecká, only to withdraw the next day, citing a right toe injury. She then played at the US Open going all the way to the final losing to Samantha Stosur, during a match which featured her verbally abusing the chair umpire. The US Open final turned out to be Williams's last match in 2011, and she ended the year ranked world no. 12 with 2 titles and with a 22–3 record for the season. She only participated in six tournaments throughout the season.



 Williams won the singles gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Williams started the 2012 season at the Brisbane International, however, during her match against Bojana Jovanovski, she injured her left ankle when serving for the match. As a result, Williams was forced to withdraw from the tournament.[112] Next she participated at the Australian Open where she was upset by Ekaterina Makarova in the fourth round. After a month layoff Williams returned to competition in Miami losing in the quarterfinals to Caroline Wozniacki. Williams then won consecutive titles at Charleston and Madrid beating Lucie Šafářová and Victoria Azarenka, but withdrew from her semifinal match against Li Na in Rome citing a lower back injury. Williams suffered her first ever loss in the opening round of a Grand Slam tournament at the French Open against Virginie Razzano. Williams notched up a 33–1 record for the second half of the season winning five titles in the process.[113] Williams won her fifth Wimbledon singles title, her fourteenth Grand Slam title;[114][115] setting a serving record of 24 aces by a female in a match as well as having the most aces, male or female, during the tournament (103).[116] Williams returned to America to successfully defend her title in Stanford beating Coco Vandeweghe in the final.[117][118] Serena then returned to Wimbledon to represent her country at the Olympic Games where she won gold.[118] Williams undefeated streak ended with a loss in Cincinnati to Angelique Kerber. In New York City, Williams went on to win her fourth US Open singles title and her 15th career Grand Slam title overall beating Azarenka in the final.[113][119] Williams ended the season by competing at the WTA Championships and went undefeated throughout the tournament to win the event for her third title.[113] Serena Williams was voted WTA Player of the Year for the fourth time.[120] Based on her brilliant show in 2012, Serena was also named International Tennis Federation World Champion.[121] Williams also returned to doubles competitions with Venus; in the pair's first tournament since 2010 Wimbledon, they claimed their fifth Wimbledon doubles title and the 13th grand slam doubles title.[122] The pair successfully defended their Olympic doubles title which meant that they became the only tennis players to win four gold medals.[19]



 Williams winning her second French Open title
Williams's first tournament of the 2013 season was in Brisbane, where she won the title without dropping a set. Williams was upset in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Australian Open by fellow American player Sloane Stephens. By virtue of defeating Petra Kvitova in Doha, Williams returned to the World Number One position for the sixth time in her career and became the oldest woman in the Open Era to hold the ranking.[123] Williams went on to lose to Victoria Azarenka in the final. In Miami, Williams lost a set to Maria Sharapova, in the final, for the first time since 2008. However, this setback did not stop Williams who recorded her seventieth come-from-behind win. The win made Williams a six-time champion in Miami breaking the record she held with Steffi Graf and became only the fourth woman in the open era to have won a tournament at least six times.[124] Williams successfully defended her Charleston title winning it for the third time overall.[125] Williams won her fiftieth career singles title in Madrid, defeating Sharapova in the final. Williams then played Rome, where she won the title without dropping a set, defeating Victoria Azarenka in the final to take her second title. Williams only dropped ten games in reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. There, she played Svetlana Kuznetsova and lost her first set of the tournament. In the semi final Williams only lost one game when she defeated Sara Errani, something seven-time French Open champion Chris Evert described as the finest female performance on clay she had ever seen.[126] Williams defeated Sharapova to claim her second Roland Garros title, her sixteenth grand slam title overall. She became the fourth woman in the Open era after Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Steffi Graf to win each Grand Slam title on at least two occasions. At the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, she advanced easily to the fourth round before being upset by eventual finalist Sabine Lisicki in three sets. After Wimbledon, Williams won the Swedish Open by defeating Johanna Larsson in the final, the tournament win marked the first occasion that she had won an International level title. By winning the tournament this meant that Williams had managed to be undefeated on clay during the season.[127]



 Williams winning her fifth US Open title
Williams won her third Rogers Cup title in Toronto beating Sorana Cirstea in the final.[128] Williams reached the final of the Western & Southern Open for the first time but lost to Azarenka.[129] At the 2013 US Open, Williams began as the top seed and defending champion. She reached the final—a rematch of the 2012 final against Azarenka—and won in three sets, capturing her 17th Grand Slam singles title.[130] Williams became the oldest US Open champion in the Open Era and pushed her career prize money past $50 million.[130] After the US Open, Williams headed to Beijing where she beat Jelena Jankovic to win the China Open for her 10th title of 2013.[131][132] Williams went through the WTA championships undefeated winning the final against Li Na, to become the first person to defend the title since Justine Henin in 2007. Williams won her eleventh title of the year becoming the eighth player to win eleven tournaments or more in a year and the first since Martina Hingis in 1997.[133] Additionally Williams became the oldest person to win the WTA Championships and the fourth player to win the event four times or more. By winning the championship Williams became the first woman to win more than ten million dollars in a season and with her total of $12,385,572, only Rafael Nadal, in 2013 and Novak Djokovic, in 2011, 2012 and 2013, have earned more money in a single season.[134] Williams finished as the year end world number one for the third time.[135] She was also named the 2013 ITF World Champion the fourth time that she has been given the World Champion's crown.[136] Williams received two prizes at the 2013 ESPY Awards. Williams won Best Female Athlete and Best Female Tennis Player. Williams is just the fourth person to win Best Female Athlete on two occasions and she won Best Female Tennis player for a record sixth time.[137] In late December 2013, Williams capped off her year by receiving the Associated Press (AP) 2013 Female Athlete of the Year award, her third AP award after 2002 and 2009. Only two women, Chris Evert and Babe Didrikson, have been chosen more often as AP Athlete of the Year since the annual awards were first handed out in 1931.[138]
2014-present: Continuing No. 1 and more Majors[edit]
Main articles: 2014 and 2015 Serena Williams tennis season
As preparation for the year's first Grand Slam Williams extended her winning streak to 22 matches successfully defending her title at the 2014 Brisbane International by defeating world no. 2 Victoria Azarenka in the final.[139] Serena's Australian Open campaign was once again hampered by an injury. She ended up losing to former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic for the first time in her career in the fourth round, later revealing that she had considered withdrawing from the tournament even before her third round match due to a back injury.[140] At the 2014 Dubai Tennis Championships Williams lost her semi-final match to Alizé Cornet in straight sets. Williams next headed to the Miami Open where she won her record seventh title with a straight-sets victory over world no. 2 Li Na.[141] After having received a bye in the first round, Serena lost to world no. 78 Jana Čepelová at the Family Circle Cup, though clearly nursing a leg injury. She made it to the quarterfinals at the Mutua Madrid Open before withdrawing with a left thigh injury. As the defending champion, Williams won her third title of the season at the 2014 Internazionali BNL d'Italia. She was then handed the worst loss of her Grand Slam career by Garbiñe Muguruza, who defeated Serena losing just 4 games in two sets, in the second round of the 2014 French Open.[142] Alizé Cornet defeated Williams for the second time the year in the third round of Wimbledon, thus handing Serena her earliest Wimbledon exit since 2005. Serena was then forced to withdraw from the doubles event alongside sister Venus Williams while trailing 0–3 in the second round. A disoriented Serena hit 4 consecutive doubles faults and was having trouble with both her ball toss and movement before being removed from what has been described as one of the most disturbing and unusual scenes ever seen in tennis.[143][144][145]
Williams rebounded in spectacular fashion winning 19 out of her next 20 matches (losing only to sister Venus). This streak include titles at the 2014 Bank of the West Classic as well as her first Western & Southern Open title on her sixth attempt[146] in Cincinnati and, finally, her third consecutive and sixth overall US Open singles title[147][148] which she won without having dropped a set. With this victory Serena tied Chris Evert for most singles titles won by a woman at the US Open in the open era. Only Steffi Graf has won more Grand Slam singles titles than Serena in the open era. By virtue of having won both the US Open and the US Open Series, Williams collected $4,000,000 – the biggest payday in tennis history. This pushed her career prize money earnings past the $60,000,000 mark. On August 4, 2014, Williams became one of only five women ever to occupy the no. 1 spot on the WTA rankings for at least 200 weeks. Serena's 12 match winning streak came to an end in the second round of the Wuhan Open when a viral illness forced her to retire while up a break in the first set against Alizé Cornet. Cornet thus became the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to record three victories over Williams in one year. At the China Open Williams retired prior to her quarterfinal match versus Samantha Stosur. At the 2014 WTA Finals in Singapore Serena advanced to the final for the third consecutive year despite having equaled her career worst loss, winning just two games, to Simona Halep of Romania in her second round robin match. The last time Williams managed to win just two games in a WTA Tour or Grand Slam match was in 1998 when she was just 16.[149] Williams won her fifth WTA Finals title by avenging her loss to Halep in the championship match for her seventh title of the year.[150] Serena finished the year ranked world No. 1 for the fourth time in her career. She held the No. 1 ranking for the entire calendar year, a feat not accomplished since Steffi Graf in 1996. She was also voted WTA Player of the Year and ITF World Champion for the third consecutive year (sixth year overall).



 Williams at the 2015 Australian Open
Williams began the 2015 season by representing the United States alongside John Isner at the Hopman Cup. The American pair lost the final to the Polish pair of Agnieszka Radwańska and Jerzy Janowicz.[151] At the Australian Open Williams avenged her 2014 French Open loss to Garbiñe Muguruza in the fourth round before defeating Dominika Cibulková and Madison Keys to advance to her sixth final at the event. There she defeated Maria Sharapova of Russia for the sixteenth consecutive time to claim her 6th Australian Open singles title and 19th career Grand Slam singles title, winning the title on her third match point in the second set.[152][153][154][155][156] With this victory Williams surpassed both Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for second most Grand Slam singles titles won in the Open Era. The title was also her sixth Grand Slam singles title since turning 30 years of age, three more than the next closest to do so (Margaret Court, Martina Navratilova with three each). She is the only player in history to win all four Grand Slams at least once after having turned 30. The following weekend, Serena and sister Venus traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina to face Argentina in a World Group II tie for Fed Cup. She played and won her only match against Maria Irigoyen to help Team USA to a 4-1 win over Argentina.[157] Williams announced that she would be competing at the Indian Wells Masters ending her 14-year boycott of the event.[158][159] Upon her return Williams received a standing ovation from the crowd and won her first match in straight sets.[160] She reached the semifinals, where she was due to face world no. 3 Simona Halep for a place in the final, but was forced to withdraw due to a right knee injury. By virtue of having defeated Sabine Lisicki in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open, Serena became one of only eight women in the Open Era to record 700 match wins in her career.[161] This also makes her one of only three active players to have won 700 or more matches in singles, the others being Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.[162] In the semifinals she won against Halep to advance to her tenth final at the event,[163] where she won a record eighth title and extended her winning streak to 21 matches by beating Carla Suárez Navarro.[164][165][166]
As preparation for the clay court season, Williams travelled to Brindisi, Italy to face Italy for a place in the Fed Cup's World Group. Williams lost the decisive doubles match alongside Alison Riske to Sara Errani and Flavia Pennetta and as a result the United States were relegated to World Group II. It was Williams' first loss in the Fed Cup.[167] However, she maintained her perfect record in singles by defeating Camila Giorgi and Errani. The week of April 20 marked Serena's 114th consecutive week ranked world no. 1 - the third-longest run in WTA history behind Steffi Graf's 186 weeks and Martina Navratilova's 156. Williams suffered her first defeat of the season in the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open to world no. 4 Petra Kvitová.[168][169] This loss ended a 27 match winning streak for Williams as well as a 50 match winning streak at Premier Mandatory events and also a 19 match winning streak at the particular event.[170] Williams played one match at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia before withdrawing from the tournament with an elbow injury.[171] By virtue of having defeated Victoria Azarenka in the third round of the French Open, Williams became the first woman in the Open Era to win 50 matches at all four of the Grand Slams.[172]
On-court activities[edit]
Competition with Venus Williams[edit]
Main article: Williams sisters rivalry
Serena Williams has played older sister Venus in 25 professional matches since 1998. Overall Serena is 14–11 against her sister. Serena has played Venus 12 times in Grand Slam singles tournaments and 12 times in other tournaments (including 11 finals). They have met in eight Grand Slam finals, with Serena winning six times. Beginning with the 2002 French Open, they played each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals, which was the first time in the open era that the same two players had contested four consecutive Grand Slam finals.
Controversies[edit]
Accusations of match fixing[edit]
When Venus and Serena Williams entered the top ten and started meeting in tournaments, unsubstantiated rumors of match fixing started to circulate. John McEnroe while commenting on the 2000 Wimbledon semifinal between the two sisters said "Serena may not be allowed to win. Richard may have something to say about this".[173] Elena Dementieva, a fellow professional player said that Richard Williams decided the results between the two sisters during a post match interview after losing to Venus at the Indian Wells quarterfinals in 2001.[174]
2001 Indian Wells[edit]
After injuring herself in the quarterfinal match against Dementieva, Venus Williams defaulted to Serena in the semifinals. Although she claimed to have told the tournament official hours beforehand that she would have to default, the official word is that it was 10 minutes before the scheduled start, angering fans who had come to see the match. Consequently, during the final against Kim Clijsters two days later, the spectators jeered Serena from when she first took the court for warm-up through the final trophy presentation including cheering double faults and errors with no intervention from the tournament officials. At the Ericsson Open the following week, Richard Williams said racist comments were made to him in the stands,[175] and the tournament director refused to offer Serena an apology for how she was treated. As a result, neither sister played the tournament even though since then it had become a mandatory stop on the WTA tour in 2009. In 2015, Serena decided to end her 14-year boycott and entered the tournament.[176]
2004 US Open[edit]
In her 2004 U.S. Open quarterfinal match against Jennifer Capriati, an overrule was made by chair umpire Mariana Alves in Capriati's favor, even though later video review showed this to be an error (as Williams's shot was inside the court). This was one of several calls that incorrectly went against Williams throughout the match, including during a crucial point. Williams attempted to argue the call, but was not successful. Capriati won the match, but tournament officials dismissed the umpire from the tournament. The controversy renewed calls for the adoption of technology like the MacCam and Hawk-Eye systems.[177]
2009 US Open[edit]
In 2009, Williams again was involved in a controversial U.S. Open match, this time against Kim Clijsters in the semifinal round. The drama began at the end of the first set, when Williams slammed her racquet on the court in frustration over losing the set. She was given a warning, with a potential second violation carrying a one-point penalty. While trailing 4–6, 5–6, 15–30, Williams's second serve was called a foot fault, resulting in two match points for Clijsters. Williams gestured with her racquet to the lineswoman who had made the call and yelled at her, with profanities and an injury threat.[178] During the subsequent on-court conference between the chair umpire, the lineswoman, US Open officials, and Williams, a television microphone picked up Williams saying to the lineswoman, "I didn't say I would kill you! Are you serious?" Audio later confirmed she did threaten the lineswoman.[179] The incident resulted in Williams being penalized a point for unsportsmanlike conduct — necessitated by the earlier warning for racquet abuse — meaning Clijsters won the match 6–4, 7–5. The following day, Williams was issued the maximum permissible on-site fine of $10,000 (plus $500 for racquet abuse). After further investigation, the Grand Slam Committee in November 2009 fined her $175,000 in lieu of suspending her from the 2010 US Open or other Grand Slam events.[180] They also placed her on a two-year probation, so if Williams committed another offense in the following two years at a Grand Slam tournament, she would be suspended from participating in the following US Open. If she committed no offenses in the next two years, her fine would be reduced to $82,500.[180] Williams initially refused to apologize for her outburst, both in her post-match press conference[181] and in an official statement released the following day.[99] She eventually apologized to the lineswoman in a statement two days following the incident.
2011 US Open[edit]
In the final of the 2011 U.S. Open against Samantha Stosur, Williams again generated controversy. After shouting "Come on!" as the Australian attempted to return a forehand Williams believed to be a winner, chair umpire Eva Asderaki awarded the point to Stosur based on the USTA's deliberate hindrance rule, which states, "If a player commits any act which hinders his opponent in making a stroke, then, if this is deliberate, he shall lose the point or if involuntary, the point shall be replayed."[182] As the point was 30–40 on Williams's serve, the penalty gave the break of serve to Stosur. Williams became angry with the chair umpire and made several gestures and unflattering comments toward her during the next changeover, including telling Asderaki that if she ever saw the umpire coming toward her, she should "look the other way".[183] Williams initially gained momentum in the set following the penalty, breaking back in the next game, but eventually flagged and lost the match, 6–2, 6–3. At the end of the match, she declined to offer the customary handshake to Asderaki.[184][185] Williams mentioned the incident in her post-match speech as the tournament runner-up, claiming, "I hit a winner, but I guess it didn't count", but added, "It wouldn't have mattered in the end. Sam played really well."[citation needed] A writer for ESPN suggested that Williams could avoid being found to have violated the terms of the "probation" on which she was placed following her 2009 outburst, as she did not appear to have used profanity in addressing Asderaki during the match.[186] In the end, Williams was fined $2,000 and was not barred from competing in the 2012 US Open because "...Williams's conduct, while verbally abusive, [did] not rise to the level of a major offence under the Grand Slam code of conduct."[187]
Off-court activities[edit]
Equipment[edit]
In the early 2000s, Williams wore Puma apparel and footwear on court.[188] She used Wilson Hammer 6.4 Stretch Power Holes racket.[189]
Fashion[edit]
Williams was once known for her unusual and colorful outfits on court. In 2002, there was much talk when she wore a Lane Bryant black lycra catsuit at the US Open.[190] At the 2004 US Open, Williams wore denim skirts and knee-high boots—tournament officials, however, did not allow her to wear the boots during matches.[191] At Wimbledon in 2008, the white trench coat she wore during warm-up for her opening match was the subject of much discussion since it was worn despite the sunny weather.[192] Off-court, Williams has also presented new designs. In November 2004, at the London premiere of After the Sunset she wore a red gown that had a near-topless effect.[193]
Williams formerly had a special line with Puma[194] and currently has a line with Nike. The deal with Nike is worth US$40 million and was signed in April 2004.[195] Since 2004, she has also been running her own line of designer apparel called "Aneres"—her first name spelled backward. In 2009 she launched a signature collection of handbags and jewelry.[196] The collection, called Signature Statement, is sold mainly on the Home Shopping Network (HSN).
In early 2010, Williams became a certified nail technician in preparation for her upcoming nail collection with a company called HairTech.[197]
In 2015, she became the first black female athlete to have a picture by herself on the cover of Vogue, which she did for the April 2015 issue.[198]
Entertainment[edit]
Williams has appeared on television and also provided voice work on animated shows: in a 2001 episode of The Simpsons Serena joined the animation along with sister Venus, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.[199] She has also provided guest voice work in a 2005 episode of Playhouse Disney's animated kids show Higglytown Heroes and a 2007 episode of the Nickelodeon cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender,[200] which she has described as her "favorite show".[201]
Williams has posed for the 2003 and 2004 editions of the Lane Bryant Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.[202] In April 2005, MTV announced plans to broadcast a reality show around the lives of Serena and Venus, which was eventually aired on ABC Family. Williams has appeared twice on MTV's Punk'd and in 2007, appeared in the ABC reality television series Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race. In 2002, she played Miss Wiggins in the season 3 episode "Crouching Mother, Hidden Father" of My Wife and Kids;[203] she has also guest-starred during episodes of The Bernie Mac Show, ER and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.[204] In 2007 Williams appeared in the music video of "I Want You" by the American rapper Common, alongside performers Alicia Keys and Kanye West.[205]
In late 2009, Williams became the first active female professional athlete to appear in a feminine hygiene product advertising campaign. A series of online videos and print advertisements for Tampax Pearl tampons showed her hitting balls at Mother Nature, played by Catherine Lloyd Burns, to prevent Mother Nature giving her a red-wrapped gift, representing her menstrual period. In the online videos, the two have dueling press conferences over the "bad blood" between them. "A lot of celebrities are not open to working with our brand, and we're thrilled that Serena is", said a brand manager for Tampax at Procter & Gamble.[206]
In May 2012, a minute of an absurd new hip-hop track by Serena Williams was leaked, along with reports the sports star was planning to release an album titled Cray, Cray and My Gucci Glasses.[207] In July 2012, she appeared in the ABC comedic improv television series Trust Us With Your Life and as a lawyer on the Lifetime television series Drop Dead Diva.
Miami Dolphins venture[edit]
In August 2009, Serena and Venus Williams became part-owners of the Miami Dolphins. The formal announcement was made during a press conference overlooking the practice field. The Williams are the first African-American females to obtain ownership in an NFL franchise. Other prominent owners include: Jimmy Buffett, Gloria and Emilio Estefan (the first Cuban-American owners), and Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. Stephen Ross, the majority owner of the Dolphins, said "We are thrilled to have Venus and Serena join the Dolphins as limited partners. They are among the most admired athletes in the world and have become global ambassadors for the game of tennis. Their addition to our ownership group further reflects our commitment to connect with aggressively and embrace the great diversity that makes South Florida a multicultural gem."[208]
Charity work[edit]
In 2008 Williams helped to fund the construction of the Serena Williams Secondary School in Matooni, Kenya.[209][210] She received a Celebrity Role Model Award from Avon Foundation in 2003 for work in breast cancer.[211] Williams has also been involved in a number of clinics at schools and community centers, particularly those which have programs focusing on at-risk youth.[1] She has also won the "Young Heroes Award" from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater L.A. and Inland (2003) and the "Family Circle and Prudential Financial Player Who Makes a Difference Award" (2004).[1] In response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Williams, along with other ATP and WTA stars decided to forgo their final day of preparation for the 2010 Australian Open to form a charity event in which all proceeds will go to the Haiti earthquake victims.[212]
Writing[edit]
The Williams sisters, with author Hilary Beard, wrote a book titled Venus & Serena: Serving From The Hip: 10 Rules For Living, Loving and Winning, which was published in 2005.[213][214] During the 2009 Wimbledon Championships, Williams said that she is in the process of writing a TV show storyline, which will be converted into script form by her agency. She stated that the show will represent subject matter from a mix of popular American television shows such as Desperate Housewives, and Family Guy.[215] Serena released her first solo autobiography entitled On the Line, following the 2009 US Open.
Grand Slam tournaments[edit]
Main article: Serena Williams career statistics
Grand Slam tournament performance timeline[edit]
Key
W  F  SF QF R# RR LQ (Q#) A P Z# PO SF-B F-S G NMS NH
Won tournament; or reached Final; Semifinal; Quarter-final; Round 4, 3, 2, 1; competed at a Round Robin stage; lost in Qualification Round; absent from tournament event; played in a Davis Cup Zonal Group (with its number indication) or Play-off; won a bronze, silver (F or S) or gold medal at the Olympics; a downgraded Masters Series/1000 tournament (Not a Masters Series); or a tournament that was Not Held in a given year.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated either at the conclusion of a tournament, or when the player's participation in the tournament has ended.

