Name: Serena Williams
Birthdate: September 26, 1981
Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan
Claim to fame: She’s currently ranked number 1 in the world for the sixth time in her career. She will also undoubtedly go down as one of the greatest female tennis players of all time.
Where we can see her next: She takes on Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals of Wimbledon on Thursday July 9.
Interesting fact: She is currently the oldest world number 1 in WTA history (33 years of age).
Best quote: “If you can keep playing tennis when somebody is shooting a gun down the street, that’s concentration.”
Why we love her: Our WCW this week is the top ranked women’s tennis player in the world, Serena Williams. Despite her old age for tennis standards (33) Serena Williams is playing some of the best tennis of her career and making headlines at this year’s Wimbledon tournament. After already winning the Australian and French Opens, giving her slam titles 19 and 20 of her career (3rd in women’s tennis history), Williams is looking to win every major tournament in the same calendar year for the first time since 1988. She has two more matches to win at this year’s Wimbledon tournament, then the US Open later this summer in order to do it. But if anyone can set the record, Williams is probably the player to do it. Winning this year’s Wimbledon tournament would also make her the oldest woman in tennis history to win a major tennis tournament.
Serena, along with her sister Venus, will undoubtedly go down as two of the best female players to ever walk onto a court. They have redefined the women’s game, with their power unseen by any players before them, captivating and capturing the tennis world with their powerful serving, hard-hitting ground strokes worthy of the men’s bracket and unwavering focus and dedication to the game. Together, they hold the all-time record of three Olympic gold medals in doubles.
Many players and commentators have been quoted saying that “Serena is the greatest female tennis player of all time”. Now that she’s taken hold of the number 1 world ranking for the sixth time in her career, and as she takes a run at history this year, it’s only telling how far she’ll get before she hangs up her tennis whites. She’s only four grand slam titles back of the world female single’s record holder, Margaret Court, who won 24 grand slam single’s titles in her career. Her career grand slam title count is now at 35 (20 single’s titles, 13 double’s titles, 2 mixed double’s titles).
Serena Williams is our WCW this week because she’s one of the world’s best and most powerful athletes, and is continuing to dominate players half her age as she’s well into the twilight of her career. And of course, for the chance she ends up making history this year.
You can catch Williams’ semi-final match against Sharapova on Thursday July 9.
