Early Life and Introduction to Tennis
Serena Williams was born on September 26, 1981 in Saginaw, Michigan. She later moved to Compton, California, and was the youngest of her mother’s five daughters, with four half-sisters and Venus Williams being her sole full sister, in addition to at least seven paternal half-siblings.
Serena Williams’s tennis obsession started at around the age of four, while she and Venus were homeschooled by their father. Both her mother and father served as her coaches, along with another mentor Richard Williams who shared her father’s name and eventually founded the Venus and Serena Williams Tennis/Tutorial Academy.
At the age of nine, Williams and her family made the move from Compton to sunny West Palm Beach, Florida. There she attended Rick Macci’s tennis academy where he provided her with additional coaching. While she was initially allowed to compete in tennis tournaments at age 10, her father soon pulled both her and Venus out of them to encourage them to pace themselves and focus on academics.
In 1995, Williams’s father withdrew her and Venus from Macci’s academy and decided to coach them himself at home. At the age of 14 that year, Williams wanted to make her debut as a professional in the Bank of the West Classic located in Oakland, CA, but her age led to a denial. She then had her first professional event the same year at the Bell Challenge in Quebec as a wild-card entry. However, she lost the first round.
Not one to be discouraged, Williams played in 1997 and then at the Medibank International Sydney in ‘98. She won the first round but then lost the second to her sister Venus.
Serena Williams’ Tennis Career
Williams became a top-10 player in 1999 at No. 9 at the Miami Masters. She then took the No. 4 spot during her second full year on the main tour, No. 6 in 2000, and No. 6 again in 2001. Two of the best years for Serena Williams in tennis were 2002 and ‘03, when she returned from injury at the start of the former to become one of the best players along with her sister. In ‘02, she won her first title against Jennifer Capriati, who at the time was No. 2, in the final. She followed this with her first win in the Miami Masters, along with several wins in three clay-court tournaments, including wins against Venus, who was No. 2 in ‘02.
She earned the No. 1 spot for the first time at the 2002 Wimbledon Championships, winning against—who else—Venus.
Over the years since, both Venus and Serena Williams have experienced their ups and downs throughout their respective careers, but continue to impress today with their prowess and seemingly unwavering skills.
Serena Williams Relationships: Who Has She Dated?
Serena Williams has been married to Alexis Ohanian since November 16, 2017.
Serena Williams has also been in relationships with:
- Patrick Mouratoglou (2012-2015)
- Drake (2011-2015)
- Amar’e Stoudemire (2010)
- Hosea Chanchez (2008)
- Jackie Long (2007-2008)
- Common (2007-2010)
- Corey Maggette (2004)
- Brett Ratner (2004-2006)
- Keyshawn Johnson (2002-2003)
- LaVar Arrington (2001-2002)
Serena Williams Latest News
Serena Williams continues to share the spotlight with her sister as she competes in the top ranks. Her personal life has also put her on the front page in recent news. Here is some of the most recent Serena Williams news to make headlines.
In 2017, Serena Williams married Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, making her part of a power couple collectively worth around $189 million. Prior to their marriage, Williams shared a photo on Snapchat focusing on her midsection with the caption: “20 weeks.” She claimed that sharing the photo publicly was accidental. In September, Serena Williams’s baby daughter Alexis was born.
In May 2018, at the French Open, Serena Williams wore a catsuit intended to help promote her new line of clothing simply called Serena. After her appearance in the catsuit, the French Tennis Federation was quick to ban it. Williams respected this decision, only to follow this up by wearing a black tutu to her first 2018 US Open match against Magda Linette, which she won. In February 2019, the board of directors of Poshmark, an online fashion marketplace, appointed Williams.
As of 2019, Serena Williams’s Toronto competition in the 2019 Canadian Open has put her at the forefront of sports news.
If you want to keep up with the latest Serena Williams news, stay tuned for updates here at The Shade Room, along with news about more of your favorite celebrities.