Tournament
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
SR
W–L
Australian Open 2R 3R 4R QF A W A W 3R W QF W W A 4R QF 4R W 6 / 15 68–9
French Open 4R 3R A QF W SF QF A A QF 3R QF QF A 1R W 2R  2 / 13 47–11
Wimbledon 3R A SF QF W W F 3R A QF F W W 4R W 4R 3R  5 / 15 72–10
US Open 3R W QF F W A QF 4R 4R QF W SF A F W W W  6 / 15 79–9
Win–Loss
8–4
11–2
12–3
18–4
21–0
19–1
14–3
12–2
5–2
19–3
19–3
23–2
18–1
9–2
17–2
21–2
13–3
7–0
19 / 58
266–39

Grand Slam tournament finals[edit]
Singles: 23 (19–4)[edit]

Outcome
Year
Championship
Surface
Opponents in final
Score in final

Winner 1999 US Open Hard Switzerland Martina Hingis 6–3, 7–6(7–4)
Runner-up 2001 US Open Hard United States Venus Williams 2–6, 4–6
Winner 2002 French Open Clay United States Venus Williams 7–5, 6–3
Winner 2002 Wimbledon Grass United States Venus Williams 7–6(7–4), 6–3
Winner 2002 US Open (2) Hard United States Venus Williams 6–4, 6–3
Winner 2003 Australian Open Hard United States Venus Williams 7–6(7–4), 3–6, 6–4
Winner 2003 Wimbledon (2) Grass United States Venus Williams 4–6, 6–4, 6–2
Runner-up 2004 Wimbledon Grass Russia Maria Sharapova 1–6, 4–6
Winner 2005 Australian Open (2) Hard United States Lindsay Davenport 2–6, 6–3, 6–0
Winner 2007 Australian Open (3) Hard Russia Maria Sharapova 6–1, 6–2
Runner-up 2008 Wimbledon (2) Grass United States Venus Williams 5–7, 4–6
Winner 2008 US Open (3) Hard Serbia Jelena Janković 6–4, 7–5
Winner 2009 Australian Open (4) Hard Russia Dinara Safina 6–0, 6–3
Winner 2009 Wimbledon (3) Grass United States Venus Williams 7–6(7–3), 6–2
Winner 2010 Australian Open (5) Hard Belgium Justine Henin 6–4, 3–6, 6–2
Winner 2010 Wimbledon (4) Grass Russia Vera Zvonareva 6–3, 6–2
Runner-up 2011 US Open (2) Hard Australia Samantha Stosur 2–6, 3–6
Winner 2012 Wimbledon (5) Grass Poland Agnieszka Radwańska 6–1, 5–7, 6–2
Winner 2012 US Open (4) Hard Belarus Victoria Azarenka 6–2, 2–6, 7–5
Winner 2013 French Open (2) Clay Russia Maria Sharapova 6–4, 6–4
Winner 2013 US Open (5) Hard Belarus Victoria Azarenka 7–5, 6–7(6–8), 6–1
Winner 2014 US Open (6) Hard Denmark Caroline Wozniacki 6–3, 6–3
Winner 2015 Australian Open (6) Hard Russia Maria Sharapova 6–3, 7–6(7–5)

Women's doubles: 13 (13–0)[edit]

Outcome
Year
Championship
Surface
Partner
Opponents in final
Score in final

Winner 1999 French Open Clay United States Venus Williams Switzerland Martina Hingis
Russia Anna Kournikova 6–3, 6–7(2–7), 8–6
Winner 1999 US Open Hard United States Venus Williams United States Chanda Rubin
France Sandrine Testud 4–6, 6–1, 6–4
Winner 2000 Wimbledon Grass United States Venus Williams France Julie Halard-Decugis
Japan Ai Sugiyama 6–3, 6–2
Winner 2001 Australian Open Hard United States Venus Williams United States Lindsay Davenport
United States Corina Morariu 6–2, 2–6, 6–4
Winner 2002 Wimbledon (2) Grass United States Venus Williams Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez 6–2, 7–5
Winner 2003 Australian Open (2) Hard United States Venus Williams Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
Winner 2008 Wimbledon (3) Grass United States Venus Williams United States Lisa Raymond
Australia Samantha Stosur 6–2, 6–2
Winner 2009 Australian Open (3) Hard United States Venus Williams Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová
Japan Ai Sugiyama 6–3, 6–3
Winner 2009 Wimbledon (4) Grass United States Venus Williams Australia Samantha Stosur
Australia Rennae Stubbs 7–6(7–4), 6–4
Winner 2009 US Open (2) Hard United States Venus Williams Zimbabwe Cara Black
United States Liezel Huber 6–2, 6–2
Winner 2010 Australian Open (4) Hard United States Venus Williams Zimbabwe Cara Black
United States Liezel Huber 6–4, 6–3
Winner 2010 French Open (2) Clay United States Venus Williams Czech Republic Květa Peschke
Slovenia Katarina Srebotnik 6–2, 6–3
Winner 2012 Wimbledon (5) Grass United States Venus Williams Czech Republic Andrea Hlaváčková
Czech Republic Lucie Hradecká 7–5, 6–4

Mixed doubles: 4 finals (2–2)[edit]

Outcome
Year
Championship
Surface
Partner
Opponents in final
Score in final

Runner-up 1998 French Open Clay Argentina Luis Lobo United States Justin Gimelstob
United States Venus Williams 3–6,4–6
Winner 1998 Wimbledon Grass Belarus Max Mirnyi India Mahesh Bhupathi
Croatia Mirjana Lučić 6–4, 6–4
Winner 1998 US Open Hard Belarus Max Mirnyi United States Patrick Galbraith
United States Lisa Raymond 6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 1999 Australian Open Hard Belarus Max Mirnyi South Africa David Adams
South Africa Mariaan de Swardt 4–6, 6–4, 6–7(5–7)

Records and achievements[edit]
Main article: List of career achievements by Serena Williams
These records were attained in the Open Era of tennis.
Records in bold indicate peer-less achievements.
Records in italics are currently active streaks.

[show]Time span
Selected Grand Slam tournament records
Players matched
 

 




  
  
  
 

  
  
  
  
  
  
 

  
  
  
 

  
  
 


[show]Grand Slam tournaments
Time span
Records at each Grand Slam tournament
Players matched
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

[show]Time span
Other selected records
Players matched
  
  
  
 


 


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Filmography[edit]
Film & Television

Year
Title
Role
Notes

2001 The Simpsons Herself (voice) Episode: "Tennis the Menace"
2002 My Wife and Kids Miss Wiggins Episode: "Crouching Mother, Hidden Father"
2003 Street Time Meeka Hayes Episode: "Fly Girl"
2004 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Chloe Spiers Episode: "Brotherhood"
2004 The Division Jennifer Davis Episode: "Lost and Found"
2004 Hair Show Agent Ross 
2005 Higglytown Heroes Snowplow Driver Hero (voice) Episode: "Higgly Hoedown/Eubie's Turbo Sled"
2005 ER Alice Watson Episode: "Two Ships "
2005 All of Us Herself Episode: "Not So Wonderful News"
2005 America's Next Top Model Herself Episode: "The Girl with the Worst Photo in History"
2005–2007 Punk'd Herself 3 episodes
2007 Loonatics Unleashed Queen Athena (voice) Episode: "Apocalypso"
2007 Avatar: The Last Airbender Ming (voice) Episode: "The Day of Black Sun: Part 1 – The Invasion"
2006 The Bernie Mac Show Herself Episode: "Spinning Wheels"
2008 The Game Herself Episode: "The List Episode"
2008 MADtv Herself / Black Racket Episode: "Episode 7"
2011 Keeping Up with the Kardashians Herself Episode: "Kim's Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event – Part 2"
2012 Drop Dead Diva Kelly Stevens Episode: "Rigged"
2013 The Legend of Korra Female Sage (voice) Episode: "Beginnings, Part 1"

See also[edit]

Portal icon Tennis portal
List of Grand Slam women's singles champions
List of Grand Slam women's doubles champions
List of Grand Slam mixed doubles champions
Henin–S. Williams rivalry
Hingis–S. Williams rivalry
Williams sisters rivalry
References[edit]
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25.Jump up ^ Kaufman, Michelle (April 22, 2007). "Venus, Serena reflect as they prepare for Fed Cup". blackathlete.net. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
26.Jump up ^ Peyser, Marc; Samuels, Allison (August 24, 1998). "Venus And Serena Against The World". Newsweek. Retrieved April 19, 2009.[dead link]
27.^ Jump up to: a b Edmonson, 2005, Venus and Serena Williams, p. 46–47.
28.Jump up ^ Yapp, Robin; Witheridge, Annette (September 2003). "Williams' sister dies in shooting". Mail Online. Associated Publishers Ltd. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
29.Jump up ^ Hewitt, Bill (September 29, 2003). "Fatal Volley". People 60 (13).
30.Jump up ^ "Quotable Quotes: Maria After The Final". WTA Tennis. WTA Tour. June 8, 2013.
31.Jump up ^ Ford, Bonnie D. (January 22, 2008). "Gimpy Jankovic swats away defending champion Williams". ESPN. Retrieved April 29, 2009.
32.Jump up ^ espnW.com (May 20, 2015). "20 For 20: Stars Serve Up Praise of Serena Williams' Biggest Weapon". espnW. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
33.Jump up ^ Reeves Wiedeman (September 5, 2012). "The Serve, Returned". The New Yorker. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
34.Jump up ^ Pagliaro, Richard (April 7, 2011). "Gear Talk: Q&A With Pam Shriver". Tennis.com. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
35.Jump up ^ "IDS Serve Speed Leaders". WTA Tennis.com. WTA Tour. June 10, 2013.
36.Jump up ^ Marcin Bryszak (July 30, 2014). "Sabine Lisicki sets record for fastest serve in women's tennis – but loses". The Guardian. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
37.Jump up ^ Douglas Robson (August 27, 2012). "Serena Williams serves up the best weapon in tennis". USA Today. Retrieved September 3, 2014.
38.Jump up ^ Chris Oddo (July 7, 2012). "Reigning Ace: Williams Serves up a Title at Wimbledon". Tennis Now. Retrieved June 16, 2013.
39.Jump up ^ Wertheim, L. Jon (September 15, 2008). "Not So Fast, Kiddo". Sports Illustrated (CNN). Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
40.Jump up ^ Clarey, Christopher (August 4, 2012). "Williams Coasts to Gold, and a Career Golden Slam". The New York Times.
41.Jump up ^ Robson, Douglas (September 10, 2012). "Serena Williams wins fourth U.S. Open crown". USA Today.
42.Jump up ^ "Grand slam champions who saved match points (from 2000).". Tennisplanet.me. June 5, 2012.
43.Jump up ^ Bondy, Filip (September 10, 2012). "Serena Williams wins 2012 U.S. Open championship to add to her amazing summer, overpowers No. 1 Victoria". New York Daily News.
44.Jump up ^ Crooks, Eleanor (June 8, 2013). "Serena Williams powers to her 16th Grand Slam in Paris". Independent.ie.
45.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wins Roland Garros". Tennis.com. AP. June 8, 2013.
46.Jump up ^ (Williams 2009, pp. 114–115)
47.Jump up ^ "Head to Head – Serena Williams vs Venus Williams". WTA Tour, Inc. Archived from the original on May 29, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
48.Jump up ^ Zanca, Sal A. (March 1, 1999). "Continents Apart, Williams Sisters Make History". The New York Times. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
49.Jump up ^ Rogers, Martin (March 19, 2009). "Indian Wells boycott hurts Williamses more than it helps". Busted Racquet. Yahoo! Sports.
50.Jump up ^ Preston, Eleanor (May 20, 2002). "Hingis may be out to end of year". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved April 23, 2009.
51.Jump up ^ "Serena complets Slam". BBC Sport. January 25, 2003.
52.Jump up ^ Leicester, John (February 11, 2009). "Grand Slam for Serena Williams?". Tennis Channel. Associated Press. Retrieved April 22, 2009.
53.Jump up ^ "Williams pair take doubles crown". BBC Sport. January 24, 2003.
54.Jump up ^ "Williams 'hurt' by jeers". BBC Sport. June 6, 2003.
55.Jump up ^ Harris, Beth (August 2, 2003). "Serena Williams to miss U.S. Open after knee surgery". USA Today. Associated Press.
56.Jump up ^ Fordyce, Tom (March 24, 2004). "Serena's biggest test". BBC Sport.
57.Jump up ^ "High drama. Serena falls to Capriati amid controversy; Roddick continues to roll". Sports Illustrated. Associated Press. September 7, 2004. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
58.Jump up ^ "Sharapova tops injured Serena for WTA title". NBC Sports. Associated Press. November 16, 2004. Archived from the original on 2012-11-27. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
59.Jump up ^ "Angry Williams rejects criticism". BBC Sport. January 25, 2005.
60.Jump up ^ "Williams battles to Aussie title". BBC Sport. January 29, 2005. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
61.Jump up ^ "Williams eyes return to top spot". BBC Sport. January 29, 2005. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
62.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams Pulls from WTA Paris with Stomach Illness". Tennis-X.com. February 12, 2005. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
63.Jump up ^ "Strained Tendon Forces Serena Out". Highbeam.com. March 5, 2005. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
64.Jump up ^ Dillman, Lisa (May 21, 2009). "Serena Pulls Out, Citing Ankle Injury". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
65.Jump up ^ "Hantuchova stuns champion Serena". BBC Sport. January 20, 2006.
66.Jump up ^ "Injured Serena pulls out of Miami". BBC Sport. March 17, 2006.
67.Jump up ^ (Williams 2009, pp. 175–176)
68.Jump up ^ (Williams 2009, pp. 198–199)
69.Jump up ^ "Serena scores big win on return". BBC Sport. July 19, 2006.
70.Jump up ^ "Serena comeback gathers momentum". BBC Sport. July 21, 2006.
71.Jump up ^ "Serena run comes to end in semis". BBC Sport. July 23, 2006.
72.Jump up ^ "Serena granted US Open wildcard". BBC Sport. August 17, 2006.
73.Jump up ^ "Mauresmo sees off tired Williams". BBC Sport. September 5, 2006.
74.Jump up ^ "Serena targets number one ranking". BBC Sport. March 17, 2006. Retrieved April 23, 2009.
75.Jump up ^ "Williams is lost cause". Archived from the original on January 14, 2007.
76.^ Jump up to: a b Tandon, Kamakshi (January 14, 2008) New Mindset: Serena Playing for Herself. tennis.com
77.Jump up ^ (Williams 2009, pp. 205–206)
78.Jump up ^ (Williams 2009, p. 206)
79.Jump up ^ (Williams 2009, pp. 208–209)
80.^ Jump up to: a b Clarey, Christopher (January 27, 2007). "Williams shocks Sharapova to win Australian Open". International Herald Tribute (The New York Times).
81.Jump up ^ (Williams 2009, p. 209)
82.Jump up ^ Newbery, Piers (January 27, 2007). "Superb Williams wins Aussie title". BBC Sport.
83.Jump up ^ Resurgent Serena targets Paris, BBC News. Retrieved August 19, 2008.
84.Jump up ^ "I proved critics wrong – Williams". BBC Sport. January 27, 2007.
85.Jump up ^ Serena takes title in epic final, BBC News. Retrieved August 19, 2008.
86.Jump up ^ "Williams sisters give US lead | Tennis - News | NDTVSports.com". Sports.ndtv.com. Associated Press. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
87.Jump up ^ "Teenage sub for Serena seals win | Tennis - News | NDTVSports.com". Sports.ndtv.com. Associated Press. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
88.^ Jump up to: a b c d Serena Williams Playing Activity[dead link], WTA Tour official website. Retrieved August 19, 2008.
89.Jump up ^ Injured Serena seals amazing win, BBC News. Retrieved August 19, 2008.
90.Jump up ^ Cheese, Caroline (July 4, 2007). "Henin overcomes battling Serena". BBC Sport. Retrieved May 30, 2013.
91.Jump up ^ Robbins, Liz (September 5, 2007). "Henin Defeats Serena Williams Again". The New York Times.
92.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams Hurts Knee in Madrid". The Washington Post. Associated Press. November 7, 2007.
93.Jump up ^ "Williams withdraws from Madrid through injury". Reuters. November 8, 2007.
94.Jump up ^ USA beat Serbia to take Hopman Cup, BBC News. Retrieved August 19, 2008.
95.Jump up ^ "Serena returns to action with win". BBC News. March 5, 2008. Retrieved August 19, 2008.
96.Jump up ^ Lin, Thomas (September 7, 2008). "Serena Williams Wins to Regain No. 1 Ranking". The New York Times. Retrieved May 4, 2009.
97.Jump up ^ Tandon, Kamakshi (May 13, 2009). "Serena's protests lack teeth". ESPN. Retrieved May 19, 2009.
98.Jump up ^ Newbery, Piers (July 4, 2009). "Serena shocked to stay number two". BBC News. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
99.^ Jump up to: a b Pucin, Diane. Serena Williams is fined $10,500 for tirade at U.S. Open Los Angeles Times (September 13, 2009)
100.Jump up ^ "Serena ends Venus reign in Doha". BBC Sport. November 1, 2009. Retrieved November 4, 2009.
101.Jump up ^ "Williams wins AP's Female Athlete of the Year award". tennis.com. December 22, 2009. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
102.Jump up ^ "Serena ITF World Champion". wtatennis.com. December 23, 2009. Retrieved December 24, 2009.
103.Jump up ^ Bishop, Greg (July 3, 2010). "A Booming Serena Williams Keeps Title". The New York Times. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
104.^ Jump up to: a b "Serena routs Zvonareva for fourth Wimbledon title". Tennis Magazine. Associated Press. July 3, 2010. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
105.Jump up ^ Wilson, Stephen (July 3, 2010). "Serena Williams beats Zvonareva to win Wimbledon". The Washington Times. Associated Press. Retrieved July 5, 2010.
106.Jump up ^ Cherner, Reid (March 2, 2011). "Tennis star Serena Williams home after treatment for blood clot". USA Today.
107.Jump up ^ Berman, Michele (March 2, 2011). "Serena Williams undergoes emergency treatment for pulmonary embolism". Celebrity Diagnosis. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
108.Jump up ^ Berman, Michele (March 9, 2011). "Serena Williams gives more details about recent health scare". Celebrity Diagnosis. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
109.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams returns to tennis court after lay-off". BBC Sport. April 12, 2011.
110.Jump up ^ Clarey, Christopher (June 6, 2011). "Serena Williams Plans to Play at Wimbledon". The New York Times. Retrieved June 6, 2011.
111.Jump up ^ "Serena comeback ended by Zvonareva". CNN. June 15, 2011.
112.Jump up ^ "Serena withdraws from Brisbane International". Brisbane International. January 4, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
113.^ Jump up to: a b c "Serena Williams beats Sharapova in WTA Championships final". BBC Sport. October 28, 2012.
114.Jump up ^ Hegde, Prajwal (July 8, 2012). "Serena Williams beats Radwanska to clinch fifth Wimbledon title". The Times of India.
115.Jump up ^ "Wimbledon 2012 – Serena Williams stretched to three sets, wins 5th title". ESPN. Associated Press. July 7, 2012.
116.Jump up ^ "Serena books latest Wimbledon final appearance". ESPN. July 5, 2012.
117.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wins at Stanford in final Olympic tuneup". USA Today. Associated Press. July 20, 2012.
118.^ Jump up to: a b Wine, Steven (August 4, 2012). "Serena Williams Wins Gold Medal In Olympic Singles Tennis, Beats Maria Sharapova In Final". The Huffington Post. AP.
119.Jump up ^ "Serena tops Azarenka for fourth U.S. Open championship". AP. September 9, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
120.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wins WTA Tour Player of the Year award". BBC Sport. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
121.Jump up ^ "Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams crowned ITF world champions". December 11, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-12-21.
122.Jump up ^ Bondy, Filip (July 8, 2012). "Bondy: Williams sisters are kin-do at Wimby – New York Daily News". New York: Daily News. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
123.Jump up ^ "Serena To Return To No.1 For Sixth Time". WTA Tennis (WTA Tour). February 15, 2013.
124.Jump up ^ "Serena Conquers Sharapova & Miami". WTA Tennis (WTA Tour). March 30, 2013.
125.Jump up ^ "Serena Wins 49th WTA Title In Charleston". WTA Tennis (WTA Tour). April 7, 2013.
126.Jump up ^ Caple, Jim. "New Heights For Serena Williams". ESPN. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
127.Jump up ^ "Serena Wins 53rd WTA Title in Bastad". WTA Tour. July 21, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
128.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wins Rogers Cup women's title". CBC News. August 11, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
129.Jump up ^ Keating, Steve (August 18, 2013). "Azarenka beats Williams for Cincinnati title". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
130.^ Jump up to: a b Mitchell, Kevin (September 9, 2013). "Serena Williams crowns 14-year reign with fifth US Open title". The Guardian. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
131.Jump up ^ "BBC Sport - Serena Williams beats Jelena Jankovic to win China Open". BBC Sport. October 6, 2013
132.Jump up ^ "Serena powers past Jankovic for 10th title in 2013". Yahoo Sports. October 6, 2013.
133.Jump up ^ "BBC Sport - Serena Williams beats Li Na to win WTA Championships". BBC Sport.
134.Jump up ^ "News | WTA Tennis English". Women's Tennis Association.
135.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams forced to rally vs. Li Na in final of WTA Championships - ESPN". Associated Press via ESPN.com. October 27, 2013
136.Jump up ^ Williams and Djokovic named 2013 ITF World Champions. itftennis.com. December 18, 2013
137.Jump up ^ "Serena Wins Best Female Athlete ESPY". WTA Tour. July 18, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
138.Jump up ^ Associated Press (December 25, 2013). "Serena Williams Wins 3rd AP Athlete Of Year Award". DailyDigest. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
139.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams beats Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 7-5 to win Brisbane International title". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
140.Jump up ^ "Australian Open 2014: Serena Williams undermined by injury again as she loses to Ana Ivanovic in Australian Open fourth round". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
141.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams vs Li Na Final Miami 2014 Highlights". YouTube. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
142.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams' shocking loss is the worst of her legendary career". USA Today. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
143.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams in tears after illness ends doubles hopes". The Championships, Wimbledon. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
144.Jump up ^ "Mystery of Serena Williams' Wimbledon meltdown deepens... with doubts cast over her 'viral illness explanation'". Daily Mail. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
145.Jump up ^ "Navratilova on Serena: 'It's not right'". ESPN. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
146.Jump up ^ "[HD] Serena Williams vs Ana Ivanovic Cincinnati Final 2014 Highlights". Youtube. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
147.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wins 18th Slam". ESPN. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
148.Jump up ^ "US Open: Serena Williams powers past Caroline Wozniacki for sixth title". The Guardian. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
149.Jump up ^ "Halep routs Serena Williams at WTA Finals". Yahoo! News. October 22, 2014.
150.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams Punishes Simona Halep for Earlier Defeat at WTA Finals". The New York Times. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
151.Jump up ^ "Poland defeat United States to lift Hopman Cup for first time". ESPN. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
152.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams Wins Australian Open With Coughs, Guts and Aces". The New York Times. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
153.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova to win Australian Open - as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
154.Jump up ^ "How Serena Williams won the shouting match and more in Australia". ESPN. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
155.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wins Australian Open, 19th Major title in champion form". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
156.Jump up ^ "Australian Open 2015 Final - Serena Williams vs Maria Sharapova". YouTube. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
157.Jump up ^ "Williams sisters see U.S. through in Fed Cup promotion bid". Reuters. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
158.Jump up ^ Clarey, Christopher (February 4, 2015). "After a 14-Year Boycott, Serena Williams Plans to Play at Indian Wells". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
159.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams ends Indian Wells boycott, 14 years after racist incident". USA Today. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
160.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams received standing ovation, fought tears and won while ending 14-year boycott at Indian Wells". USA Today. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
161.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams beats Sabine Lisicki in Miami to seal 700th career win". The Guardian. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
162.Jump up ^ "Tennis' Exclusive 700 Club". Espn.go.com. 2013-07-16. Retrieved 2015-04-15.
163.Jump up ^ "Serena Outlasts Halep In Miami Classic". WTA. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
164.Jump up ^ "Super Serena Wins Miami Title No.8". WTA. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
165.Jump up ^ "As Serena Williams Ascends, Grand Slam Buzz Grows". The New York Times. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
166.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wins eighth Miami Open". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
167.Jump up ^ "Italy beats United States 3-2 in Fed Cup World Group playoff". ESPN. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
168.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams' win streak, Madrid run come to an end". ESPN. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
169.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams' perfect season ended". USA Today. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
170.Jump up ^ "Kvitova Stuns Serena In Madrid". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
171.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams pulls out of Italian Open with elbow injury". BBC Sport. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
172.Jump up ^ "Serena: 50 Wins At Every Grand Slam". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
173.Jump up ^ "Moscow-Pullman Daily News - Google News Archive Search". google.com.
174.Jump up ^ "ASAP Sports Transcripts - Tennis - 2001 - TMS - INDIAN WELLS, WOMEN - March 14 - Elena Dementieva". asapsports.com.
175.Jump up ^ "USATODAY.com - Richard Williams decries fans as racist". usatoday.com.
176.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wants to rewrite Indian Wells ending - ESPN". ESPN.com.
177.Jump up ^ "Officials apologize to Serena for bad call – U.S. Open, Aug. 30-Sept. 12- NBC Sports". MSNBC. September 9, 2004. Archived from the original on 2013-11-05. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
178.Jump up ^ Donegan, Lawrence (September 14, 2009). "Serena Williams is fined $10,500 for US Open line judge tirade". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved June 5, 2010.
179.Jump up ^ "Clijsters wins after controversial ending". ESPN news services. September 13, 2009. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
180.^ Jump up to: a b Clarey, Christopher (November 30, 2009). "Serena Williams Given Hefty Fine but No Suspension for Tirade". The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
181.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams tries to move on from uproar over outburst". CNN. September 15, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
182.Jump up ^ "RULE 21 : Player Hinders Opponent". Tennis 4 You.
183.Jump up ^ Abad-Santos, Alexander (September 12, 2011). "Serena Williams' Tirade Was Seven Years in the Making". The Atlantic Wire.
184.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams Upset By Samantha Stosur 6–2, 6–3 In US Open Final". Huffington Post. September 11, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
185.Jump up ^ Chase, Chris (September 11, 2011). "She did it again: Serena Williams blows up in U.S. Open loss". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
186.Jump up ^ Garber, Greg (September 11, 2011). "Serena Williams loses cool, then match". ESPN. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
187.Jump up ^ Busfield, Steve (September 12, 2011). "Serena Williams fined $2,000 for US Open final outburst". The Guardian (London). Retrieved September 15, 2011.
188.Jump up ^ "What they're wearing (and hitting with) at Wimbledon". SportsBusiness Journal. June 25, 2001. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
189.Jump up ^ "WHAT THEY'RE WEARING (AND HITTING WITH) AT THE U.S. OPEN". SportsBusiness Journal. August 28, 2000. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
190.Jump up ^ Roberts, Selena (September 2, 2002). "Tennis; Sunny Outlook Keeps Serena Williams Winning". The New York Times (NYT Company). Retrieved April 24, 2009.
191.Jump up ^ "Serena Dresses in Denim, Boots at U.S. Open". FOX News Network, LLC. Associated Press. August 31, 2004. Retrieved April 25, 2008.
192.Jump up ^ Copping, Nicola (June 24, 2008). "Serena Williams's Wimbledon raincoat stops talk about play". The Times (UK: Times Newspapers Ltd.). Retrieved April 25, 2009.
193.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams Keen on Fashion Career". FOX News Network, LLC. Associated Press. November 14, 2004. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
194.Jump up ^ Batra, Ruhi (January 28, 2007). "Courting both tennis and glamour". The Times of India (Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd.). Retrieved April 25, 2009.
195.Jump up ^ Brown, Carolyn M. (April 1, 2004). "Serena Williams aces Nike deal worth approximately $40 million". Black Enterprise. Allbusiness.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
196.Jump up ^ Marr, Madeleine (March 3, 2009). "Serena Williams has a passion for fashion". The Miami Herald. Miami Herald Media Co. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
197.Jump up ^ Farber, Jim (February 17, 2010). "Serena Williams takes time away from the tennis courts to become a certified nail technician". Daily News (New York). Retrieved October 2, 2010.
198.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams 1st Black Female Athlete to Solo on Cover of Vogue". Good Black News. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
199.Jump up ^ ""The Simpsons" Tennis the Menace (2001)". IMDb.com. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
200.Jump up ^ "Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Day of Black Sun (1): The Invasion". TV.com. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
201.Jump up ^ Kennedy, Lauren Paige. "Serena Williams Gets Back in the Game". WebMD the Magazine. WebMD, LLC. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
202.Jump up ^ Thurmond, Sarah (February 11, 2009). "Golovin, Hantuchova, Kirilenko in SI swimsuit issue". Tennis Magazine. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
203.Jump up ^ "On stage or on court, Serena plays the lead". Sydney Morning Herald. January 13, 2003. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
204.Jump up ^ "Serena to voice queen with 'devious plans' for planet". ESPN. Associated Press. January 30, 2007. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
205.Jump up ^ "Common "I Want You" Video". rapdirt.com. October 23, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
206.Jump up ^ Newman, Andrew Adam (September 28, 2009). "Serena Williams's Ad Deals Survive Her Outburst on Court". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2009.
207.Jump up ^ Ashe, Isaac (May 12, 2012). "Tennis star Serena Williams to serve up a single". Loughborough Echo. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
208.Jump up ^ "Williams sisters buy into Dolphins group". ESPN. Associated Press. August 25, 2009.
209.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams in Kenya on charity tour". People's Daily. November 15, 2008.
210.Jump up ^ Claire Wanja (November 10, 2008). "Serena Williams to Visit Kenya on Charity cause". Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
211.Jump up ^ "Jewel and Serena Williams Help the Avon Foundation Raise Millions for the Fight Against Breast Cancer". Avon. Avon Products, Inc. October 15, 2003. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
212.Jump up ^ "Stars rally for a common cause". Tennis Australia. January 16, 2010.[dead link]
213.Jump up ^ "The Website of Author Hilary Beard – Books". Hilarybeard.com. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
214.Jump up ^ "Venus and Serena: Serving From the Hip: 10 Rules for Living, Loving, and Winning.(Brief Article)(Book Review)". Highbeam.com. July 1, 2005. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
215.Jump up ^ "S Williams – June 24, 2009". 2009.wimbledon.org. June 24, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-25. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
216.Jump up ^ "US Open Most Championship Titles Record Book" (PDF). US Open. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
Works cited[edit]
Morgan, Terri (2001). Venus and Serena Williams: Grand Slam Sisters. Sports Achievers Biographies. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publishing. 64pp. ISBN 9780822536840.
Williams, Venus; Williams, Serena & Beard, Hilary (2005). Venus and Serena: Serving from the Hip: 10 Rules For Living, Loving and Winning. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 133pp. ISBN 9780618576531.
Williams, Serena & Paisner, Daniel (2009). On the Line. New York: Hachette Digital. 214pp. ISBN 9780446564021.
Williams, Serena & Paisner, Daniel (2009). My Life: Queen of the Court. New York: Simon & Schuster. 257pp. ISBN 9781847375445.
External links[edit]

