The Life and Legacy of Serena Williams
- Julia Most
- Oct 29, 2022
- 4 min read
After her final game in the U.S. Open in this past September, the 23-time grand slam winner, influential athlete and outspoken woman, Serena Williams has announced her retirement from tennis. Serena Williams is best known as an American professional tennis player, but she is so much more than that. She is an advocate for women, a fashion icon, as well as one of the most decorated and dominant athletes of all time.
Serena Williams was born in Saginaw Michigan as the youngest of five daughters. Her father, Richard Williams, began teaching her and her older sister Venus to play tennis starting at the young age of three. Venus and Serena would practice with their father every day for two hours. By the time she was 10, Serena was ranked first in the nation in her division. She played on her own, but also played alongside her older sister. They competed together in doubles, but also against each other in singles. As she grew older, Serena quickly became recognized as a fierce competitor in tennis matches. She used her newfound fame as an athlete to advocate equality for Black athletes, for female athletes, and for women in general.
With her rise in popularity, Serena took it upon herself to raise awareness and support for women. She and Venus became idols for young Black women, and many of them looked up to the strong, powerful sisters as role models. She has spoken up about racism in the United States countless times, and about racism in her own sport of tennis many times as well. When she was fined $17,000 at the 2018 U.S. open for showing emotion by criticizing an umpire's calls, she was vocal about the double standard for male and female athletes and Black and white athletes: how some athletes are allowed to be loud, explosive and argumentative with officials, but when a Black woman acts with the same passion they are fined and criticized.
Furthermore, Serena is an advocate for women's rights in general, not just in sports. She is an ambassador for Secret’s “Just #WatchMe” campaign to raise support for young female athletes. She is constantly speaking out in support of women and using her platform and the attention she commands to bring light to unjust situations usually involving racism or sexism. In 2016, at an interview, she was quoted saying “as we know, too often women are not supported enough or are discouraged from choosing their path. I hope together we can change that.”
Serena has also been under constant criticism over her body, which she refutes by speaking out about body positivity. Nobody should ever comment on somebody else's body– as it's no one's business but that person. In an interview with Vogue Magazine she said, "We're always told what's beautiful, and what's not, and that's not right.” Serena has seen this firsthand when people judge her body, but she also knows that it is a bigger issue that many women face. She has been judged for her curves, her hair, her clothing, and many other things. She has been open about how these judgements have led to her insecurities. She has also been vocal about learning to accept her powerful and athletic body despite other people's criticism and opinions. Her interviews and quotes about body positivity have undoubtedly had a positive impact on young female athletes who may be insecure about their bodies, just like Serena was.
Finally, in addition to all the incredible work Serena does speaking out about important issues such as equal pay, double standards and body positivity, she also is a fashion icon in her spare time! Her tennis outfits are always impeccable, both in their style and underlying meanings. At the French Open in 2018, she wore a full body black catsuit designed to help with her circulation after she went through a difficult birth. The outfit caused a massive controversy among French Tennis leaders over its modern and unique style which they did not approve of initially. She explained how the point of that outfit was to reflect the idea of viewing mothers as superheroes. As a new mother herself she was sending a message of appreciation and support to all the mothers out there. At the French Open in 2019 she and Venus wore skirts that were modeled after frilly dresses female athletes used to be forced to wear, making a statement about how far they had come since then. Most recently, in the U.S. Open this past September, she wore a six layer skirt, representing each of the six U.S. Open titles she had won. She has been on the cover of the famous fashion magazine, Vogue by herself three times, the most of any athlete. And she was the first Black female athlete to appear on the cover of Vogue. In 2018, she even started her own clothing line in 2020 named “S by Serena”.
Although Serena Williams will be remembered by many as an incredible tennis player, there is so much more to her legacy.. Her tireless advocacy for women, regardless of their race or if they play sports has been so influential to many young women. In speaking up about her own insecurities, Serena has started new conversations about body positivity for women, specifically with female athletes. And finally, her fearless and unique fashion statements have been both inspirational and meaningful, as well as just cool. Serena Williams is certainly one of the best athletes of all time, but she should be recognized for all of these other contributions and actions as well.
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