She was ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 319 week
She won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any player in the Open Era, and the second-most of all time
Along with her older sister Venus, Serena Williams was coached by her parents Oracene Price and Richard William
Turning professional in 1995, she won her first major singles title at the 1999 US Open
From the 2002 French Open to the 2003 Australian Open, she was dominant, winning all four major singles titles (each time over Venus in the final) to achieve a non-calendar year Grand Slam and the career Grand Slam, known as the 'Serena Slam'
The next few years saw her claim two more singles majors, but suffer from injury and decline in form. Beginning in 2007, however, she gradually returned to form despite continued injuries, retaking the world No. 1 singles ranking
Williams is widely considered one of the greatest women's tennis players of all time
Beginning at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships, Williams returned to dominance, claiming Olympic gold and becoming the first tennis player to achieve a Career Golden Slam in both singles and double
Williams was the world's highest paid woman athlete in 2016, earning almost $29 million