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Serena Williams

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Serena Williams
Serena Williams winning Wimbledon Ladies' Singles 2012.jpg
Serena Williams at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships

Country
 United States
Residence
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, U.S.[1]
Born
September 26, 1981 (age 33)
Saginaw, Michigan, U.S.
Height
1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Turned pro
September 24, 1995
Plays
Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach(es)
Richard Williams (1994–)
Oracene Price
Patrick Mouratoglou (2012–)
Prize money
US$67,278,178[2]
 (1st all-time among women athletes and 4th all-time among tennis athletes)[3]
Official website
www.serenawilliams.com
Singles

Career record
708–121 (85.4%)
Career titles
66 WTA (4th in overall rankings)
Highest ranking
No. 1 (July 8, 2002)
Current ranking
No. 1 (May 11, 2015)
Grand Slam Singles results

Australian Open
W (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015)
French Open
W (2002, 2013)
Wimbledon
W (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012)
US Open
W (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Other tournaments

Tour Finals
W (2001, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014)
Olympic Games
Gold medal.svg Gold medal (2012)
Doubles

Career record
177–27 (86.76%)
Career titles
22
Highest ranking
No. 1 (June 7, 2010)
Current ranking
No. 128 (March 23, 2015)
Grand Slam Doubles results

Australian Open
W (2001, 2003, 2009, 2010)
French Open
W (1999, 2010)
Wimbledon
W (2000, 2002, 2008, 2009, 2012)
US Open
W (1999, 2009)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals
SF (2009)
Olympic Games
Gold medal.svg Gold medal (2000, 2008, 2012)
Mixed doubles

Career record
27–4 (90%)
Career titles
2
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results

Australian Open
F (1999)
French Open
F (1998)
Wimbledon
W (1998)
US Open
W (1998)
Other mixed doubles tournaments
Team competitions

Fed Cup
W (1999), Record 16–1
Hopman Cup
W (2003, 2008)


Medal record[show]










Gold medal – first place  
Gold medal – first place  
Gold medal – first place  
Gold medal – first place  

Last updated on: March 23, 2015.
Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American professional tennis player who is currently ranked No. 1 in women's singles tennis. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has ranked her World No. 1 in singles on six separate occasions. She became the World No. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002, and regained this ranking for the sixth time on February 18, 2013, becoming the oldest world no. 1 player in WTA's history. Williams is also regarded by some experts and former tennis players to be the greatest female tennis player in history.[4][5] She is the only female player to have won over $60 million in prize money,[6] and is the reigning Australian Open, US Open, WTA Tour Championships and Olympic ladies singles champion.[7]
Frequently hailed as the Queen of the Court by the general media,[8][9][10][11] Williams holds the most major singles, doubles, and mixed doubles titles combined amongst active players, male or female. Her record of 34 Grand Slam titles puts her seventh on the all-time list: 19 in singles, 13 in women's doubles, and 2 in mixed doubles. She is the most recent player, male or female, to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously (2002–03), and the fifth woman ever to do so. She is also the most recent player together with her sister Venus Williams to have held all four Grand Slam women's doubles titles simultaneously (2009–10). Her total of 19 Grand Slam singles titles is tied for third on the all-time list with Helen Wills Moody behind Margaret Court (24 titles) and Steffi Graf (22 titles),[12] and second in the Open Era, behind only Graf.[12] She has won 13 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister Venus and the pair are unbeaten in Grand Slam finals.[13] Serena Williams is also a five-time winner of the WTA Tour Championships.[14] The arrival of Venus and Serena Williams has been credited with launching a new era of power in women's tennis.[15][16][17][18] Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, one in women's singles and three in women's doubles, an all-time record shared with her sister Venus Williams.[19][20]


Contents  [hide]
1 Early life
2 Playing style
3 Professional career 3.1 1995–98: Professional debut
3.2 1999–2001: Becoming a top-10 player
3.3 2002–03: "Serena Slam"
3.4 2004–07: Injuries, depression, and the comeback
3.5 2008–10: Back to No. 1 and injuries
3.6 2011–13: Return to dominance, Career Golden Slam
3.7 2014-present: Continuing No. 1 and more Majors
4 On-court activities 4.1 Competition with Venus Williams
4.2 Controversies 4.2.1 Accusations of match fixing
4.2.2 2001 Indian Wells
4.2.3 2004 US Open
4.2.4 2009 US Open
4.2.5 2011 US Open

5 Off-court activities 5.1 Equipment
5.2 Fashion
5.3 Entertainment
5.4 Miami Dolphins venture
5.5 Charity work
5.6 Writing
6 Grand Slam tournaments 6.1 Grand Slam tournament performance timeline
6.2 Grand Slam tournament finals 6.2.1 Singles: 23 (19–4)
6.2.2 Women's doubles: 13 (13–0)
6.2.3 Mixed doubles: 4 finals (2–2)

7 Records and achievements
8 Filmography
9 See also
10 References
11 Works cited
12 External links

Early life[edit]
Serena Williams was born in Saginaw, Michigan, USA to Richard Williams and Oracene Price and is the youngest of Price's five daughters: half-sisters Yetunde, Lyndrea and Isha Price, and full sister Venus.[1] When the children were young, the family moved to Compton, California, where Serena started playing tennis at the age of three.[21][22] Her father home-schooled Serena and her sister Venus[23][24] and to this day, Serena Williams was and remains coached by both her parents.[1] Williams's family moved from Compton to West Palm Beach, FL[21] when she was nine so that she could attend the tennis academy of Rick Macci, who would provide additional coaching. Rick Macci spotted the exceptional talents of the sisters. He did not always agree with Williams's father, but respected that "he treated his daughters like kids, allowed them to be little girls".[25] Richard stopped sending his daughters to national junior tennis tournaments when Williams was 10, since he wanted them to take it slow and focus on school work. Another factor was racial, as he had heard white parents talk about the Williams sisters in a derogatory manner during tournaments.[26] At that time, Williams had a 46–3 record on the United States Tennis Association junior tour and was ranked No. 1 among under-10 players in Florida.[27] In 1995, when Serena was in the ninth grade, Richard pulled his daughters out of Macci's academy, and from then on took over all coaching at their home. When asked in 2000 whether having followed the normal path of playing regularly on the junior circuit would have been beneficial, Williams responded: "Everyone does different things. I think for Venus and I, we just attempted a different road, and it worked for us."[27] In 2003 sister Yetunde was fatally shot in an SUV after a confrontation with youths in Compton.[28][29]
Playing style[edit]



"She's a competitor. She doesn't like to give free points and free games.
 No matter the score she wants to win those games and those points,
 whether she's down a break point or up a break point or whatever it is."
Maria Sharapova, on Serena Williams in 2013.[30]
Williams is primarily a baseline player and her game is built around taking immediate control of rallies with her powerful and consistent serve,[31] return of serve, and forceful groundstrokes from both her forehand and backhand swings. Williams's forehand is considered to be among the most powerful shots in the women's game as is her double-handed backhand. Williams strikes her backhand groundstroke using an open stance, and uses the same open stance for her forehand. Williams's aggressive play, a "high risk" style, is balanced in part by her serve, which is considered to be the greatest in women's tennis history.[32][33][34] She consistently projects great pace in her serves and in the 2013 Australian Open, she had a peak serve speed of 126.8 mph (204.1 km/h) which is the third-fastest all-time among female players (only Venus's 129 mph[35] and Sabine Lisicki's 131 mph[36] recorded speeds are faster). What makes her serve even more deadly is her ball placement and her ability to consistently place powerful shots with great accuracy.[37] At the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, Serena hit a women's tournament record of 102 aces which was more than any of the men hit during the two weeks.[38] Serena also possesses a very solid volley and powerful overhead which is very useful for her net game. Although many think of Williams as only an offensive player, she also plays a strong defensive game.[39]
Williams is also known for her mental toughness and her ability to come back from improbable situations.[40][41] She has won three Grand Slam singles titles after saving match points (2003 Australian Open versus Kim Clijsters, 2005 Australian Open versus Maria Sharapova, and 2009 Wimbledon versus Elena Dementieva), more than any other player in history, male or female.[42] In the 2012 US Open final against Victoria Azarenka, she was down 5–3 in the third set and found herself two points away from losing the match. Williams then proceeded to win the next 4 games and defeated Azarenka.[43] She also came back from a 3-5 deficit in the third set against Kim Clijsters in the 1999 US Open and went on to win her first Grand Slam singles title. In recent years, Williams has shown an ability to serve aces at critical moments. One of these instances was the 2013 French Open final, where in the last game of the match, she fired three aces, including one clocked at 123 mph (198 km/h) on match point.[44][45]
Professional career[edit]
1995–98: Professional debut[edit]
Main article: Serena Williams's early career
Williams's first professional event was in September 1995, at the age of 14 to counteract the forthcoming changes to age-eligibility rules, at the Bell Challenge. She lost in the first round of qualifying to Anne Miller, winning just two games.[46]
Williams did not play a tournament in 1996. The following year, she lost in the qualifying rounds of three tournaments, before winning her first main-draw match in November at the Ameritech Cup Chicago. Ranked world No. 304, she upset world No. 7 Mary Pierce and world No. 4 Monica Seles, recording her first career wins over top 10 players and becoming the lowest-ranked player in the open era to defeat two top 10 opponents in one tournament.[1] She ultimately lost in the semifinals to world no. 5 Lindsay Davenport. She finished 1997 ranked world no. 99.
Williams began 1998 at the Medibank International Sydney. As a qualifier ranked world no. 96, she defeated world no. 3 Davenport in the quarterfinals, before losing to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in the semifinals. Williams made her debut in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament at the Australian Open, where she defeated sixth-seeded Irina Spîrlea in the first round, before losing to sister Venus in the second round in the sisters' first professional match.[47] Williams reached six other quarterfinals during the year, but lost all of them, including her first match against world no. 1 Martina Hingis at the Lipton International Players Championships in Key Biscayne, and her second match against Venus at the Italian Open in Rome. She failed to reach the quarterfinals of any Grand Slam tournament the remainder of the year, losing in the fourth round of the French Open to Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, and the third round of both Wimbledon and the US Open, to Virginia Ruano Pascual and Spîrlea, respectively. She did, however, win the mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon and the US Open with Max Mirnyi, completing the Williams family's sweep of the 1998 mixed doubles Grand Slam tournaments. Williams won her first professional title in doubles in Oklahoma City with Venus, becoming the third pair of sisters to win a WTA title.[1] The Williams sisters won two more doubles titles together during the year. Serena finished the year ranked world no. 20 in singles.
1999–2001: Becoming a top-10 player[edit]
Williams lost in the third round of the 1999 Australian Open to Sandrine Testud. Williams won her first professional singles title when she defeated Amélie Mauresmo in the final of the Open Gaz de France. With Venus also winning the IGA Superthrift Classic that day, the pair became the first sisters to win professional tournaments in the same week.[48] A month later, Serena won her first Tier I singles title at the Evert Cup, defeating Steffi Graf in the final. At the Lipton International Players Championships, Williams had her 16-match winning streak ended by Venus in the first all-sister singles final in WTA history, Serena made her top-10 debut at world no. 9. She then lost in the quarterfinals of the Italian Open and the German Open, and the third round of the French Open, where she and Venus won the women's doubles title. She then missed Wimbledon because of injury. When she returned to the tour, Williams won a Fed Cup singles match, won the JPMorgan Chase Open, beating Julie Halard-Decugis in the final. She then defeated in succession grand slam champions Kim Clijsters, Conchita Martinez, Monica Seles, and defending champion Lindsay Davenport to reach the US Open final where she defeated world #1 Hingis to become the second African-American woman after Althea Gibson in 1958 to win a Grand Slam singles tournament.[1] The Williams sisters also won the doubles title at this tournament. To complete 1999, Williams won a doubles match in the Fed Cup final against Russia. Williams ended the year ranked world no. 4 in just her second full year on the main tour.
Williams started 2000 by losing in the fourth round of the Australian Open to Elena Likhovtseva. She failed to defend her titles in Paris and Indian Wells, although she did win the Faber Grand Prix. Williams missed the French Open because of injury. She returned at Wimbledon, where she lost to Venus in the semifinals, but they won the doubles title at the event. Williams successfully defended her title in Los Angeles, defeating Davenport in the final. She reached the final of the Du Maurier Open where an injury forced her to retire from her match with Hingis. Her defense of the US Open title ended when she lost in the quarterfinals to Davenport. Williams teamed with Venus to win the gold medal in doubles at the Sydney Olympics in September. She ended the year winning the Toyota Princess Cup. She finished the year ranked world number 6.
Williams began 2001 losing to Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals of both Sydney and the Australian Open. Serena and Venus won the doubles title at the latter tournament, becoming only the fifth doubles team in history to win all four Grand Slam women's doubles titles during their career, completing a "Career Grand Slam". Her next event was the Pacific Life Open, defeating Kim Clijsters in the final. However the final was marred by the behavior of the crowd towards Williams and her family. The crowd were incensed at the perceived match fixing of games involving the family after Venus withdrew before their semifinal. Neither Williams sister entered the tournament for fourteen years, until Serena entered in 2015, as a wild-card (and the top seed).[49] The following week at the Ericsson Open, Williams lost to Jennifer Capriati in the quarterfinals. She then lost in the quarterfinals to Capriati at the French Open and Wimbledon. This was the fourth consecutive Grand Slam tournament at which Williams had exited in the quarterfinals. At the North American hard-court season, she lost in the quarterfinals of Los Angeles, then captured her second title of the year at the Rogers Cup, defeating Capriati in the final. Williams reached the final of the US Open, losing to sister Venus. That was the first Grand Slam final contested by two sisters during the open era. At the 2001-ending Sanex Championships, Williams won the championship by walkover when Davenport withdrew before the start of the final because of a knee injury. Williams finished 2001 at world no. 6 for the second straight year.
2002–03: "Serena Slam"[edit]



