Serena Williams, a retired tennis legend, has amassed a net worth of $300 million, cementing her place as one of the greatest female athletes in history. With an impressive career in tennis, Williams stands as the highest-earning female player, surpassing all others. Her career earnings from on-court performances alone exceed $95 million. Serena’s remarkable success includes more Grand Slam singles titles than any other player in the Open Era, male or female. Moreover, she is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and boasts an array of prestigious titles.
Throughout her career, Williams was consistently a high earner. In her prime years, she raked in around $40 million annually from winnings and endorsements. Between June 2019 and June 2020, Serena earned $35 million, with $20 million coming from endorsements. After retiring, she redirected her focus to her investment firm, Serena Ventures, which has become an important venture in her post-tennis life.
Here are some of Serena’s most significant career achievements:
- 23 Grand Slam singles titles (the most in the Open Era)
- 14 Grand Slam doubles titles (most by any active player)
- 2 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles
- 4 Olympic gold medals (in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles)
- 7 WTA Finals titles
- 1 WTA Championships title
- 7 Australian Open titles
- 3 French Open titles
- 7 Wimbledon titles
- 6 US Open titles
- 319 weeks at World No. 1 (second most for any female player, only behind Steffi Graf)
- $94.5 million in total career earnings, making her the highest-earning female athlete of all time
- Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2022.
Early Life
Serena Jameka Williams was born on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan. Her childhood was spent partly in Compton, California. Early in life, Serena and her sister Venus were drawn to tennis, thanks to the guidance of their parents. They were homeschooled to allow for more practice hours on the court. Their father, Richard Williams, and mother, Oracene Price, were the official coaches of the young prodigies. Additionally, mentors like Richard Williams (a Compton resident with the same name as Serena’s father) helped Serena develop her skills early on.
At age nine, Serena and her family moved to West Palm Beach, Florida, where she enrolled at Rick Macci’s tennis academy. In 1995, however, her father decided to pull them out and took over as their primary coach again. This move would prove pivotal in Serena’s development and success in the sport.
Tennis Career
Serena Williams’ career began at the age of 14 when she competed in her first professional tournament in 1995. By 1997, Serena began to gain attention with impressive performances at the Ameritech Cup, where she defeated two top-10 players before reaching the semifinals. This sparked a rise in her ranking, ending 1997 at No. 99.
In 1999, Williams claimed her first Grand Slam singles title, winning the US Open. This victory marked the beginning of her dominance in the sport. In the early 2000s, Serena reached No. 1 in the rankings and won three Grand Slam titles in 2002—The French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. Her dominance continued, and in 2003, she claimed her fourth Grand Slam, the Australian Open, completing the “Serena Slam” by holding all four major titles simultaneously.
Despite a series of personal and health struggles, including knee surgery and the tragic death of her half-sister Yetunde, Williams remained a dominant force in tennis. By 2008, she regained her top ranking and continued to win Grand Slam titles.
In 2011, Serena faced health issues when doctors found a blood clot in her lungs. This led to a series of procedures and raised concerns about her return to the sport. However, Serena returned stronger in 2012, capturing her first women’s singles Olympic gold medal. She continued her dominance, claiming victories at the US Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and Australian Open across the next few years.
In 2016, Serena continued her winning ways, claiming her 22nd Grand Slam title at Wimbledon. Though she faced challenges in 2018, with losses at major tournaments, Williams remained a powerful presence in the sport. After battling injuries and taking time to become a mother, she retired from tennis in 2022, leaving behind a legacy of 23 Grand Slam singles titles.
Endorsements
Serena Williams is among the highest-paid endorsement athletes globally. She has earned $15-20 million annually through endorsements, partnering with renowned brands like Nike and Kraft Foods. In 2004, Serena signed a $40 million deal with Nike to launch her own fashion line.
Philanthropy
Serena and Venus Williams are known for their charitable work, often visiting hospitals and organizing tennis events to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities. In 2004 and 2005, they embarked on a charity tour, which was documented in an ESPN special. Serena’s foundation, the Serena Williams Foundation, provides scholarships to underprivileged students and has funded various projects, including the Serena Williams Secondary School in Kenya. The foundation also joined efforts with Helping Hands Jamaica to build the Salt Marsh Primary School in Trelawny Parish, Jamaica.
Serena is also involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles and has served as an international Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 2011. She and Venus collaborated to establish the Yetunde Price Resource Center, a facility in Compton aimed at helping families affected by community violence. Additionally, Serena supports causes like the Elton John AIDS Foundation, the NHS’s Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, and the HollyRod Foundation.
Other Ventures
Off the court, Serena Williams has branched out into television and voice work. She appeared in a 2001 episode of The Simpsons and voiced characters for Playhouse Disney’s Higglytown Heroes in 2005. Serena also made guest appearances on shows such as The Bernie Mac Show, ER, and Law & Order. She even featured in the music video for “I Want You” by Common, alongside Alicia Keys and Kanye West.
Serena founded her own clothing line, S by Serena, and holds minority stakes in the UFC and the Miami Dolphins. She also serves on the board of directors at SurveyMonkey, expanding her influence outside the kingdom of tennis.
Real Estate
Serena Williams owns several properties. In 2017, she bought a mansion in Beverly Hills for $6.2 million. She also has a Paris apartment with an iconic view of the Eiffel Tower. In 2015, she purchased a Palm Beach Gardens home in South Florida for $2.4 million. Previously, she and her sister Venus owned a Palm Beach Gardens mansion, which they bought in 1998 for over $600,000 and later sold for $2.5 million.
In 2019, Serena sold her Bel-Air home, which she purchased in 2006 for $6.62 million. After initially listing the property for $12 million in 2017, she eventually sold it for $8.1 million after reducing the price.
