The season has shifted to the sacred grass of the All England Club, where a new generation now tests its mettle. But long before them, Serena Williams, the American titan, didn’t just play on grass; she ruled every surface the sport offered. With 23 G titles, surpassing Steffi Graf’s Open Era record, Serena carved her legacy into tennis history with unstoppable force. Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, has long championed her greatness, famously wearing a shirt at the 2021 Australian Open reading “GREATEST FEMALE ATHLETE,” with the qualifier ‘FEMALE’ crossed out. Now, once again, even after the American tennis ace retired a long time back, the proud entrepreneur couldn’t resist sharing how his wife stands not just among tennis legends, but as a giant in the world’s sporting pantheon.

Just a couple of hours ago, an IG account named “On Mentel” dropped a graphic that instantly turned heads. With the caption, “through the Mentel App… Here’s what we found 🐐,” the image lit up feeds everywhere. It boldly stated, “This graphic of the greatest athletes ever inspired us… So we dug through Mantel to find signed memorabilia from the GOATs themselves.” The lineup? Pure greatness: Muhammad Ali, Michael Phelps, LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Pele, Tiger Woods, and more.

As the post gained steam, Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit and proud husband of Serena Williams, shared it in his own Instagram stories. A silent nod to where Serena stands: right among the immortals.

When it comes to professional tennis, Serena Williams stands in a league of her own. Her legacy, built brick by brick over decades, remains unmatched in both numbers and narrative. It all began in 1995, when a teenage Serena made her WTA Tour debut at the Challenge Bell in Quebec City, Canada. That match, a first-round loss to then-world No. 149 Annie Miller, lasted under an hour, but it was the spark that lit the fire of greatness.

Four years later, she clinched her maiden Grand Slam title at the 1999 US Open. From there, Serena would go on to conquer 22 more majors, seven at Wimbledon, three at Roland Garros, seven at the Australian Open, and five more US Open crowns, bringing her total to 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Just one shy of Margaret Court’s all-time record. In doubles, she reigned supreme alongside sister Venus, winning 14 titles. Add two mixed doubles trophies and four Olympic gold medals—three in doubles, one in singles, and her résumé becomes staggering.

Serena has earned more prize money than any other female tennis player in history, more than doubling the career earnings of her sister Venus, who sits second on that list. Her most dominant season came in 2013, when she collected a record-shattering $12.4 million in one calendar year, eclipsing the previous record of $7.9 million.

She spent 319 weeks atop the WTA rankings, including 186 consecutive weeks, tied with Steffi Graf for the longest streak in women’s tennis history. At Roland Garros, she compiled a 69-14 record with titles in 2002, 2013, and 2015. She dominated the WTA Finals, winning the prestigious season-ender five times, becoming the oldest champion at age 33 in 2014. At Wimbledon, she captured seven singles titles, tied with Graf and second only to Martina Navratilova, and held a staggering 98-14 record at SW19, along with six doubles and one mixed doubles trophy.

Off the court, Serena’s greatness only grew. Her husband, Alexis Ohanian, captured it best back in 2018: “She fought for her life, for our child, for recognition, for equal pay, for women’s rights. She never gives up. She’s passionate and unrelenting and the most inspiring person I know.”

Today, even in retirement, her legacy echoes louder than ever. But behind every record and milestone, there is a price. Greatness doesn’t come cheap, it demands sacrifice, resilience, and an unyielding will to rise. 

Serena Williams reflects on the true price of greatness

Serena Williams has always been unapologetically real, especially when it comes to the two little lights of her life: her daughters. In November 2024, the 23-time Grand Slam champion laid it bare, saying, “I am obsessed with my children. I spend all day with them. I have my schedule or my work schedule, like my whole life is like ok, being with Olympia, being with Adira.” But while her business, Wyn Beauty, now rises to stardom, the emotional toll weighs heavily.

For Serena, success was never just trophies and applause; it was also the cost of absence. She’s missed moments that can’t be measured. “My whole life I’ve had to kind of weigh, like, ‘If I wanna win a championship, well what is that going to cost me?’” she confessed. “It’s going to cost me time with my family, it’s going to cost me friends, it’s going to cost me relationships. And they’re very expensive. You have to decide if it’s worth it for you.”

Her legacy is etched in the fabric of sports history, but the emotional ledger tells another story, of sacrifices made in silence, of love poured into every corner she touches.

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