 Playing Amélie Mauresmo in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Sydney in 2002
Injury forced Williams to retire from her semifinal match at the Medibank International Sydney and to withdraw from the 2002 Australian Open. She won her first title of the year at the State Farm Women's Tennis Classic, defeating world no. 2 Jennifer Capriati in the final. She then won the Ericsson Open for the first time, becoming one of three players in the open era to defeat the world's top 3 at one tournament,[1] after beating world no. 3 Martina Hingis in the quarterfinals, world no. 2 Venus in the semifinals, and world no. 1 Capriati in the final. Her straight set win over Venus was her second career win over her sister. Williams played three clay-court tournaments before the 2002 French Open. Her first tournament was at Charleston, where she was the third seed. Serena reached the quarterfinals losing to Patty Schnyder. She reached her first clay-court final in May, at the Eurocard German Open losing to Justine Henin in a third set tiebreak. Williams went on to win her first clay court title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, defeating Capriati in the semifinals and Henin in the final.[50] This raised her ranking to a new high of world no. 3. Williams was the third seed at the French Open, where she claimed her first French Open title by defeating defending champion Capriati in the semifinals, and then defeating Venus in the final to win her Second Grand Slam title. Serena rose to a career high of no. 2 after the win, second only to older sister Venus. At the 2002 Wimbledon Championships, Williams won the title for the first time, defeating Venus to win a Grand Slam singles title without dropping a set for the first time in her career. This victory earned Williams the world no. 1 ranking, dethroning her sister and becoming only the third African-American woman to hold that ranking.[1] The Williams sisters also won the doubles title at the tournament, the fifth Grand Slam doubles title for the pair. Williams played just one tournament between Wimbledon and the US Open, losing in the quarterfinals of the JPMorgan Chase Open in Los Angeles to Chanda Rubin, ending a 21-match winning streak. As the top-seeded player at the US Open, Williams reached the final where once again she defeated her sister to win the title for the second time. Williams won two consecutive singles titles in the fall, defeating Kim Clijsters to win the Toyota Princess Cup in Tokyo, and Anastasia Myskina to win the Sparkassen Cup in Leipzig, Germany. She reached the final at the year-end Home Depot Championships, where she lost to fifth-seeded Clijsters in straight sets, ending her 18-match winning streak. Williams finished 2002 with a 56–5 record, eight singles titles, and the world no. 1 ranking. She was the first African-American (male or female) to end a year with that ranking since Althea Gibson in 1958. She was the first woman to win three Grand Slam titles in one year since Hingis in 1997.[1]
At the 2003 Australian Open, Williams went on to reach the semifinals for the first time, where she recovered from 5–1 down in the third set and saved two match points, before defeating Clijsters. She faced her sister Venus for the fourth consecutive Grand Slam final and won to become the sixth woman in the open era to complete a Career Grand Slam, joining Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and Steffi Graf. She also became the fifth woman to hold all Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously, joining Maureen Connolly Brinker, Court, Graf, and Navratilova. This feat was dubbed the Serena Slam by the press.[51][52] The Williams sisters won their sixth Grand Slam doubles title together at this event.[53]
Williams then captured singles titles at the Open Gaz de France and the Sony Ericsson Open. Williams's winning streak came to an end when she lost the final of the Family Circle Cup to Henin, her first loss of the year after 21 wins. She also lost to Mauresmo in the semifinals of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome. Despite these losses, Williams was the top seed at the French Open, where she lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Henin, marking Williams's first loss in a Grand Slam tournament since 2001. The match was controversial, as Williams questioned Henin's sportsmanship, and spectators applauded Williams's errors.[54] She was known to be dating professional football player LaVar Arrington at the time.[citation needed] Williams rebounded from the loss at the 2003 Wimbledon Championships, defeating Henin in the semifinals and Venus in the final. This was Williams's second consecutive Wimbledon title and her sixth Grand Slam singles title overall. This was her last tournament of the year after pulling out of three events in the USA, Williams underwent surgery on the quadriceps tendon in her knee at the start of August. Initially she was expected to be out for six to eight weeks.[55]
2004–07: Injuries, depression, and the comeback[edit]
Main articles: 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 Serena Williams tennis season



 Delivering a serve at an exhibition in November 2004.
After eight months away from the tour during which her desire was questioned,[56] Williams began her comeback at the Nasdaq-100 Open in Miami, where she made a triumphant return as she won the title. This was the third consecutive year that Williams had won this tournament. Although ranked world number seven, she was seeded second at the French Open. Williams lost to Capriati in the quarterfinals. This was the first time she had lost before the semifinals at a Grand Slam singles tournament since Wimbledon in 2001. She was seeded first at Wimbledon, even though her ranking had dropped to world number ten. She reached the final, where she was defeated by 13th-seeded Sharapova in straight sets. This loss caused her ranking to drop out of the top 10 for the first time since 1999. Williams reached her third final of the year at the JPMorgan Chase Open in Los Angeles on hard courts where she lost to Lindsay Davenport which was her first loss to the American since the 2000 US Open. She returned for the US Open, where she was seeded third even though she was ranked world number 11. She lost there in the quarterfinals to Capriati in three sets in controversial fashion.[57] Williams won her second title of the year at the China Open, defeating US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. Williams qualified for the WTA Tour Championships. In the round-robin phase of the tournament, she defeated Dementieva and Anastasia Myskina, but lost to Davenport. She lost to Sharapova in the final where Williams suffered an abdominal injury that caused her to serve around 65 mph.[58] Williams finished 2004 ranked world no. 7, but did not win a Grand Slam singles tournament for the first time since 2001.
At the 2005 Australian Open, Williams rejected suggestions that she and sister Venus were a declining force in tennis, following Venus's early exit at the tournament.[59] Williams saved three match points in defeating Sharapova 8–6 in the third set of their semi final. In the final, Williams defeated top seed Davenport to win her second Australian Open singles title and seventh Grand Slam singles title, winning 12 of the last 15 games.[60] The win moved Williams back to world number two, and she stated that she was targeting the number one spot.[61] Williams completed just two tournaments between the Australian Open and Wimbledon, losing to Venus in Miami and at Internazionali BNL d'Italia to Francesca Schiavone as Williams suffered a series of retirements and withdraws.[62][63] A reoccurring ankle injury causing her to miss the French Open.[64] She returned for Wimbledon as the fourth-seeded player, but was defeated in the third round by world no. 85 Jill Craybas. At the US Open, Williams lost to her sister Venus in the fourth round. This was the earliest the sisters had met in a Grand Slam tournament since their first meeting at the 1998 Australian Open. Williams played just one more match the remainder of the year, a loss to world no. 127 Sun Tiantian at the tournament in Beijing. She failed to qualify for the year-end championship for the first time since 1998. She finished the year 2005 ranked world number 11, her first time finishing outside the top 10 since 1998.



 Serena Williams in 2006
Williams started 2006 by participating in the Australian Open. Despite being the defending champion, she lost to Daniela Hantuchová in the third round.[65] After the tournament, Williams told the press that she was injured, blaming a lack of fitness and a knee injury for keeping her off the court.[66] However, in her biography, Serena claims that she was actually suffering from depression. After she had shut herself off from the world for a period, her sisters held a type of intervention which made Williams see her therapist daily.[67] After a chance meeting with a young girl who idolized Serena, she signed up to play in Cincinnati. During her conversation with the girl, Williams felt inspired and was informed that she could be even better at tennis. Williams went home and watched some of her old matches and started to believe that she could win again.[68] She had been away from the tour for almost six months and had slipped to 139 in the world, the lowest ranking Williams had held since 1997. On her return, Williams defeated Myskina and Bethanie Mattek,[69][70] before losing in the semifinals to Vera Zvonareva.[71] She also reached the semifinals in Los Angeles, losing to Janković in straight sets. At the US Open, Williams needed a wildcard to enter the tournament, as her ranking at the cut-off time was 139th in the world, outside the automatic 102. However her ranking had improved to 79th by the time the tournament came around.[72] She lost to top-seeded Mauresmo in the fourth round.[73] She did not play again in 2006, ending the year ranked world number 95, her lowest year-end ranking since 1997.
Williams began 2007 with renewed confidence, stating her intention to return to the top of the rankings,[74] a comment 1987 Wimbledon men's singles champion and commentator Pat Cash branded "deluded."[75] Williams lost in the quarterfinals of the tournament in Hobart, Australia, a warm-up for the Australian Open. Williams was unseeded at the Australian Open because of her world no. 81 ranking and was widely regarded as "out of shape."[76] Williams experienced a huge amount of pressure on herself prior to the tournament, coming from her fans and the press as well as Serena herself about her weight, focus and needing a good showing. But just before her first match, a representative from Nike paid Williams a visit in the players' lounge, informing her that if she didn't perform to her accustomed level, the company might drop her. Williams claimed that Nike's ultimatum meant that she would have to reach the quarterfinals at least.[77] The distraction from Nike did not put Williams off, as she lost just three games to Mara Santangelo and defeated Anne Kremer in straight sets.[78] By this point, a blister had developed on Williams's foot and she had contracted a cold. In the third round, Williams found herself two points away from going home against Nadia Petrova, but fought back to win in three sets, which was her first win over a top-10 player since defeating Lindsay Davenport in the 2005 Australian Open final. Williams then made it all the way to the final, defeating Jankovic, Peer and Vaidisova. Williams described them as "good players. Strong players. Players who certainly didn't expect an overweight, out-of-shape, has been champion like me to give them a game."[79] Williams also found herself two points from going out against Peer before turning it around.[80] By the time Williams had reached the final, the cold and blister had gone, but Tracy Austin in her tournament analysis stated that Serena had a great tournament, but the ride was over and that Sharapova would have no trouble with Williams. Serena thought it was mean and unnecessary and used it as motivation with all the other criticism.[81] In the final, Williams lost just three games against Maria Sharapova winning her first title at any tournament since winning the 2005 Australian Open.[80] Williams became the first player since Chris O'Neil to win the title whilst not being seeded, and claimed her third Australian Open and eighth Grand Slam singles title overall. The win elevated Williams to 14th in the rankings. Williams dedicated the title to her deceased sister Yetunde.[82] Her performance in the final was described in the press as "one of the best performances of her career" and "arguably the most powerful display ever seen in women's tennis."[76][83] In her post match interview, Williams took a swipe at her critics, stating that she had proved them wrong.[84]



 After defeating Dinara Safina in the fourth round of the 2007 French Open
Williams won the Sony Ericsson Open for the fourth time after defeating Justine Henin. Williams had to record a come-from-behind win after being whitewashed in the first set and saving 2 match points in the second.[85] Williams played for her country in the Fed Cup for the first time since 2003 in a tie against Belgium. Williams won her opening match,[86] but withdrew from her second, due to a knee injury.[87] At the French Open, Williams lost in the quarterfinals to Henin.[88] During her fourth round match against Hantuchová at Wimbledon, Williams collapsed from an acute muscle spasm at 5–5 in the second set. After a medical timeout and holding serve to force a tiebreak, rain forced play to be suspended for nearly two hours. When the players returned, Williams won the match in three sets.[89] Williams then lost her quarterfinal match with Henin, whilst suffering from the injuries sustained in the previous round.[90] At the US Open, Williams lost her third consecutive Grand Slam singles quarterfinal to Henin.[91] Williams reached the final of Kremlin Cup, losing to Elena Dementieva. Williams qualified for the WTA Championships, but retired from her first match with Anna Chakvetadze with a knee injury and subsequently withdrew from the tournament.[92][93] Williams finished 2007 as World number seven and the top-ranked American for the first time since 2003.[88]
2008–10: Back to No. 1 and injuries[edit]
Main articles: 2008, 2009 and 2010 Serena Williams tennis season
Williams started 2008 by participating on the U.S. team that won the Hopman Cup with Mardy Fish.[94] At the Australian Open she lost in the quarterfinals to Jelena Janković.[88] This was her fourth straight loss in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament. In the women's doubles event, She and Venus lost in the quarterfinals. Williams then withdrew from three tournaments because of an urgent need for dental surgery.[95] Williams then won three consecutive singles titles at Bangalore and her fifth Miami title, tying Steffi Graf for the most singles titles at this tournament. Williams then added Family Circle Cup her first clay-court title since the 2002 French Open. Her 17-match winning streak was ended by Dinara Safina in the quarterfinals of Berlin.[88] Williams then withdrew in Rome in the quarterfinals against Alizé Cornet because of a back injury. Williams was the only former winner of the French Open in the draw, but lost in the third round to Katarina Srebotnik.



 Stretching for a ball in her first round match against Kaia Kanepi of Estonia at Wimbledon in 2008
At Wimbledon, Williams reached the finals for the first time in four years. She lost the final to her older sister Venus in straight sets, in their first Slam final since 2003. Serena and Venus then teamed to win the women's doubles title in their first Grand Slam women's doubles title since 2003. Williams played at Stanford, but retired 6–2, 3–1 down with a left knee injury from her semifinal match against qualifier Aleksandra Wozniak, the injury forced her to withdraw from Los Angeles. At the Olympics in Beijing, Williams lost to Dementieva in the quarterfinals. Serena and her sister Venus won the gold medal in doubles, beating Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual in the final. Williams at the US Open, defeated sister Venus, Safina and Jelena Janković in the final. This was her third US Open and ninth Grand Slam singles title. This victory returned her to the world no. 1 ranking for the first time since 2003.[96] At the Year-End Championships she defeated Safina and lost to her sister Venus in her round-robin matches, but withdrew from her match against Dementieva, citing a stomach muscle injury. She ended 2008 ranked world no. 2 and with four singles titles, her strongest performance in both respects since 2003.
Williams began 2009 at the Medibank International losing in the semifinals to Elena Dementieva. At the Australian Open, she claimed her tenth Grand Slam singles title by defeating Dinara Safina in the final in 59 minutes. This win returned her to the world no. 1 ranking and resulted in her becoming the all-time career prize money leader in women's sports, overtaking golfer Annika Sörenstam. In women's doubles, with Venus, they captured the title for the third time. At the Open GDF Suez, Williams withdrew before her semifinal with Dementieva because of a knee injury. Williams then played at Dubai, losing to Venus in the semifinals.



 At the 2009 Australian Open
At the Sony Ericsson Open Williams, hampered with ankle and quad injuries, was upset in the final by Victoria Azarenka. This was the first of four consecutive losses for Williams, the longest losing streak of her career.[97] She was defeated in her opening matches at Barcelona, Rome, and Madrid. Despite not having won a match on clay in 2009 before the French Open, she lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. This ended her 18-match Grand Slam tournament winning streak. She rebounded at Wimbledon, saving a match point in defeating fourth seeded Dementieva in the semifinals. In the final, Serena defeated her sister Venus to win her third Wimbledon title and her 11th Grand Slam singles title.[98] Williams and her sister Venus teamed to win the women's doubles title at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year, their ninth Grand Slam title in women's doubles.
As a US Open preparation, Williams played at Cincinnati losing in the third round and in the semifinals of the Rogers Cup. At the US Open, she lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Kim Clijsters amid controversy involving shouting at a line judge when defending match point, an offense which cost Williams the point and consequently the match. She continued in the doubles competition, teaming up with Venus to win their third Grand Slam doubles title of the year and tenth of their career.[99] Williams won all three of her round-robin matches at the year-end WTA Tour Championships, defeating Venus, Dementieva, and Kuznetsova, saving a match point against Venus. She then advanced to the final, when Wozniacki retired from their semifinal match. In the final, Williams defeated Venus for her second singles title at this event.[100] Williams finished the year ranked world no. 1 for the second time in her career, having played in 16 tournaments, more than any other year. She also broke the record previously set by Justine Henin for the most prize money earned by a female tennis player in one year, with Williams earning $6,545,586. In doubles, the Williams sisters finished the year ranked world no. 2, despite playing only six tournaments as a pair. She won five Grand Slam titles, putting her total Grand Slam titles at 23. Williams was named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press.[101] She also was the ITF World Champion in singles and doubles.[102]



 Williams on her way to the singles and doubles title at the 2010 Australian Open
In 2010, Williams's first scheduled tournament was the Medibank International Sydney, losing in the final to Elena Dementieva. At the Australian Open, Williams was the defending champion in both singles and doubles. Williams reached the final, where she defeated Justine Henin for her twelfth Grand Slam singles title. In doubles, Serena and Venus successfully defended their title by defeating Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the final. Williams withdrew with a leg injury from her next events. She returned at the Rome losing to Jelena Janković in the semifinals. At the Madrid, she fell to Nadia Petrova in the third round. She teamed with Venus to win the doubles title. At the French Open, she lost to Samantha Stosur in the quarterfinals. She also played doubles with Venus as the top seeds, they won the title defeating Květa Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik in the final to win their fourth consecutive Grand Slam women's doubles title and improved their doubles ranking to world no. 1.
Her next tournament was Wimbledon, where she defeated Russian Vera Zvonareva in the final without facing a break point and breaking the serve of Zvonareva three times.[103][104] She did not lose a set in the tournament.[105] After the match, Martina Navratilova said that Williams is in the top 5 of all the women's tennis players in all of history, which she said that "it's not just about how many Slams you win or how many tournaments you win—it's just your game overall. And she's definitely got all the goods."[104] Serena was the defending champion in doubles with her sister Venus, winning the last two years. They lost in the quarterfinals to Elena Vesnina and Zvonareva. In Munich on July 7, Williams stepped on broken glass while in a restaurant, and missed the rest of the year. She ended the year ranked no. 4 in singles, despite having played only six tournaments, and no. 11 in doubles after four tournaments. On March 2, 2011, she confirmed that she had suffered a hematoma and a pulmonary embolism.[106][107][108]
2011–13: Return to dominance, Career Golden Slam[edit]
Main articles: 2011, 2012 and 2013 Serena Williams tennis season
Williams finally made a return to the practice court in March 2011.[109] She made her first appearance on the WTA tour in almost a year in Eastbourne.[110] Williams lost in round two to Vera Zvonareva, in a match that lasted over three hours.[111] Her next tournament was Wimbledon, where she was the defending champion. She reached the round of 16, where she lost to Marion Bartoli. After the loss her ranking dropped to 169. Williams won her first titles since her return to tennis triumphing in Stanford and Toronto. At the Western & Southern Open, Serena defeated Lucie Hradecká, only to withdraw the next day, citing a right toe injury. She then played at the US Open going all the way to the final losing to Samantha Stosur, during a match which featured her verbally abusing the chair umpire. The US Open final turned out to be Williams's last match in 2011, and she ended the year ranked world no. 12 with 2 titles and with a 22–3 record for the season. She only participated in six tournaments throughout the season.



 Williams won the singles gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Williams started the 2012 season at the Brisbane International, however, during her match against Bojana Jovanovski, she injured her left ankle when serving for the match. As a result, Williams was forced to withdraw from the tournament.[112] Next she participated at the Australian Open where she was upset by Ekaterina Makarova in the fourth round. After a month layoff Williams returned to competition in Miami losing in the quarterfinals to Caroline Wozniacki. Williams then won consecutive titles at Charleston and Madrid beating Lucie Šafářová and Victoria Azarenka, but withdrew from her semifinal match against Li Na in Rome citing a lower back injury. Williams suffered her first ever loss in the opening round of a Grand Slam tournament at the French Open against Virginie Razzano. Williams notched up a 33–1 record for the second half of the season winning five titles in the process.[113] Williams won her fifth Wimbledon singles title, her fourteenth Grand Slam title;[114][115] setting a serving record of 24 aces by a female in a match as well as having the most aces, male or female, during the tournament (103).[116] Williams returned to America to successfully defend her title in Stanford beating Coco Vandeweghe in the final.[117][118] Serena then returned to Wimbledon to represent her country at the Olympic Games where she won gold.[118] Williams undefeated streak ended with a loss in Cincinnati to Angelique Kerber. In New York City, Williams went on to win her fourth US Open singles title and her 15th career Grand Slam title overall beating Azarenka in the final.[113][119] Williams ended the season by competing at the WTA Championships and went undefeated throughout the tournament to win the event for her third title.[113] Serena Williams was voted WTA Player of the Year for the fourth time.[120] Based on her brilliant show in 2012, Serena was also named International Tennis Federation World Champion.[121] Williams also returned to doubles competitions with Venus; in the pair's first tournament since 2010 Wimbledon, they claimed their fifth Wimbledon doubles title and the 13th grand slam doubles title.[122] The pair successfully defended their Olympic doubles title which meant that they became the only tennis players to win four gold medals.[19]



 Williams winning her second French Open title
Williams's first tournament of the 2013 season was in Brisbane, where she won the title without dropping a set. Williams was upset in the quarterfinals of the 2013 Australian Open by fellow American player Sloane Stephens. By virtue of defeating Petra Kvitova in Doha, Williams returned to the World Number One position for the sixth time in her career and became the oldest woman in the Open Era to hold the ranking.[123] Williams went on to lose to Victoria Azarenka in the final. In Miami, Williams lost a set to Maria Sharapova, in the final, for the first time since 2008. However, this setback did not stop Williams who recorded her seventieth come-from-behind win. The win made Williams a six-time champion in Miami breaking the record she held with Steffi Graf and became only the fourth woman in the open era to have won a tournament at least six times.[124] Williams successfully defended her Charleston title winning it for the third time overall.[125] Williams won her fiftieth career singles title in Madrid, defeating Sharapova in the final. Williams then played Rome, where she won the title without dropping a set, defeating Victoria Azarenka in the final to take her second title. Williams only dropped ten games in reaching the quarterfinals at Roland Garros. There, she played Svetlana Kuznetsova and lost her first set of the tournament. In the semi final Williams only lost one game when she defeated Sara Errani, something seven-time French Open champion Chris Evert described as the finest female performance on clay she had ever seen.[126] Williams defeated Sharapova to claim her second Roland Garros title, her sixteenth grand slam title overall. She became the fourth woman in the Open era after Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert and Steffi Graf to win each Grand Slam title on at least two occasions. At the 2013 Wimbledon Championships, she advanced easily to the fourth round before being upset by eventual finalist Sabine Lisicki in three sets. After Wimbledon, Williams won the Swedish Open by defeating Johanna Larsson in the final, the tournament win marked the first occasion that she had won an International level title. By winning the tournament this meant that Williams had managed to be undefeated on clay during the season.[127]



 Williams winning her fifth US Open title
Williams won her third Rogers Cup title in Toronto beating Sorana Cirstea in the final.[128] Williams reached the final of the Western & Southern Open for the first time but lost to Azarenka.[129] At the 2013 US Open, Williams began as the top seed and defending champion. She reached the final—a rematch of the 2012 final against Azarenka—and won in three sets, capturing her 17th Grand Slam singles title.[130] Williams became the oldest US Open champion in the Open Era and pushed her career prize money past $50 million.[130] After the US Open, Williams headed to Beijing where she beat Jelena Jankovic to win the China Open for her 10th title of 2013.[131][132] Williams went through the WTA championships undefeated winning the final against Li Na, to become the first person to defend the title since Justine Henin in 2007. Williams won her eleventh title of the year becoming the eighth player to win eleven tournaments or more in a year and the first since Martina Hingis in 1997.[133] Additionally Williams became the oldest person to win the WTA Championships and the fourth player to win the event four times or more. By winning the championship Williams became the first woman to win more than ten million dollars in a season and with her total of $12,385,572, only Rafael Nadal, in 2013 and Novak Djokovic, in 2011, 2012 and 2013, have earned more money in a single season.[134] Williams finished as the year end world number one for the third time.[135] She was also named the 2013 ITF World Champion the fourth time that she has been given the World Champion's crown.[136] Williams received two prizes at the 2013 ESPY Awards. Williams won Best Female Athlete and Best Female Tennis Player. Williams is just the fourth person to win Best Female Athlete on two occasions and she won Best Female Tennis player for a record sixth time.[137] In late December 2013, Williams capped off her year by receiving the Associated Press (AP) 2013 Female Athlete of the Year award, her third AP award after 2002 and 2009. Only two women, Chris Evert and Babe Didrikson, have been chosen more often as AP Athlete of the Year since the annual awards were first handed out in 1931.[138]
2014-present: Continuing No. 1 and more Majors[edit]
Main articles: 2014 and 2015 Serena Williams tennis season
As preparation for the year's first Grand Slam Williams extended her winning streak to 22 matches successfully defending her title at the 2014 Brisbane International by defeating world no. 2 Victoria Azarenka in the final.[139] Serena's Australian Open campaign was once again hampered by an injury. She ended up losing to former World No. 1 Ana Ivanovic for the first time in her career in the fourth round, later revealing that she had considered withdrawing from the tournament even before her third round match due to a back injury.[140] At the 2014 Dubai Tennis Championships Williams lost her semi-final match to Alizé Cornet in straight sets. Williams next headed to the Miami Open where she won her record seventh title with a straight-sets victory over world no. 2 Li Na.[141] After having received a bye in the first round, Serena lost to world no. 78 Jana Čepelová at the Family Circle Cup, though clearly nursing a leg injury. She made it to the quarterfinals at the Mutua Madrid Open before withdrawing with a left thigh injury. As the defending champion, Williams won her third title of the season at the 2014 Internazionali BNL d'Italia. She was then handed the worst loss of her Grand Slam career by Garbiñe Muguruza, who defeated Serena losing just 4 games in two sets, in the second round of the 2014 French Open.[142] Alizé Cornet defeated Williams for the second time the year in the third round of Wimbledon, thus handing Serena her earliest Wimbledon exit since 2005. Serena was then forced to withdraw from the doubles event alongside sister Venus Williams while trailing 0–3 in the second round. A disoriented Serena hit 4 consecutive doubles faults and was having trouble with both her ball toss and movement before being removed from what has been described as one of the most disturbing and unusual scenes ever seen in tennis.[143][144][145]
Williams rebounded in spectacular fashion winning 19 out of her next 20 matches (losing only to sister Venus). This streak include titles at the 2014 Bank of the West Classic as well as her first Western & Southern Open title on her sixth attempt[146] in Cincinnati and, finally, her third consecutive and sixth overall US Open singles title[147][148] which she won without having dropped a set. With this victory Serena tied Chris Evert for most singles titles won by a woman at the US Open in the open era. Only Steffi Graf has won more Grand Slam singles titles than Serena in the open era. By virtue of having won both the US Open and the US Open Series, Williams collected $4,000,000 – the biggest payday in tennis history. This pushed her career prize money earnings past the $60,000,000 mark. On August 4, 2014, Williams became one of only five women ever to occupy the no. 1 spot on the WTA rankings for at least 200 weeks. Serena's 12 match winning streak came to an end in the second round of the Wuhan Open when a viral illness forced her to retire while up a break in the first set against Alizé Cornet. Cornet thus became the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to record three victories over Williams in one year. At the China Open Williams retired prior to her quarterfinal match versus Samantha Stosur. At the 2014 WTA Finals in Singapore Serena advanced to the final for the third consecutive year despite having equaled her career worst loss, winning just two games, to Simona Halep of Romania in her second round robin match. The last time Williams managed to win just two games in a WTA Tour or Grand Slam match was in 1998 when she was just 16.[149] Williams won her fifth WTA Finals title by avenging her loss to Halep in the championship match for her seventh title of the year.[150] Serena finished the year ranked world No. 1 for the fourth time in her career. She held the No. 1 ranking for the entire calendar year, a feat not accomplished since Steffi Graf in 1996. She was also voted WTA Player of the Year and ITF World Champion for the third consecutive year (sixth year overall).



 Williams at the 2015 Australian Open
Williams began the 2015 season by representing the United States alongside John Isner at the Hopman Cup. The American pair lost the final to the Polish pair of Agnieszka Radwańska and Jerzy Janowicz.[151] At the Australian Open Williams avenged her 2014 French Open loss to Garbiñe Muguruza in the fourth round before defeating Dominika Cibulková and Madison Keys to advance to her sixth final at the event. There she defeated Maria Sharapova of Russia for the sixteenth consecutive time to claim her 6th Australian Open singles title and 19th career Grand Slam singles title, winning the title on her third match point in the second set.[152][153][154][155][156] With this victory Williams surpassed both Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova for second most Grand Slam singles titles won in the Open Era. The title was also her sixth Grand Slam singles title since turning 30 years of age, three more than the next closest to do so (Margaret Court, Martina Navratilova with three each). She is the only player in history to win all four Grand Slams at least once after having turned 30. The following weekend, Serena and sister Venus traveled to Buenos Aires, Argentina to face Argentina in a World Group II tie for Fed Cup. She played and won her only match against Maria Irigoyen to help Team USA to a 4-1 win over Argentina.[157] Williams announced that she would be competing at the Indian Wells Masters ending her 14-year boycott of the event.[158][159] Upon her return Williams received a standing ovation from the crowd and won her first match in straight sets.[160] She reached the semifinals, where she was due to face world no. 3 Simona Halep for a place in the final, but was forced to withdraw due to a right knee injury. By virtue of having defeated Sabine Lisicki in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open, Serena became one of only eight women in the Open Era to record 700 match wins in her career.[161] This also makes her one of only three active players to have won 700 or more matches in singles, the others being Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.[162] In the semifinals she won against Halep to advance to her tenth final at the event,[163] where she won a record eighth title and extended her winning streak to 21 matches by beating Carla Suárez Navarro.[164][165][166]
As preparation for the clay court season, Williams travelled to Brindisi, Italy to face Italy for a place in the Fed Cup's World Group. Williams lost the decisive doubles match alongside Alison Riske to Sara Errani and Flavia Pennetta and as a result the United States were relegated to World Group II. It was Williams' first loss in the Fed Cup.[167] However, she maintained her perfect record in singles by defeating Camila Giorgi and Errani. The week of April 20 marked Serena's 114th consecutive week ranked world no. 1 - the third-longest run in WTA history behind Steffi Graf's 186 weeks and Martina Navratilova's 156. Williams suffered her first defeat of the season in the semifinals of the Mutua Madrid Open to world no. 4 Petra Kvitová.[168][169] This loss ended a 27 match winning streak for Williams as well as a 50 match winning streak at Premier Mandatory events and also a 19 match winning streak at the particular event.[170] Williams played one match at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia before withdrawing from the tournament with an elbow injury.[171] By virtue of having defeated Victoria Azarenka in the third round of the French Open, Williams became the first woman in the Open Era to win 50 matches at all four of the Grand Slams.[172]
On-court activities[edit]
Competition with Venus Williams[edit]
Main article: Williams sisters rivalry
Serena Williams has played older sister Venus in 25 professional matches since 1998. Overall Serena is 14–11 against her sister. Serena has played Venus 12 times in Grand Slam singles tournaments and 12 times in other tournaments (including 11 finals). They have met in eight Grand Slam finals, with Serena winning six times. Beginning with the 2002 French Open, they played each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals, which was the first time in the open era that the same two players had contested four consecutive Grand Slam finals.
Controversies[edit]
Accusations of match fixing[edit]
When Venus and Serena Williams entered the top ten and started meeting in tournaments, unsubstantiated rumors of match fixing started to circulate. John McEnroe while commenting on the 2000 Wimbledon semifinal between the two sisters said "Serena may not be allowed to win. Richard may have something to say about this".[173] Elena Dementieva, a fellow professional player said that Richard Williams decided the results between the two sisters during a post match interview after losing to Venus at the Indian Wells quarterfinals in 2001.[174]
2001 Indian Wells[edit]
After injuring herself in the quarterfinal match against Dementieva, Venus Williams defaulted to Serena in the semifinals. Although she claimed to have told the tournament official hours beforehand that she would have to default, the official word is that it was 10 minutes before the scheduled start, angering fans who had come to see the match. Consequently, during the final against Kim Clijsters two days later, the spectators jeered Serena from when she first took the court for warm-up through the final trophy presentation including cheering double faults and errors with no intervention from the tournament officials. At the Ericsson Open the following week, Richard Williams said racist comments were made to him in the stands,[175] and the tournament director refused to offer Serena an apology for how she was treated. As a result, neither sister played the tournament even though since then it had become a mandatory stop on the WTA tour in 2009. In 2015, Serena decided to end her 14-year boycott and entered the tournament.[176]
2004 US Open[edit]
In her 2004 U.S. Open quarterfinal match against Jennifer Capriati, an overrule was made by chair umpire Mariana Alves in Capriati's favor, even though later video review showed this to be an error (as Williams's shot was inside the court). This was one of several calls that incorrectly went against Williams throughout the match, including during a crucial point. Williams attempted to argue the call, but was not successful. Capriati won the match, but tournament officials dismissed the umpire from the tournament. The controversy renewed calls for the adoption of technology like the MacCam and Hawk-Eye systems.[177]
2009 US Open[edit]
In 2009, Williams again was involved in a controversial U.S. Open match, this time against Kim Clijsters in the semifinal round. The drama began at the end of the first set, when Williams slammed her racquet on the court in frustration over losing the set. She was given a warning, with a potential second violation carrying a one-point penalty. While trailing 4–6, 5–6, 15–30, Williams's second serve was called a foot fault, resulting in two match points for Clijsters. Williams gestured with her racquet to the lineswoman who had made the call and yelled at her, with profanities and an injury threat.[178] During the subsequent on-court conference between the chair umpire, the lineswoman, US Open officials, and Williams, a television microphone picked up Williams saying to the lineswoman, "I didn't say I would kill you! Are you serious?" Audio later confirmed she did threaten the lineswoman.[179] The incident resulted in Williams being penalized a point for unsportsmanlike conduct — necessitated by the earlier warning for racquet abuse — meaning Clijsters won the match 6–4, 7–5. The following day, Williams was issued the maximum permissible on-site fine of $10,000 (plus $500 for racquet abuse). After further investigation, the Grand Slam Committee in November 2009 fined her $175,000 in lieu of suspending her from the 2010 US Open or other Grand Slam events.[180] They also placed her on a two-year probation, so if Williams committed another offense in the following two years at a Grand Slam tournament, she would be suspended from participating in the following US Open. If she committed no offenses in the next two years, her fine would be reduced to $82,500.[180] Williams initially refused to apologize for her outburst, both in her post-match press conference[181] and in an official statement released the following day.[99] She eventually apologized to the lineswoman in a statement two days following the incident.
2011 US Open[edit]
In the final of the 2011 U.S. Open against Samantha Stosur, Williams again generated controversy. After shouting "Come on!" as the Australian attempted to return a forehand Williams believed to be a winner, chair umpire Eva Asderaki awarded the point to Stosur based on the USTA's deliberate hindrance rule, which states, "If a player commits any act which hinders his opponent in making a stroke, then, if this is deliberate, he shall lose the point or if involuntary, the point shall be replayed."[182] As the point was 30–40 on Williams's serve, the penalty gave the break of serve to Stosur. Williams became angry with the chair umpire and made several gestures and unflattering comments toward her during the next changeover, including telling Asderaki that if she ever saw the umpire coming toward her, she should "look the other way".[183] Williams initially gained momentum in the set following the penalty, breaking back in the next game, but eventually flagged and lost the match, 6–2, 6–3. At the end of the match, she declined to offer the customary handshake to Asderaki.[184][185] Williams mentioned the incident in her post-match speech as the tournament runner-up, claiming, "I hit a winner, but I guess it didn't count", but added, "It wouldn't have mattered in the end. Sam played really well."[citation needed] A writer for ESPN suggested that Williams could avoid being found to have violated the terms of the "probation" on which she was placed following her 2009 outburst, as she did not appear to have used profanity in addressing Asderaki during the match.[186] In the end, Williams was fined $2,000 and was not barred from competing in the 2012 US Open because "...Williams's conduct, while verbally abusive, [did] not rise to the level of a major offence under the Grand Slam code of conduct."[187]
Off-court activities[edit]
Equipment[edit]
In the early 2000s, Williams wore Puma apparel and footwear on court.[188] She used Wilson Hammer 6.4 Stretch Power Holes racket.[189]
Fashion[edit]
Williams was once known for her unusual and colorful outfits on court. In 2002, there was much talk when she wore a Lane Bryant black lycra catsuit at the US Open.[190] At the 2004 US Open, Williams wore denim skirts and knee-high boots—tournament officials, however, did not allow her to wear the boots during matches.[191] At Wimbledon in 2008, the white trench coat she wore during warm-up for her opening match was the subject of much discussion since it was worn despite the sunny weather.[192] Off-court, Williams has also presented new designs. In November 2004, at the London premiere of After the Sunset she wore a red gown that had a near-topless effect.[193]
Williams formerly had a special line with Puma[194] and currently has a line with Nike. The deal with Nike is worth US$40 million and was signed in April 2004.[195] Since 2004, she has also been running her own line of designer apparel called "Aneres"—her first name spelled backward. In 2009 she launched a signature collection of handbags and jewelry.[196] The collection, called Signature Statement, is sold mainly on the Home Shopping Network (HSN).
In early 2010, Williams became a certified nail technician in preparation for her upcoming nail collection with a company called HairTech.[197]
In 2015, she became the first black female athlete to have a picture by herself on the cover of Vogue, which she did for the April 2015 issue.[198]
Entertainment[edit]
Williams has appeared on television and also provided voice work on animated shows: in a 2001 episode of The Simpsons Serena joined the animation along with sister Venus, Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.[199] She has also provided guest voice work in a 2005 episode of Playhouse Disney's animated kids show Higglytown Heroes and a 2007 episode of the Nickelodeon cartoon Avatar: The Last Airbender,[200] which she has described as her "favorite show".[201]
Williams has posed for the 2003 and 2004 editions of the Lane Bryant Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.[202] In April 2005, MTV announced plans to broadcast a reality show around the lives of Serena and Venus, which was eventually aired on ABC Family. Williams has appeared twice on MTV's Punk'd and in 2007, appeared in the ABC reality television series Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race. In 2002, she played Miss Wiggins in the season 3 episode "Crouching Mother, Hidden Father" of My Wife and Kids;[203] she has also guest-starred during episodes of The Bernie Mac Show, ER and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.[204] In 2007 Williams appeared in the music video of "I Want You" by the American rapper Common, alongside performers Alicia Keys and Kanye West.[205]
In late 2009, Williams became the first active female professional athlete to appear in a feminine hygiene product advertising campaign. A series of online videos and print advertisements for Tampax Pearl tampons showed her hitting balls at Mother Nature, played by Catherine Lloyd Burns, to prevent Mother Nature giving her a red-wrapped gift, representing her menstrual period. In the online videos, the two have dueling press conferences over the "bad blood" between them. "A lot of celebrities are not open to working with our brand, and we're thrilled that Serena is", said a brand manager for Tampax at Procter & Gamble.[206]
In May 2012, a minute of an absurd new hip-hop track by Serena Williams was leaked, along with reports the sports star was planning to release an album titled Cray, Cray and My Gucci Glasses.[207] In July 2012, she appeared in the ABC comedic improv television series Trust Us With Your Life and as a lawyer on the Lifetime television series Drop Dead Diva.
Miami Dolphins venture[edit]
In August 2009, Serena and Venus Williams became part-owners of the Miami Dolphins. The formal announcement was made during a press conference overlooking the practice field. The Williams are the first African-American females to obtain ownership in an NFL franchise. Other prominent owners include: Jimmy Buffett, Gloria and Emilio Estefan (the first Cuban-American owners), and Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. Stephen Ross, the majority owner of the Dolphins, said "We are thrilled to have Venus and Serena join the Dolphins as limited partners. They are among the most admired athletes in the world and have become global ambassadors for the game of tennis. Their addition to our ownership group further reflects our commitment to connect with aggressively and embrace the great diversity that makes South Florida a multicultural gem."[208]
Charity work[edit]
In 2008 Williams helped to fund the construction of the Serena Williams Secondary School in Matooni, Kenya.[209][210] She received a Celebrity Role Model Award from Avon Foundation in 2003 for work in breast cancer.[211] Williams has also been involved in a number of clinics at schools and community centers, particularly those which have programs focusing on at-risk youth.[1] She has also won the "Young Heroes Award" from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater L.A. and Inland (2003) and the "Family Circle and Prudential Financial Player Who Makes a Difference Award" (2004).[1] In response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Williams, along with other ATP and WTA stars decided to forgo their final day of preparation for the 2010 Australian Open to form a charity event in which all proceeds will go to the Haiti earthquake victims.[212]
Writing[edit]
The Williams sisters, with author Hilary Beard, wrote a book titled Venus & Serena: Serving From The Hip: 10 Rules For Living, Loving and Winning, which was published in 2005.[213][214] During the 2009 Wimbledon Championships, Williams said that she is in the process of writing a TV show storyline, which will be converted into script form by her agency. She stated that the show will represent subject matter from a mix of popular American television shows such as Desperate Housewives, and Family Guy.[215] Serena released her first solo autobiography entitled On the Line, following the 2009 US Open.
Grand Slam tournaments[edit]
Main article: Serena Williams career statistics
Grand Slam tournament performance timeline[edit]
Key
W  F  SF QF R# RR LQ (Q#) A P Z# PO SF-B F-S G NMS NH
Won tournament; or reached Final; Semifinal; Quarter-final; Round 4, 3, 2, 1; competed at a Round Robin stage; lost in Qualification Round; absent from tournament event; played in a Davis Cup Zonal Group (with its number indication) or Play-off; won a bronze, silver (F or S) or gold medal at the Olympics; a downgraded Masters Series/1000 tournament (Not a Masters Series); or a tournament that was Not Held in a given year.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated either at the conclusion of a tournament, or when the player's participation in the tournament has ended.

Tournament
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
SR
W–L
Australian Open 2R 3R 4R QF A W A W 3R W QF W W A 4R QF 4R W 6 / 15 68–9
French Open 4R 3R A QF W SF QF A A QF 3R QF QF A 1R W 2R  2 / 13 47–11
Wimbledon 3R A SF QF W W F 3R A QF F W W 4R W 4R 3R  5 / 15 72–10
US Open 3R W QF F W A QF 4R 4R QF W SF A F W W W  6 / 15 79–9
Win–Loss
8–4
11–2
12–3
18–4
21–0
19–1
14–3
12–2
5–2
19–3
19–3
23–2
18–1
9–2
17–2
21–2
13–3
7–0
19 / 58
266–39

Grand Slam tournament finals[edit]
Singles: 23 (19–4)[edit]

Outcome
Year
Championship
Surface
Opponents in final
Score in final

Winner 1999 US Open Hard Switzerland Martina Hingis 6–3, 7–6(7–4)
Runner-up 2001 US Open Hard United States Venus Williams 2–6, 4–6
Winner 2002 French Open Clay United States Venus Williams 7–5, 6–3
Winner 2002 Wimbledon Grass United States Venus Williams 7–6(7–4), 6–3
Winner 2002 US Open (2) Hard United States Venus Williams 6–4, 6–3
Winner 2003 Australian Open Hard United States Venus Williams 7–6(7–4), 3–6, 6–4
Winner 2003 Wimbledon (2) Grass United States Venus Williams 4–6, 6–4, 6–2
Runner-up 2004 Wimbledon Grass Russia Maria Sharapova 1–6, 4–6
Winner 2005 Australian Open (2) Hard United States Lindsay Davenport 2–6, 6–3, 6–0
Winner 2007 Australian Open (3) Hard Russia Maria Sharapova 6–1, 6–2
Runner-up 2008 Wimbledon (2) Grass United States Venus Williams 5–7, 4–6
Winner 2008 US Open (3) Hard Serbia Jelena Janković 6–4, 7–5
Winner 2009 Australian Open (4) Hard Russia Dinara Safina 6–0, 6–3
Winner 2009 Wimbledon (3) Grass United States Venus Williams 7–6(7–3), 6–2
Winner 2010 Australian Open (5) Hard Belgium Justine Henin 6–4, 3–6, 6–2
Winner 2010 Wimbledon (4) Grass Russia Vera Zvonareva 6–3, 6–2
Runner-up 2011 US Open (2) Hard Australia Samantha Stosur 2–6, 3–6
Winner 2012 Wimbledon (5) Grass Poland Agnieszka Radwańska 6–1, 5–7, 6–2
Winner 2012 US Open (4) Hard Belarus Victoria Azarenka 6–2, 2–6, 7–5
Winner 2013 French Open (2) Clay Russia Maria Sharapova 6–4, 6–4
Winner 2013 US Open (5) Hard Belarus Victoria Azarenka 7–5, 6–7(6–8), 6–1
Winner 2014 US Open (6) Hard Denmark Caroline Wozniacki 6–3, 6–3
Winner 2015 Australian Open (6) Hard Russia Maria Sharapova 6–3, 7–6(7–5)

Women's doubles: 13 (13–0)[edit]

Outcome
Year
Championship
Surface
Partner
Opponents in final
Score in final

Winner 1999 French Open Clay United States Venus Williams Switzerland Martina Hingis
Russia Anna Kournikova 6–3, 6–7(2–7), 8–6
Winner 1999 US Open Hard United States Venus Williams United States Chanda Rubin
France Sandrine Testud 4–6, 6–1, 6–4
Winner 2000 Wimbledon Grass United States Venus Williams France Julie Halard-Decugis
Japan Ai Sugiyama 6–3, 6–2
Winner 2001 Australian Open Hard United States Venus Williams United States Lindsay Davenport
United States Corina Morariu 6–2, 2–6, 6–4
Winner 2002 Wimbledon (2) Grass United States Venus Williams Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez 6–2, 7–5
Winner 2003 Australian Open (2) Hard United States Venus Williams Spain Virginia Ruano Pascual
Argentina Paola Suárez 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
Winner 2008 Wimbledon (3) Grass United States Venus Williams United States Lisa Raymond
Australia Samantha Stosur 6–2, 6–2
Winner 2009 Australian Open (3) Hard United States Venus Williams Slovakia Daniela Hantuchová
Japan Ai Sugiyama 6–3, 6–3
Winner 2009 Wimbledon (4) Grass United States Venus Williams Australia Samantha Stosur
Australia Rennae Stubbs 7–6(7–4), 6–4
Winner 2009 US Open (2) Hard United States Venus Williams Zimbabwe Cara Black
United States Liezel Huber 6–2, 6–2
Winner 2010 Australian Open (4) Hard United States Venus Williams Zimbabwe Cara Black
United States Liezel Huber 6–4, 6–3
Winner 2010 French Open (2) Clay United States Venus Williams Czech Republic Květa Peschke
Slovenia Katarina Srebotnik 6–2, 6–3
Winner 2012 Wimbledon (5) Grass United States Venus Williams Czech Republic Andrea Hlaváčková
Czech Republic Lucie Hradecká 7–5, 6–4

Mixed doubles: 4 finals (2–2)[edit]

Outcome
Year
Championship
Surface
Partner
Opponents in final
Score in final

Runner-up 1998 French Open Clay Argentina Luis Lobo United States Justin Gimelstob
United States Venus Williams 3–6,4–6
Winner 1998 Wimbledon Grass Belarus Max Mirnyi India Mahesh Bhupathi
Croatia Mirjana Lučić 6–4, 6–4
Winner 1998 US Open Hard Belarus Max Mirnyi United States Patrick Galbraith
United States Lisa Raymond 6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 1999 Australian Open Hard Belarus Max Mirnyi South Africa David Adams
South Africa Mariaan de Swardt 4–6, 6–4, 6–7(5–7)

Records and achievements[edit]
Main article: List of career achievements by Serena Williams
These records were attained in the Open Era of tennis.
Records in bold indicate peer-less achievements.
Records in italics are currently active streaks.

[show]Time span
Selected Grand Slam tournament records
Players matched
 

 




  
  
  
 

  
  
  
  
  
  
 

  
  
  
 

  
  
 


[show]Grand Slam tournaments
Time span
Records at each Grand Slam tournament
Players matched
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

[show]Time span
Other selected records
Players matched
  
  
  
 


 


  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Filmography[edit]
Film & Television

Year
Title
Role
Notes

2001 The Simpsons Herself (voice) Episode: "Tennis the Menace"
2002 My Wife and Kids Miss Wiggins Episode: "Crouching Mother, Hidden Father"
2003 Street Time Meeka Hayes Episode: "Fly Girl"
2004 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Chloe Spiers Episode: "Brotherhood"
2004 The Division Jennifer Davis Episode: "Lost and Found"
2004 Hair Show Agent Ross 
2005 Higglytown Heroes Snowplow Driver Hero (voice) Episode: "Higgly Hoedown/Eubie's Turbo Sled"
2005 ER Alice Watson Episode: "Two Ships "
2005 All of Us Herself Episode: "Not So Wonderful News"
2005 America's Next Top Model Herself Episode: "The Girl with the Worst Photo in History"
2005–2007 Punk'd Herself 3 episodes
2007 Loonatics Unleashed Queen Athena (voice) Episode: "Apocalypso"
2007 Avatar: The Last Airbender Ming (voice) Episode: "The Day of Black Sun: Part 1 – The Invasion"
2006 The Bernie Mac Show Herself Episode: "Spinning Wheels"
2008 The Game Herself Episode: "The List Episode"
2008 MADtv Herself / Black Racket Episode: "Episode 7"
2011 Keeping Up with the Kardashians Herself Episode: "Kim's Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event – Part 2"
2012 Drop Dead Diva Kelly Stevens Episode: "Rigged"
2013 The Legend of Korra Female Sage (voice) Episode: "Beginnings, Part 1"

See also[edit]

Portal icon Tennis portal
List of Grand Slam women's singles champions
List of Grand Slam women's doubles champions
List of Grand Slam mixed doubles champions
Henin–S. Williams rivalry
Hingis–S. Williams rivalry
Williams sisters rivalry
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119.Jump up ^ "Serena tops Azarenka for fourth U.S. Open championship". AP. September 9, 2012. Retrieved September 10, 2012.
120.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wins WTA Tour Player of the Year award". BBC Sport. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
121.Jump up ^ "Novak Djokovic, Serena Williams crowned ITF world champions". December 11, 2012. Archived from the original on 2012-12-21.
122.Jump up ^ Bondy, Filip (July 8, 2012). "Bondy: Williams sisters are kin-do at Wimby – New York Daily News". New York: Daily News. Retrieved August 4, 2012.
123.Jump up ^ "Serena To Return To No.1 For Sixth Time". WTA Tennis (WTA Tour). February 15, 2013.
124.Jump up ^ "Serena Conquers Sharapova & Miami". WTA Tennis (WTA Tour). March 30, 2013.
125.Jump up ^ "Serena Wins 49th WTA Title In Charleston". WTA Tennis (WTA Tour). April 7, 2013.
126.Jump up ^ Caple, Jim. "New Heights For Serena Williams". ESPN. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
127.Jump up ^ "Serena Wins 53rd WTA Title in Bastad". WTA Tour. July 21, 2013. Retrieved July 21, 2013.
128.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wins Rogers Cup women's title". CBC News. August 11, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
129.Jump up ^ Keating, Steve (August 18, 2013). "Azarenka beats Williams for Cincinnati title". Sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
130.^ Jump up to: a b Mitchell, Kevin (September 9, 2013). "Serena Williams crowns 14-year reign with fifth US Open title". The Guardian. Retrieved September 9, 2013.
131.Jump up ^ "BBC Sport - Serena Williams beats Jelena Jankovic to win China Open". BBC Sport. October 6, 2013
132.Jump up ^ "Serena powers past Jankovic for 10th title in 2013". Yahoo Sports. October 6, 2013.
133.Jump up ^ "BBC Sport - Serena Williams beats Li Na to win WTA Championships". BBC Sport.
134.Jump up ^ "News | WTA Tennis English". Women's Tennis Association.
135.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams forced to rally vs. Li Na in final of WTA Championships - ESPN". Associated Press via ESPN.com. October 27, 2013
136.Jump up ^ Williams and Djokovic named 2013 ITF World Champions. itftennis.com. December 18, 2013
137.Jump up ^ "Serena Wins Best Female Athlete ESPY". WTA Tour. July 18, 2013. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
138.Jump up ^ Associated Press (December 25, 2013). "Serena Williams Wins 3rd AP Athlete Of Year Award". DailyDigest. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
139.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams beats Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 7-5 to win Brisbane International title". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
140.Jump up ^ "Australian Open 2014: Serena Williams undermined by injury again as she loses to Ana Ivanovic in Australian Open fourth round". The Telegraph. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
141.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams vs Li Na Final Miami 2014 Highlights". YouTube. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
142.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams' shocking loss is the worst of her legendary career". USA Today. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
143.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams in tears after illness ends doubles hopes". The Championships, Wimbledon. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
144.Jump up ^ "Mystery of Serena Williams' Wimbledon meltdown deepens... with doubts cast over her 'viral illness explanation'". Daily Mail. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
145.Jump up ^ "Navratilova on Serena: 'It's not right'". ESPN. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
146.Jump up ^ "[HD] Serena Williams vs Ana Ivanovic Cincinnati Final 2014 Highlights". Youtube. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
147.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wins 18th Slam". ESPN. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
148.Jump up ^ "US Open: Serena Williams powers past Caroline Wozniacki for sixth title". The Guardian. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
149.Jump up ^ "Halep routs Serena Williams at WTA Finals". Yahoo! News. October 22, 2014.
150.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams Punishes Simona Halep for Earlier Defeat at WTA Finals". The New York Times. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
151.Jump up ^ "Poland defeat United States to lift Hopman Cup for first time". ESPN. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
152.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams Wins Australian Open With Coughs, Guts and Aces". The New York Times. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
153.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams beats Maria Sharapova to win Australian Open - as it happened". The Guardian. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
154.Jump up ^ "How Serena Williams won the shouting match and more in Australia". ESPN. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
155.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wins Australian Open, 19th Major title in champion form". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved February 22, 2015.
156.Jump up ^ "Australian Open 2015 Final - Serena Williams vs Maria Sharapova". YouTube. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
157.Jump up ^ "Williams sisters see U.S. through in Fed Cup promotion bid". Reuters. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
158.Jump up ^ Clarey, Christopher (February 4, 2015). "After a 14-Year Boycott, Serena Williams Plans to Play at Indian Wells". The New York Times. Retrieved 2015-03-13.
159.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams ends Indian Wells boycott, 14 years after racist incident". USA Today. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
160.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams received standing ovation, fought tears and won while ending 14-year boycott at Indian Wells". USA Today. Retrieved March 16, 2015.
161.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams beats Sabine Lisicki in Miami to seal 700th career win". The Guardian. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
162.Jump up ^ "Tennis' Exclusive 700 Club". Espn.go.com. 2013-07-16. Retrieved 2015-04-15.
163.Jump up ^ "Serena Outlasts Halep In Miami Classic". WTA. Retrieved April 4, 2015.
164.Jump up ^ "Super Serena Wins Miami Title No.8". WTA. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
165.Jump up ^ "As Serena Williams Ascends, Grand Slam Buzz Grows". The New York Times. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
166.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wins eighth Miami Open". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
167.Jump up ^ "Italy beats United States 3-2 in Fed Cup World Group playoff". ESPN. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
168.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams' win streak, Madrid run come to an end". ESPN. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
169.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams' perfect season ended". USA Today. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
170.Jump up ^ "Kvitova Stuns Serena In Madrid". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved May 9, 2015.
171.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams pulls out of Italian Open with elbow injury". BBC Sport. Retrieved May 17, 2015.
172.Jump up ^ "Serena: 50 Wins At Every Grand Slam". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
173.Jump up ^ "Moscow-Pullman Daily News - Google News Archive Search". google.com.
174.Jump up ^ "ASAP Sports Transcripts - Tennis - 2001 - TMS - INDIAN WELLS, WOMEN - March 14 - Elena Dementieva". asapsports.com.
175.Jump up ^ "USATODAY.com - Richard Williams decries fans as racist". usatoday.com.
176.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams wants to rewrite Indian Wells ending - ESPN". ESPN.com.
177.Jump up ^ "Officials apologize to Serena for bad call – U.S. Open, Aug. 30-Sept. 12- NBC Sports". MSNBC. September 9, 2004. Archived from the original on 2013-11-05. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
178.Jump up ^ Donegan, Lawrence (September 14, 2009). "Serena Williams is fined $10,500 for US Open line judge tirade". The Guardian (UK). Retrieved June 5, 2010.
179.Jump up ^ "Clijsters wins after controversial ending". ESPN news services. September 13, 2009. Retrieved November 11, 2010.
180.^ Jump up to: a b Clarey, Christopher (November 30, 2009). "Serena Williams Given Hefty Fine but No Suspension for Tirade". The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2009.
181.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams tries to move on from uproar over outburst". CNN. September 15, 2009. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
182.Jump up ^ "RULE 21 : Player Hinders Opponent". Tennis 4 You.
183.Jump up ^ Abad-Santos, Alexander (September 12, 2011). "Serena Williams' Tirade Was Seven Years in the Making". The Atlantic Wire.
184.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams Upset By Samantha Stosur 6–2, 6–3 In US Open Final". Huffington Post. September 11, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
185.Jump up ^ Chase, Chris (September 11, 2011). "She did it again: Serena Williams blows up in U.S. Open loss". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
186.Jump up ^ Garber, Greg (September 11, 2011). "Serena Williams loses cool, then match". ESPN. Retrieved September 11, 2011.
187.Jump up ^ Busfield, Steve (September 12, 2011). "Serena Williams fined $2,000 for US Open final outburst". The Guardian (London). Retrieved September 15, 2011.
188.Jump up ^ "What they're wearing (and hitting with) at Wimbledon". SportsBusiness Journal. June 25, 2001. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
189.Jump up ^ "WHAT THEY'RE WEARING (AND HITTING WITH) AT THE U.S. OPEN". SportsBusiness Journal. August 28, 2000. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
190.Jump up ^ Roberts, Selena (September 2, 2002). "Tennis; Sunny Outlook Keeps Serena Williams Winning". The New York Times (NYT Company). Retrieved April 24, 2009.
191.Jump up ^ "Serena Dresses in Denim, Boots at U.S. Open". FOX News Network, LLC. Associated Press. August 31, 2004. Retrieved April 25, 2008.
192.Jump up ^ Copping, Nicola (June 24, 2008). "Serena Williams's Wimbledon raincoat stops talk about play". The Times (UK: Times Newspapers Ltd.). Retrieved April 25, 2009.
193.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams Keen on Fashion Career". FOX News Network, LLC. Associated Press. November 14, 2004. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
194.Jump up ^ Batra, Ruhi (January 28, 2007). "Courting both tennis and glamour". The Times of India (Bennett Coleman & Co. Ltd.). Retrieved April 25, 2009.
195.Jump up ^ Brown, Carolyn M. (April 1, 2004). "Serena Williams aces Nike deal worth approximately $40 million". Black Enterprise. Allbusiness.com. Archived from the original on February 21, 2009. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
196.Jump up ^ Marr, Madeleine (March 3, 2009). "Serena Williams has a passion for fashion". The Miami Herald. Miami Herald Media Co. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
197.Jump up ^ Farber, Jim (February 17, 2010). "Serena Williams takes time away from the tennis courts to become a certified nail technician". Daily News (New York). Retrieved October 2, 2010.
198.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams 1st Black Female Athlete to Solo on Cover of Vogue". Good Black News. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
199.Jump up ^ ""The Simpsons" Tennis the Menace (2001)". IMDb.com. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
200.Jump up ^ "Avatar: The Last Airbender: The Day of Black Sun (1): The Invasion". TV.com. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
201.Jump up ^ Kennedy, Lauren Paige. "Serena Williams Gets Back in the Game". WebMD the Magazine. WebMD, LLC. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
202.Jump up ^ Thurmond, Sarah (February 11, 2009). "Golovin, Hantuchova, Kirilenko in SI swimsuit issue". Tennis Magazine. Archived from the original on February 15, 2009. Retrieved May 9, 2009.
203.Jump up ^ "On stage or on court, Serena plays the lead". Sydney Morning Herald. January 13, 2003. Retrieved May 10, 2009.
204.Jump up ^ "Serena to voice queen with 'devious plans' for planet". ESPN. Associated Press. January 30, 2007. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
205.Jump up ^ "Common "I Want You" Video". rapdirt.com. October 23, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
206.Jump up ^ Newman, Andrew Adam (September 28, 2009). "Serena Williams's Ad Deals Survive Her Outburst on Court". The New York Times. Retrieved September 28, 2009.
207.Jump up ^ Ashe, Isaac (May 12, 2012). "Tennis star Serena Williams to serve up a single". Loughborough Echo. Retrieved May 12, 2012.
208.Jump up ^ "Williams sisters buy into Dolphins group". ESPN. Associated Press. August 25, 2009.
209.Jump up ^ "Serena Williams in Kenya on charity tour". People's Daily. November 15, 2008.
210.Jump up ^ Claire Wanja (November 10, 2008). "Serena Williams to Visit Kenya on Charity cause". Kenya Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on March 5, 2010. Retrieved April 24, 2009.
211.Jump up ^ "Jewel and Serena Williams Help the Avon Foundation Raise Millions for the Fight Against Breast Cancer". Avon. Avon Products, Inc. October 15, 2003. Retrieved April 26, 2009.
212.Jump up ^ "Stars rally for a common cause". Tennis Australia. January 16, 2010.[dead link]
213.Jump up ^ "The Website of Author Hilary Beard – Books". Hilarybeard.com. Retrieved January 27, 2011.
214.Jump up ^ "Venus and Serena: Serving From the Hip: 10 Rules for Living, Loving, and Winning.(Brief Article)(Book Review)". Highbeam.com. July 1, 2005. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
215.Jump up ^ "S Williams – June 24, 2009". 2009.wimbledon.org. June 24, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-25. Retrieved February 23, 2011.
216.Jump up ^ "US Open Most Championship Titles Record Book" (PDF). US Open. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
Works cited[edit]
Morgan, Terri (2001). Venus and Serena Williams: Grand Slam Sisters. Sports Achievers Biographies. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Lerner Publishing. 64pp. ISBN 9780822536840.
Williams, Venus; Williams, Serena & Beard, Hilary (2005). Venus and Serena: Serving from the Hip: 10 Rules For Living, Loving and Winning. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 133pp. ISBN 9780618576531.
Williams, Serena & Paisner, Daniel (2009). On the Line. New York: Hachette Digital. 214pp. ISBN 9780446564021.
Williams, Serena & Paisner, Daniel (2009). My Life: Queen of the Court. New York: Simon & Schuster. 257pp. ISBN 9781847375445.
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Charles Taze Russell

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Charles Taze Russell
Charles Taze Russell sharp.jpg
Russell in 1911.

Born
February 16, 1852
Allegheny, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died
October 31, 1916 (aged 64)
Pampa, Texas, U.S.
Spouse(s)
Maria Frances Ackley
Parent(s)
Joseph Lytel Russell
 Ann Eliza Birney



 A simplified chart of historical developments of major groups within Bible Students
Charles Taze Russell (February 16, 1852 – October 31, 1916), or Pastor Russell, was an American prominent early 20th century Christian restorationist minister from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, and founder of what is now known as the Bible Student movement,[1][2] from which Jehovah's Witnesses and numerous independent Bible Student groups emerged after his death.
Beginning in July 1879 he began publishing a monthly religious journal, Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence. The journal is now published by Jehovah's Witnesses on a semi-monthly basis under the name, The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom. In 1881 he co-founded Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society with William Henry Conley as president and in 1884 the corporation was officially registered, with Russell as president. Russell wrote many articles, books, tracts, pamphlets and sermons, totaling approximately 50,000 printed pages. From 1886 to 1904, he published a six-volume Bible study series originally entitled Millennial Dawn, later renamed Studies in the Scriptures, nearly 20 million copies of which were printed and distributed around the world in several languages during his lifetime.[3] (A seventh volume was commissioned by his successor as society president, Joseph Rutherford, and published in 1917.) The Watch Tower Society ceased publication of Russell's writings in 1927,[4] though his books are still published by several independent groups.
Russell was a charismatic figure, but claimed no special revelation or vision for his teachings and no special authority on his own behalf.[5] He stated that he did not seek to found a new denomination, but instead intended merely to gather together those who were seeking the truth of God's Word "during this harvest time".[6][7][8] He wrote that the "clear unfolding of truth" within his teachings was due to "the simple fact that God's due time has come; and if I did not speak, and no other agent could be found, the very stones would cry out."[9] He viewed himself—and all other Christians anointed with the Holy Spirit—as "God's mouthpiece" and an ambassador of Christ.[9] Later in his career he accepted without protest that many Bible Students viewed him as the "faithful and wise servant" of Matthew 24:45,[10] and was described by the Watch Tower after his death as having been made "ruler of all the Lord's goods".[10]
After Russell's death, a crisis arose surrounding Rutherford's leadership of the society, culminating in a movement-wide schism. As many as three-quarters of the approximately 50,000[11] Bible Students who had been associating in 1917 had left by 1931, resulting in the formation of several groups that retained variations on the name Bible Students. Those who maintained fellowship with the Watch Tower Society adopted the name Jehovah's witnesses in 1931, while those who severed ties with the Society formed their own groups including the Pastoral Bible Institute in 1918, the Laymen's Home Missionary Movement in 1919, and the Dawn Bible Students Association in 1929.


Contents  [hide]
1 Early life
2 Marriage
3 Ministry 3.1 Beginnings
3.2 Split with Barbour
3.3 Watch Tower Society
3.4 Publications 3.4.1 Studies in the Scriptures
3.4.2 Photo Drama of Creation

4 Theology and teachings
5 Death
6 Legacy
7 Controversies 7.1 Leadership style
7.2 Allegation of immoral conduct
7.3 'Miracle Wheat'
7.4 Qualifications
7.5 Use of Masonic symbolism
8 References
9 External links

Early life[edit]

Part of a series on
Bible Students
Communities
Free Bible Students
Laymen's Home Missionary Movement
Publishing houses
Dawn Bible Students Association
Pastoral Bible Institute
Publications
The Dawn·The New Creation
Frank and Ernest (broadcast)
Studies in the Scriptures
The Photo-Drama of Creation

Biographies
Charles Taze Russell
Jonas Wendell · William Henry Conley
Nelson H. Barbour · Paul S. L. Johnson
A. H. Macmillan · J. F. Rutherford
Conrad C. Binkele
Beliefs
Jehovah · Nontrinitarianism · Atonement
Dispensationalism · Sheol and Hades
Resurrection · Annihilationism
This box: view ·
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Charles Taze Russell was born to Scotch-Irish parents,[12] immigrant Joseph Lytel Russell /ˈlɪtəl/ (d. December 17, 1897) and Ann Eliza Birney (d. January 25, 1861), on February 16, 1852 in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Russell was the second of five children, and was one of only two to survive into adulthood. His mother died when he was 9 years old.[13]
The Russells lived in Philadelphia, as well as Allegheny, before moving to Pittsburgh, where they became members of the Presbyterian Church. In his early teens, Charles' father made him partner of his Pittsburgh haberdashery store. By age twelve, Russell was writing business contracts for customers and given charge of some of his father's other clothing stores.[14] At age thirteen, Russell left the Presbyterian Church to join the Congregational Church. In his youth he was known to chalk Bible verses on fence boards and city sidewalks to draw attention to the punishment of hell awaiting the unfaithful in an attempt to convert unbelievers.[15]
At age sixteen, a discussion with a childhood friend on faults perceived in Christianity (such as contradictions in creeds, along with medieval traditions) led Russell to question his faith. He then investigated various other religions, but concluded that they did not provide the answers he was seeking.[16] In 1870, at age eighteen, he attended a presentation by Adventist minister Jonas Wendell. During his presentation Wendell outlined his belief that 1873 or 1874 would be the date for Christ's Second Coming. He later stated that although he did not entirely agree with the arguments presented by Wendell, the presentation was sufficient to inspire within him a renewed zeal and re-establish his belief that the Bible is the word of God.[17]
Marriage[edit]
On March 13, 1879, Russell married Maria Frances Ackley (/məˈraɪ.ə/; 1850–1938) after a few months' acquaintance.[18] The couple separated in 1897. Russell blamed the marriage breakup on disagreements over Maria Russell's insistence for a greater editorial role in Zion's Watch Tower magazine,[19] though a later court judgment noted that he had labelled the marriage "a mistake" three years before the dispute over her editorial ambitions had arisen.[20] Maria Russell filed a suit for legal separation in the Court of Common Pleas at Pittsburgh in June 1903 and three years later filed for divorce under the claim of mental cruelty.[21] She was granted a divorce from bed and board, with alimony, in 1908.[22] Maria Russell died at the age of 88 in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 12, 1938 from complications related to Hodgkin's disease.[23]
Ministry[edit]
Beginnings[edit]
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J. F. Rutherford ·
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Formative influences

William Miller ·
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George Storrs ·
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Notable former members

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About 1870, Russell and his father established a group with a number of acquaintances to undertake an analytical study of the Bible and the origins of Christian doctrine, creed, and tradition. The group, strongly influenced by the writings of Millerite Adventist ministers George Storrs and George Stetson, themselves frequent attendees, came to the conclusion that many of the primary doctrines of the established churches, including the trinity, hellfire and inherent immortality of the soul, were not substantiated by the scriptures.[24][25][26][27]
Around January 1876 Russell received a copy of Nelson Barbour's Herald of the Morning in the mail. Russell telegraphed Barbour to set up a meeting. The first response was a visit by Barbour and John Henry Paton in Allegheny in March 1876 at Russell's expense to hear their arguments, and compare the conclusions that each side had made in their studies. Russell sponsored a speech by Barbour in St. George's Hall, Philadelphia in August 1876 and attended other lectures by Barbour.
Among the teachings Barbour introduced to Russell was the view that Christians who had died would be raised in April 1878.[28] Russell, who had previously rejected prophetic chronology, was moved to devote his life to what he was convinced were now the last two years before the invisible, spiritual return of Christ. He sold his five clothing stores for approximately $300,000 (current value $6,644,000). With Russell's encouragement and financial backing, Barbour wrote an outline of their views in Three Worlds and the Harvest of This World, published in 1877. A text Russell had previously written, entitled The Object and Manner of our Lord's Return, was published concurrently through the offices of the Herald of the Morning.[29] Russell was eager to lead a Christian revival and called two separate meetings of Christian leaders in Pittsburgh. Russell's ideas, particularly stressing the imminence of the rapture and the second advent of Christ, were rejected both times.[30][31]
Split with Barbour[edit]
See also: Nelson H. Barbour
When 1878 arrived, failure of the expected rapture of the saints brought great disappointment for Barbour and Russell, and their associates and readers. According to one of Russell's associates, A.H. Macmillan:

While talking with Russell about the events of 1878, I told him that Pittsburgh papers had reported he was on the Sixth Street bridge dressed in a white robe on the night of the Memorial of Christ's death, expecting to be taken to heaven together with many others. I asked him, "Is that correct?" Russell laughed heartily and said: "I was in bed that night between 10:30 and 11:00 P.M. However, some of the more radical ones might have been there, but I was not. Neither did I expect to be taken to heaven at that time, for I felt there was much work to be done preaching the Kingdom message to the peoples of the earth before the church would be taken away.
—A.H. Macmillan, Faith on the March, 1957, page 27
Confused by what was perceived to be an error in calculation, Russell re-examined the doctrine to see if he could determine whether it had biblical origins or was simply Christian tradition. He concluded that it was Christian tradition and so he began teaching, through the pages of the Herald, what he believed to have discovered on the subject. Barbour, embarrassed by the failure of their expectations, rejected Russell's explanation and a debate ensued in successive issues of the journal from early 1878 to mid-1879. In a matter of months, Barbour's embarrassment led to a recanting of some of the views he and Russell had previously shared, including any reliance upon prophetic chronology. Their disagreements turned into a debate over Christ's ransom, resulting in a split between the two. Russell removed his financial support and started his own journal, Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, with the first issue published in July 1879. Barbour formed The Church of the Strangers that same year, continuing to publish Herald of the Morning.[32][33][34]
Watch Tower Society[edit]
In 1881, he founded Zion's Watch Tower Tract Society, with William Henry Conley as president and Russell as secretary-treasurer, for the purpose of disseminating tracts, papers, doctrinal treatises and Bibles. All materials were printed and bound by Russell's privately owned Tower Publishing Company for an agreed price,[35] then distributed by "colporteurs" (persons who travel to sell or publicize Bibles, religious tracts, etc.). The Society was incorporated in 1884, with Russell as president, and in 1886 its name was changed to Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society.
In 1908, Russell transferred the headquarters of the Watch Tower Society to its current location in Brooklyn, New York.
Publications[edit]
With the formation of the Watch Tower Society, Russell's ministry intensified. His Bible study group had grown to hundreds of local members, with followers throughout New England, the Virginias, Ohio, and elsewhere, who annually re-elected him "Pastor", and commonly referred to him as "Pastor Russell". Congregations that eventually formed in other nations also followed this tradition.[36][37]
In 1881, he published his first prominent work entitled Food for Thinking Christians. The 162-page "pamphlet" was published using donated funds amounting to approximately $40,000 (current value $977,517).[38] It had a circulation of nearly 1.5 million copies over a period of four months distributed throughout the United States, Canada and Great Britain by various channels.[39][40] During the same year he published Tabernacle and its Teachings which was quickly expanded and reissued as Tabernacle Shadows of the "Better Sacrifices" outlining his interpretation of the various animal sacrifices and Tabernacle ceremonies instituted by Moses. Russell claimed that the distribution of these works and other tracts by the Watch Tower Society during 1881 exceeded by eight times that of the American Tract Society for the year 1880.[41]
In 1903, newspapers began publishing his written sermons. These newspaper sermons were syndicated worldwide in as many as 4,000 newspapers, eventually reaching an estimated readership of some 15 million in the United States and Canada.[36]
In 1910 the secular journal Overland Monthly calculated that by 1909 Russell's writings had become the most distributed privately produced English-language works in the United States, and that the entire corpus of his works were the third most circulated on earth, after the Bible and the Chinese Almanac.[42] In 1912 The Continent, a Presbyterian journal, stated that in North America his writings had achieved a greater circulation "than the combined circulation of the writings of all the priests and preachers in North America."[43]
Russell, however, had many critics and was often labeled a heretic.[44]
Studies in the Scriptures[edit]
Russell devoted nearly a tenth of his fortune, along with contributed funds, in publishing and distributing Food for Thinking Christians in 1881. In the same year followed The Tabernacle and its Teachings and Tabernacle Shadows of the Better Sacrifices. In 1886, after reportedly not making back most of the money spent publishing these three titles, he began publication of what was intended to be a seven-volume series. The volumes were collectively called Millennial Dawn, later renamed Studies in the Scriptures to clarify that they were not novels. Russell published six volumes in the series:[citation needed]
The Plan of the Ages – later renamed The Divine Plan of the Ages (1886)
The Time is at Hand (1889)
Thy Kingdom Come (1891)
The Day of Vengeance – later renamed The Battle of Armageddon (1897)
The At-one-ment Between God and Men (1899)
The New Creation (1904)
The delayed publication of the seventh volume became a source of great anticipation and mystery among Bible Students. Following Russell's death in 1916, a seventh volume entitled The Finished Mystery was published in 1917, which was advertised as his "posthumous work". This seventh volume was a detailed interpretation of the Book of Revelation, but also included interpretations of Ezekiel and the Song of Solomon. Immediate controversy surrounded both its publication and content, and it soon became known that much of the contents were written and compiled by two of Russell's associates, Clayton J. Woodworth and George H. Fisher, and edited by Joseph Rutherford, by then the new president of the Watch Tower Society.[45]
Photo Drama of Creation[edit]
Main article: The Photo-Drama of Creation
Russell directed the production of a worldwide roadshow presentation entitled The Photo-Drama of Creation, an innovative eight-hour religious film in four parts, incorporating sound, moving film, and color slides. It was the first major screenplay to synchronize sound with moving film. Production began as early as 1912, and the Drama was introduced in 1914 by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania.[46][47] A book by the same name was also published. The project's expenses put the organization under some financial pressures; the full cost was estimated at about US$300,000 (current value $7,060,000).[48][49][50]
Theology and teachings[edit]
Following his analytical examination of the Bible, Russell and other Bible Students came to believe that Christian creeds and traditions were harmful errors, believing they had restored Christianity to the purity held in the first century. Such views and conclusions were viewed as heresy by many Church leaders and scholars in his day. Russell agreed with other Protestants on the primacy of the Bible, and justification by faith alone, but thought that errors had been introduced in interpretation. Russell agreed with many 19th century Protestants, including Millerites, in the concept of a Great Apostasy that began in the first century AD. He also agreed with many other contemporary Protestants in belief in the imminent Second Coming of Christ, and Armageddon. Some of the areas in which his Scriptural interpretations differed from those of Catholics, and many Protestants, include the following:



 The Chart of the AgesHell. He maintained that there was a heavenly resurrection of 144,000 righteous, as well as a "great multitude", but believed that the remainder of mankind slept in death, awaiting an earthly resurrection, rather than experiencing torment in a literal Hell.
The Trinity. Russell believed in the divinity of Christ, but differed from orthodoxy by teaching Jesus had received that divinity as a gift from the Father, after dying on the cross. He also taught that the Holy Spirit is not a person, but the manifestation of God's power.
Christ's Second Coming. Russell believed that Christ had returned invisibly in 1874, and that he had been ruling from the heavens since that date. He predicted that a period known as the "Gentile Times" would end in 1914, and that Christ would take power of Earth's affairs at that time. He interpreted the outbreak of World War I as the beginning of Armageddon, which he viewed to be both a gradual deterioration of civilized society, and a climactic multi-national attack on a restored Israel accompanied by worldwide anarchy.
Pyramidology. Following views first taught by Christian writers such as John Taylor, Charles Piazzi Smyth and Joseph Seiss, he believed the Great Pyramid of Giza was built by the Hebrews (associated to the Hyksos) under God’s direction, but to be understood only in our day. He adopted and used Seiss's phrase referring to it as "the Bible in stone". He believed that certain biblical texts, including Isaiah 19:19–20 and others, prophesied a future understanding of the Great Pyramid and adopted the view that the various ascending and descending passages represented the fall of man, the provision of the Mosaic Law, the death of Christ, the exultation of the saints in heaven, etc. Calculations were made using the pattern of an inch per year. Dates such as 1874, 1914, and 1948 were purported to have been found through the study of this monument.[51]
Christian Zionism. Expanding upon an idea suggested by Nelson Barbour, Russell taught as early as 1879 that God's favor had been restored to Jews as the result of a prophetic "double" which had ended in 1878 (favor from Jacob to Jesus, then disfavor from Jesus until 1878). In 1910, he conducted a meeting at the New York Hippodrome Theatre, with thousands of Jews attending. Jews and Christians alike were shocked by his teaching that Jews should not convert to Christianity. Russell believed that the land of Palestine belonged exclusively to the Jewish race, that God was now calling them back to their land, and that they would be the center of earthly leadership under God's Kingdom. Early in Russell's ministry, he speculated that the Jews would possibly flock to Palestine and form their own nation by the year 1910. Shortly before his death, he utilized the Jewish press to stress that 1914 prophetically marked the time when Gentile nations no longer had earthly authority with the result that all Jews were, from that time onward, permitted and guided by God to gather to Palestine and boldly reclaim the land for themselves.
Climate change. In writings as early as 1883 (and through to the end of his life) Russell repeatedly expressed the view that the world's climate would gradually but significantly change as a prelude to the re-establishment of Eden-like conditions. These changes, he said, would include the gradual melting of the Greenland ice sheet, the Arctic and Antarctic polar ice caps, and the general warming of the earth.[52]
Spiritualism and the occult. The Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology notes that Russell's supporters, along with other Christian churches have "shown a marked aversion to Spiritualism and other occult phenomena. Very early in the group’s history Russell attacked Spiritualism (which he called Spiritism)".[53]
Death[edit]


40°30′35.27″N 80°0′56.65″W



 Pyramid memorial at Russell's gravesite in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania


 Russell's tombstone in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Russell's health had become increasingly poor in the last three years leading up to his death. During his final ministerial tour of the western and southwestern United States he became increasingly ill with cystitis,[54] but ignored advice to abandon the tour. He suffered severe chills during his last week, and at times had to be held in position in bed to prevent suffocation. He was forced to deliver some of his Bible discourses sitting in a chair, and on a few occasions his voice was so weak as to be barely audible.[55] Russell died on October 31, 1916 at age 64 near Pampa, Texas, while returning to Brooklyn by train.[54][56][57][58][59][60] An associate of Russell's stated that at age 64 his body was more worn out than that of his father who died at age 89.[61] He was buried in Rosemont United Cemetery, Pittsburgh. The gravesite (vide coordinates above) is marked by a headstone, nearby stands a 7-foot-tall (2.1 m) pyramid memorial erected by the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society in 1921.[62][63]
Legacy[edit]
See also: Watch Tower Society presidency dispute (1917)
For more details on this topic, see Watch Tower Society Reorganization.
In January 1917, Joseph Franklin Rutherford was elected president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, despite disputes over the election process. Further disputes arose over interpretation of sections of Russell's will dealing with the future contents of Zion's Watch Tower magazine, as well as who, if anyone, had authority to print new literature. By the end of the 1920s, nearly three quarters of the Bible Student congregations had rejected[64][65] Rutherford's on-going changes in organizational structure, doctrinal interpretations, and congregational practices,[66][67][68] some of which began to appear in material printed by the Watch Tower Society as early as 1917. Many Bible Students were disaffected by Rutherford's rejection of Russell's views regarding his role in the restoration of the "truth"[69] and support of the Great Pyramid as having been built under God's direction.[70][71]
Those remaining supportive of Rutherford adopted the new name "Jehovah's witnesses" in 1931, and changed the keyword of their magazine from "Watch Tower" to "The Watchtower". Many of the most prominent Bible Students who had ceased association with the changing Watch Tower Society attempted a regathering of disaffected Bible Students in October 1929 by holding the First Annual Bible Students Reunion Convention in the old Pittsburgh "Bible House" long used by Russell.[72] These conventions were held yearly, but the process of regathering took nearly twenty years.[73]
Controversies[edit]
Leadership style[edit]
As early as 1892, Russell's views and management style were strongly criticized by certain individuals associated with his ministry. In 1893 a paper was written and circulated to Bible Students in Pittsburgh by associates Otto van Zech, Elmer Bryan, J.B. Adamson, S.G. Rogers, Paul Koetitz, and others. It accused Russell of being a dictatorial leader, a shrewd businessman who appeared eager to collect funds from the selling of the Millennial Dawn books, that he had cheated one of them out of financial gains, and that he issued thousands of Millennial Dawn books under a female pseudonym. A booklet entitled A Conspiracy Exposed and Harvest Siftings was written by Russell and issued as an extra to the April 1894 Zion's Watch Tower magazine in order to preempt attempts to have their views circulated to a wider audience of Bible Students. Russell printed copies of letters he had received from these former associates in order to show that their claims were false, and that those involved 'were guided by Satan in an attempt to subvert his work' as a "minister of the gospel".[74][75]
Allegation of immoral conduct[edit]
In 1897 Russell's wife, Maria, left him after a disagreement over the management of Zion's Watch Tower magazine. She believed that, as his wife, she should have equal control over its administration and equal privilege in writing articles, preaching, and traveling abroad as his representative.[76] In 1903 she filed for legal separation on the grounds of mental cruelty, because of what she considered to be forced celibacy and frequent cold, indifferent treatment. The separation was granted in 1906, with Russell charged to pay alimony.
During the trial Mrs. Russell's attorney alleged that in 1894 Mr. Russell had engaged in "improper intimacy" with Rose Ball, by then a 25-year-old woman whom the Russells had previously cared for as a foster daughter after claiming to be an orphan. Mrs. Russell alleged that Ball had told her Mr. Russell claimed to be an amorous "jellyfish floating around" to different women until someone responded to his advances. Mr. Russell denied the accusations and stated that he had never used such terminology to describe himself.[77] When the judge asked Mrs. Russell if she was accusing her husband of adultery, she replied, "No".[78]
The Washington Post[79] and the Mission Friend of Chicago reprinted the "jellyfish" story while also accusing Russell of immoral conduct. Russell sued the papers for libel; the jury decided in his favor, awarding him one dollar. Following an appeal, Russell received a cash settlement of $15,000 (current value $394,000) plus court costs, and an agreement that the two papers publish his weekly syndicated sermons as well as a retraction defending his character.[80][81][82]
Rose Ball Henninges died November 22, 1950 at the age of 81 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, having for several years been an author for The People's Paper and remained associated with the Bible Students in Australia until her death.[83][84]
'Miracle Wheat'[edit]
On March 22, 1911, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle published articles accusing Russell of gaining profit from a strain of wheat named "Miracle Wheat" by its alleged discoverer, K.B. Stoner of Fincastle, Virginia, which Russell sold for $60 per bushel, far above the average cost of wheat at the time. Throughout 1912 and 1913, the Eagle continued to report on Russell's alleged fraud. Russell sued the Eagle for libel, but lost. A government expert investigated the "Miracle Wheat" and said it "was low in the Government tests". Prior to entering the court, the Eagle declared that "at the trial it will show that "Pastor" Russell's religious cult is nothing more than a money-making scheme."[85] Russell defended himself publicly, and in writing, claiming that the wheat was donated to the Watch Tower Society, and although sold for $1 per pound, Mr. Stoner routinely sold it for a $1.25 per pound. Russell claimed to have no financial connection to the wheat, and that no one claimed a refund despite such an offer for up to a year later for any who were dissatisfied with their purchase.[86] In 1975, the Watch Tower Society stated that gross receipts from the "Miracle Wheat" fundraiser totaled "about $1800" (current value $46,000), of which "Russell himself did not get a penny". It also said that "the Society itself made no claim for the wheat on its own knowledge and the money received went as a donation into Christian missionary work."[87]
Qualifications[edit]
In June 1912 Rev. J. J. Ross (1871–1935), Pastor of the James Street Baptist Church in Hamilton, Ontario, published and widely distributed a four-page leaflet entitled, Some facts about the Self-Styled "Pastor" Charles T. Russell (of Millennial Dawn Fame), alleging that Russell was involved in questionable business practices, had defrauded his estranged wife, and denounced his qualifications, legitimacy and moral example as a Pastor.[88] Russell in turn sued Ross for defamatory libel on December 2, 1912.[89] After several delays the case came before Police Court Magistrate G. F. Jelfs on March 17, 1913. During cross-examination Russell stated that he had attended public school for only seven years having left when he was about fourteen years of age after which he received instruction through private tutors.[90] He responded that he was versed in Latin terms "to an extent" but did not know Hebrew or Greek, that he had never been ordained by any bishop or minister, and had never attended a theological seminary or any schools of higher learning.[91][92] The Hamilton and Toronto Ontario newspapers reported the claims made by Ross and provided a brief outline of the court proceedings, but made no reference to misconduct on the part of Russell, and criticized Ross for having fled Ontario when summoned and not being present during any of the court proceedings.[93][94] On April 1, 1913 the High Court of Ontario returned a verdict of "No Bill" ruling that Russell was not entitled to damages because the libel was not likely to result in any violence within Canada.[95][96] Following the libel case Ross published an expanded edition of 48-pages entitled Some Facts and More Facts about the Self-Styled "Pastor" Charles T. Russell (of Millennial Dawn Fame). In this work Ross claimed that during the proceedings on March 17, 1913 Russell had repeatedly lied under oath by affirming that he was ordained but then denying the same when cross-examined, by affirming that he knew the Greek language, but when shown by Counselor Staunton an extract from the New Testament in Greek by Westcott & Hort he was unable to recognize it, and that he had not been divorced from his wife, but retracted the statement under cross-examination.[97] In response to Ross's accusations, Russell stated through various printed and public sources that he had never claimed knowledge of the Greek language, merely the alphabet[98] and that early Christians were also criticized by the religious authorities for being unlearned and ignorant.[99] He believed that his ordination was "of God" according to the biblical pattern, not requiring any denominational approval or theological training indicating that his annual election as "Pastor" by over 500 congregations worldwide constituted him as properly ordained.[100][101] Russell contended that Ross and others were attacking him because they were unable to answer his theological arguments preferring instead to resort to slander and character assassination.[102]
Use of Masonic symbolism[edit]


 This section may contain improper references to self-published sources. Please help improve it by removing references to unreliable sources, where they are used inappropriately. (May 2009)
Several decades after his death, it was alleged that Russell had links with Freemasonry.[103] Some have claimed that various symbols Russell employed in his published literature are Masonic in nature, and that such associations implied he engaged in occult activity. In later editions of the Studies in the Scriptures series a winged solar disk was stamped on the front cover, a symbol that is also associated with Freemasonry.[citation needed] However, Russell's use of the winged solar-disk originated from his understanding of Malachi 4:2, which denotes a sun with wings, as a symbol that Christ's millennial Kingdom had begun to emerge.[104] Some critics also claim that the pyramid near Russell's gravesite is Masonic,[63][105][106][107] because of its shape and its use of the Cross and Crown symbol, although this remains disputed.[108][109] Despite these claims, the Grand Lodge officially stated that Russell was not a Freemason,[110][111] and the symbols used are not exclusive to Masonry but pre-date the fraternity.[citation needed]
In June 1913, during his transcontinental speaking tour, Russell gave a discourse in a Masonic hall in San Francisco, where he stated: "Although I have never been a Mason ... Something I do seems to be the same as Masons do, I don't know what it is; but they often give me all kinds of grips and I give them back, then I tell them I don't know anything about it except just a few grips that have come to me naturally."[112] Throughout his ministry he stated that he believed Christian identity is incompatible with Freemasonry,[113] and that Freemasonry, Knights of Pythias, Theosophy, and other such groups are "grievous evils" and "unclean".[114][115] A Freemasonry website states: "Russell was not a Freemason. Neither the symbols found in the Watchtower nor the cross and crown symbol are exclusively Masonic."[116]
References[edit]
1.Jump up ^ "Encyclopædia Britannica – Russell, Charles Taze". Britannica.com. 1916-10-31. Retrieved 2013-01-01.
2.Jump up ^ Parkinson, James The Bible Student Movement in the Days of CT Russell, 1975
3.Jump up ^ Penton, M. James (1997). Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press. pp. 13–46. ISBN 0-8020-7973-3.
4.Jump up ^ WTB&TS, "God's Kingdom of a Thousand Years Has Approached" (1973) page 347
5.Jump up ^ moreorless. "George D. Chryssides, "Unrecognized charisma? A study of four charismatic leaders". Center of Studies on New Religions. Retrieved on 23 July 2008". Cesnur.org. Retrieved 2013-01-01.
6.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower, Sept. 15, 1895, pg 216: "Beware of "organization." It is wholly unnecessary. The Bible rules will be the only rules you will need. Do not seek to bind others' consciences, and do not permit others to bind yours."
7.Jump up ^ Studies in the Scriptures, Volume 4 The Battle of Armageddon, 1897, pp 157–159
8.Jump up ^ Daschke, Dereck and W. Michael Ashcraft, eds. New Religious Movements. New York: New York UP, 2005. Print.
9.^ Jump up to: a b Zion's Watch Tower, July 15, 1906, p. 229.
10.^ Jump up to: a b Watch Tower, March 1, 1923, pages 68 and 71.
11.Jump up ^ The New Schaff–Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, 1910, vol 7, pg 374. Books.google.com. Retrieved 2013-01-01.
12.Jump up ^ "Part 1—Early Voices (1870–1878)". The Watchtower: 7. 1 January 1955. "Both parents were Presbyterians of Scottish-Irish lineage."
13.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, 1959, p. 17
14.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, 1993, p. 42
15.Jump up ^ Overland Monthly February 1917 pg 129: "Up to the age of fifteen ... his favorite teacher was Spurgeon, because, as he said, "he peppered it hot," his claim being that if one believed a thing he should tell it with all his might. So at the age of fifteen he used to go about the city of Pittsburg on Saturday evenings with a piece of chalk writing on the fence boards and telling the people not to fail to attend church on Sunday, so that they might escape the terrible hell in which he so firmly believed."
16.Jump up ^ The Bible Student Movement in the Days of CT Russell, 1975, p. A–1
17.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower, June 1, 1916 p. 170: "Though his Scripture exposition was not entirely clear, and though it was very far from what we now rejoice in, it was sufficient, under God, to reestablish my wavering faith in the Divine inspiration of the Bible, and to show that the records of the Apostles and the Prophets are indissolubly linked. What I heard sent me to my Bible to study with more zeal and care than ever before, and I shall ever thank the Lord for the leading; for although Adventism helped me to no single truth, it did help me greatly in the unlearning of errors, and thus prepared me for the Truth."
18.Jump up ^ Pittsburgh Gazette, March 14, 1879
19.Jump up ^ Penton, M.J. (1997). Apocalypse Delayed. University of Toronto Press. pp. 35–40. ISBN 978-0-8020-7973-2.
20.Jump up ^ Barbara Grizzuti Harrison, Visions of Glory - A History and Memory of Jehovah's Witnesses, Simon & Schuster, 1978, chapter 2.
21.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses in Canada: Champions of Freedom of Speech and Worship by M. James Penton, Macmillan of Canada, 1976, page 313, "Mrs. Russell obtained her "divorce", or separation, on grounds of mental cruelty"
22.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses: Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, p. 642
23.Jump up ^ St. Petersburg Times, March 14, 1938. "Woman Religious Writer, Resident 16 Years, Passes". The Evening Independent. March 14, 1938.
24.Jump up ^ Penton, M. James (1997). Apocalypse Delayed: The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses (2nd ed.). University of Toronto Press. pp. 14–17. ISBN 0-8020-7973-3.
25.Jump up ^ Alan Rogerson (1969). Millions Now Living Will Never Die. Constable. p. 6.
26.Jump up ^ Wills, Tony (2006). A People For His Name. Lulu Enterprises. p. 4. ISBN 978-1-4303-0100-4.
27.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower, June 1, 1916 pp. 170–175
28.Jump up ^ Herald of the Morning, July 1878 p.5
29.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower, July 15, 1906, p. 230
30.Jump up ^ The Bible Student Movement in the Days of CT Russell, 1975, pp A–2
31.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose, 1959, pp. 18–19
32.Jump up ^ Message to Herald of the Morning subscribers, Zion's Watch Tower, July 1, 1879, Supplement
33.Jump up ^ Rochester Union and Advertiser, October 5, 1895, p. 12
34.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower, June 1, 1916 p. 171
35.Jump up ^ 1975 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 42
36.^ Jump up to: a b Biography of Pastor Russell, Divine Plan of the Ages, 1918, p. 6
37.Jump up ^ Great Battle in the Ecclesiastical Heavens, 1915
38.Jump up ^ Overland Monthly, January 1917 p. 128
39.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, December 1, 1916 p. 357
40.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower, September 1881 p. 5
41.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower, September 1881 p. 5: "As we were reaching Christians in the cities with the pamphlets, we sent the papers only with weekly and monthly journals, and hope thus to have reached many Christians in country districts. We sent out in this way over 400,000 copies. Thus you see that from an apparently small beginning, the tract work has spread to the immense proportions of 1,200,000 copies, or about 200,000,000 pages in four months, or about eight times as much (in number) as were distributed by the American Tract Society in the last year."
42.Jump up ^ Overland Monthly, January 1910 p. 130: "As a writer, Mr. Russell's books have enjoyed a larger circulation than any English work... Of his work entitled "Studies in the Scriptures," the average output is two thousand three hundred copies for each working day. We regret the records of 1909 are not yet complete, but in 1908 seven hundred and twenty-eight thousand, four hundred and seventy-four volumes were sold. Since publication, three million five hundred and thirty-four thousand volumes have been circulated. Last year, in addition to these there were three hundred and eight million pages of his tracts circulated. In all literature the Bible is about the only book that has had a larger circulation... In the literature of the world, the order would probably be as follows: The Bible, the Chinese Almanac, the "Studies in the Scriptures," "Don Quixote," "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and Hubbard's "Message to Garcia.""
43.Jump up ^ The Continent, McCormick Publishing Company, vol. 43, no. 40, October 3, 1912 p. 1354
44.Jump up ^ Millennial Dawnism: The Annihilation of Jesus Christ by I.M. Haldeman, 1913; "Pastor" Russell's Position and Credentials by J.H. Burridge; Some Facts about the self-styled "Pastor" Charles T. Russell by J.J. Ross, 1912
45.Jump up ^ Franz, Raymond (2004). Crisis of Conscience. Atlanta, Georgia: Commentary Press. pp. 61–62, 206–211. ISBN 0-914675-23-0.
46.Jump up ^ IMDB article "Photo-Drama of Creation (1914), Retrieved 2009-04-15
47.Jump up ^ "Timeline of Influential Milestones...1910s", American Movie Classics, retrieved 2009-04-15[dead link]
48.Jump up ^ "Society Uses Many Means to Expand Preaching", Centennial of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania 1884–1984, page 24, "The Photo-Drama presented the explanation of Bible truth from the time of creation, the fall into sin, the promises of God to redeem man and His dealings through history until the millennial restitution. It is believed to have been viewed by more than 9,000,000 people throughout North America and Europe, as well as many others in places around the world. It took two years and $300,000 to complete the project, many of the scenes being hand colored. Yet admission was free and no collections were taken."
49.Jump up ^ "United States of America", 1975 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 59
50.Jump up ^ The Warning Work (1909–1914)", The Watchtower, March 1, 1955, page 143
51.Jump up ^ "The Corroborative Testimony of God's stone witness and prophet, the Great Pyramid in Egypt". Pastor-russell.com. Retrieved 2013-01-01.
52.Jump up ^ 'Zion's Watch Tower' in the following issues: September 1883 page 8; September 1886 page 1; August 1896 page 189; May 1903 page 131; January 1913 page 11
53.Jump up ^ J. Gordon Melton, Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, Gale Group, 2001, Vol. 1, p. 829.
54.^ Jump up to: a b Wills, Tony (2006). A People For His Name. Lulu Enterprises. p. 35. ISBN 978-1-4303-0100-4.
55.Jump up ^ "''Zion's Watch Tower'', December 1916, pages R6601: 360-R6006:366". Mostholyfaith.com. Retrieved 2013-01-01.
56.Jump up ^ Some early sources cited his death as November 1st.
57.Jump up ^ St. Paul Enterprise, November 14, 1916 p. 3 column 3, "The fact is he did not die of heart trouble, but of an inflammation of the bladder, and while writing you on Brother Bohnet’s desk I could not fail to see on the burial permit that the cause of death was given as ‘Cystitis’."
58.Jump up ^ Rogerson, Alan (1969). Millions Now Living Will Never Die: A Study of Jehovah's Witnesses. Constable & Co, London. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-09-455940-0.
59.Jump up ^ "The Jehovah's Witnesses", Extraordinary groups by W. W. Zellner, William M. Kephart, ©2000, page 338, "On October 31, 1916, the stormy life of Charles Russell came to an end. While on a nationwide lecture tour, he died unexpectedly of heart failure in a Pullman car near Pampa, Texas." Online
60.Jump up ^ New York Times, November 1, 1916, as cited by A.H. Macmillan, Faith on the March, 1957, page 62, "October 31: Charles Taze Russell, pastor of the Brooklyn Tabernacle, and known all over the country as "Pastor Russell," died from heart disease at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon on an Atchison, Topeka Santa Fe train, en route from Los Angeles to New York."
61.Jump up ^ St. Paul Enterprise November 14, 1916, pg 1 col 2: "Is it any wonder he died a score of years ahead of his natural time? His father looked younger at 84 than did the son at 64."
62.Jump up ^ Pictures from Russell's Gravesite[dead link]
63.^ Jump up to: a b Pyramid. Retrieved 2009-5-4.
64.Jump up ^ Thirty Years a Watchtower Slave, William J. Schnell, Baker, Grand Rapids, 1956, as cited by Alan Rogerson, Millions Now Living Will Never Die, 1969, page 52. Rogerson notes that it is not clear exactly how many Bible Students left. Joseph Rutherford wrote in 1934 that "of the great multitude that left the world to follow Jesus Christ only a few are now in God's organization".
65.Jump up ^ Chicago Daily Tribune October 30, 1949 pg 18: "Pastor Russell died In 1916. In the 33 years since, the methods of this sect have deviated completely from those of Pastor Russell and his manner of teaching."
66.Jump up ^ Your Will Be Done on Earth. Watchtower. 1958. p. 337.
67.Jump up ^ Jehovah's Witnesses in the Divine Purpose. Watchtower. 1959. p. 313.
68.Jump up ^ M. James Penton. Apocalypse Delayed—The Story of Jehovah's Witnesses. p. 61. Attendance at the annual Memorial (statistics were published each year in the Watch Tower) shows the growth in the period before 1925. 1919: 17,961, 1922: 32,661, 1923: 42,000, 1924: 62,696, 1925: 90,434. 1926 marked the first decrease: 89,278. There are no published statistics from 1929–1934. In 1935, Memorial attendance was 63,146. "Watchtower". August 15, 1996. p. 31.
69.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, February 1927
70.Jump up ^ Watch Tower, November 1928
71.Jump up ^ Great Pyramid Passages, by John and Morton Edgar, Forward, 1928 edition
72.Jump up ^ Bible Student's Radio Echo, February 1929 p. 8
73.Jump up ^ When Pastor Russell Died, pp. 26-30
74.Jump up ^ A Conspiracy Exposed and Harvest Siftings, April 25, 1894
75.Jump up ^ The Bible Student Movement in the Days of CT Russell, 1975, pp P–1 to P–4
76.Jump up ^ J.F. Rutherford, A Great Battle in the Ecclesiastical Heavens, 1915, pg 17
77.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower July 15, 1906 pg 221: "The next day the husband [Mr. Russell] took the witness stand and swore that he had never used the language (and never had heard of it before) ... and that only an idiotic person would make such an uncomplimentary remark about himself."
78.Jump up ^ J.F. Rutherford, A Great Battle in the Ecclesiastical Heavens, 1915, pp 18-20
79.Jump up ^ The Washington Post May 4, 1906 pg 6, "The Rev. Jellyfish Russell"
80.Jump up ^ J. Parkinson The Bible Student Movement in the Days of CT Russell, 1975, pg 45
81.Jump up ^ J.F. Rutherford, A Great Battle in the Ecclesiastical Heavens, 1915, pg 20
82.Jump up ^ Russell v Washington Post Company Opinion of the Court, May 5, 1908: "We think the defense of privilege is not applicable to the article published by the defendant. The article is unquestionably libelous ... It is not confined to comment and criticism on his acts as a public man or his public life, but, so far as this record discloses, falsely asserts that he has committed certain acts of an immoral nature in his private life."
83.Jump up ^ Deaths in the District of Melbourne, in Victoria. Registered by Arthur Fegan. Certificate #13463
84.Jump up ^ The Bible Student Movement in the Days of C.T. Russell, 3rd edition, Notes
85.Jump up ^ The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, "Miracle Wheat Scandal," January 22, 1913, 2; "Testimony on Wheat," January 23, 1913, 3; "Financial Statements Proving Russell's Absolute Control," by Secretary-Treasurer Van Amberg, January 25, 1913, 16; "Government Experts Testify on 'Miracle Wheat' and Ascertain Its Ordinariness," January 27, 1913, 3; "Prosecution and Defense Closing Arguments," January 28, 1913, 2; "Russell Loses Libel Suit,” January 29, 1913, 16 (available on microfilm)
86.Jump up ^ A Great Battle in the Ecclesiastical Heavens, 1915, pp. 29–30
87.Jump up ^ "United States of America", 1975 Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses, page 71
88.Jump up ^ Some facts about the Self-Styled "Pastor" Charles T. Russell (of Millennial Dawn Fame), 1912, pp. 1-3: "By thousands he is believed to be a religious fakir of the worst type... Years ago he gave himself the title of "Pastor" ... By "The Brooklyn Daily Eagle" he stands charged with ... having his name sensationally connected with those of numerous other women ... with publishing himself as giving addresses to great crowds in important places where he has not spoken at all ... with being illegally connected with lead, asphalt and turpentine companies, with selling or causing to be sold "Miracle Wheat" at $60 a bushel, with influencing the sick and dying to make their wills in his favor ... He is an eccentric individual and judging from his advertisements of himself, many do not think him normal, and some are persuaded that he is self-deceived."
89.Jump up ^ RG 22-329-0-6742 Record of Indictment: The King v. John Jacob Ross - Defamatory Libel, In the Supreme Court of Ontario, High Court Division and in the Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Gaol Delivery in and for the County of Wentworth, pp. 1,5
90.Jump up ^ The King v. John Jacob Ross, cross-examination by King's Counselor George Lynch-Staunton, March 17, 1913, section II, p. 6
91.Jump up ^ The King v. John Jacob Ross, cross-examination by King's Counselor George Lynch-Staunton, March 17, 1913, section II, p. 4
92.Jump up ^ http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/apl/jw/jehwit34.txt
93.Jump up ^ The Hamilton Spectator, Dec. 9, 1912; also Feb. 7, and March 17,18,22 1913
94.Jump up ^ The Toronto Globe, March 18, 1913
95.Jump up ^ The Watch Tower, October 15, 1914, p. 286: "The lower Court found him [Ross] guilty of libel. But when the case went to the second Judge he called up an English precedent, in which it was held that criminal libel would only operate in a case where the jury felt sure that there was danger of rioting or violence. As there was no danger that myself or friends would resort to rioting, the case was thrown out."
96.Jump up ^ A Great Battle in the Ecclesiastical Heavens, p. 31
97.Jump up ^ Some Facts and More Facts about the Self-Styled 'Pastor' Charles T. Russell, pp. 18-23
98.Jump up ^ The Watch Tower, October 15, 1914, p. 286: "As respects my education in Greek and Hebrew: Not only do I not claim very special knowledge of either language, but I claim that not one minister in a thousand is either a Hebrew or a Greek scholar."
99.Jump up ^ The Watch Tower, October 15, 1914, p. 287
100.Jump up ^ The Watch Tower, December 1, 1915 p. 358–360
101.Jump up ^ "Preaching Publicly and From House to House", Jehovah's Witnesses – Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, 1993, WTB&TS, page 560
102.Jump up ^ The Watch Tower, October 15, 1914, p. 287: "What is the secret of the opposition and slander that is being raised up against me and against all who, like me, are Bible students? It is malice, hatred, envy, strife, on the part of those who are still hugging the nonsense of the Dark Ages and neglecting true Bible study. They see that their influence is waning. But they have not yet awakened to the true situation. They think that I am responsible for their smaller congregations and small collections. But not so. The real difficulty for them is that the people are becoming more intelligent and can no longer be driven with the crack of a merely man-made whip of fear."
103.Jump up ^ Springmeier, Fritz. The Watchtower & The Masons: A preliminary investigation. Portland, Or.: the author, 1990.[unreliable source?].
104.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower, Dec 1, 1911 pp. 443–444
105.Jump up ^ Masonic. Retrieved 2009-5-4.
106.Jump up ^ Russell and The Great Pyramid. Retrieved 2009-5-6.
107.Jump up ^ 3pyramidology Retrieved 2009-5-4.
108.Jump up ^ Sec. 3, Anti-masonry Frequently Asked Questions. The cross and crown symbol does not appear on his gravestone in the Rosemont United Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — it appears on a memorial erected some years later." Retrieved 2009-5-29.
109.Jump up ^ Masonic Emblem and Logo Collection. Retrieved 2009-5-29.
110.Jump up ^ Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon "Was Charles Taze Russell a freemason?" Retrieved 2013-2-17.
111.Jump up ^ 'Charles Taze Russell' Biography published by Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon. Retrieved 2013-2-17.
112.Jump up ^ Sermon title: "The Temple of God", Convention Report Sermons pages 359–365, "But now I am talking about this great order of masonry of which Jesus is the Grand Master. This Order is to be entered in a peculiar way. There are certain conditions, the low gate, the narrow way, the difficult path. Although I have never been a Mason, I have heard that in Masonry they have something which very closely illustrates all of this." 6MB download
113.Jump up ^ "Was Pastor Russell a Freemason?". Pastor-russell.com. Retrieved 2013-01-01.
114.Jump up ^ Zion's Watch Tower, June 1895, p. 143
115.Jump up ^ The New Creation, pages 580–581
116.Jump up ^ "Anti-masonry Frequently Asked Questions", from the web-site of the Grand Lodge of British Columbia and Yukon. Retrieved on January 21, 2008.
External links[edit]
 Wikisource has original text related to this article:
Author:Charles Taze Russell

 Wikimedia Commons has media related to Charles Taze Russell.
JW.org Official website of Jehovah's Witnesses
Pastor-Russell.com Pastor Russell website
Faith on the March, A. H. Macmillan, (1957)
Biography of Charles Taze Russell from Zion's Watch Tower obituary issue, December 1, 1916
International Bible Students Souvenir Convention Report for 1916, "Pastor Russell Passes Through the Gates of Glory", Chicago, 1917
Laodicean Messenger (1923) Chicago: The Bible Students Book Store; Memoirs of the Life of Charles Taze Russell.
Message to Herald of the Morning subscribers 1879 Pittsburgh, Pa; Zion's Watch Tower and Herald of Christ's Presence, July 1, 1879, Supplement
The Messenger of Laodicea, Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society, 1919
Pyramid at Russell's Grave
North Side: People: Charles Taze Russell – information page at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s website.
CT Russell Database – Database of Russell's writings
Russell's Last Will & Testament
Studies in the Scriptures Online
Studies in the Scriptures from Biblestudents.com
St. Paul Enterprise Nov 7, 14, 21 and 28, 1916 articles "Regarding the Death and Burial of, and Memorial Services for, Pastor Russell"
Chapter II. Organizational Beginnings: (1873–1912) Charles Taze Russell from Barbara G. Harrison's Visions of Glory: A History and a Memory of Jehovah’s Witnesses, New York, Simon & Schuster, 1978. See also chapters IV and VI.
Works of Charles Taze Russell and their effect upon Religion in America 1974 Bob Chastain, Master's Thesis
Preceded by
William Henry Conley President of Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society
 December 15, 1884–October 31, 1916 Succeeded by
Joseph F. Rutherford


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