The journey of Serena Williams began at the age of four when she first picked up a tennis racquet. She and her sister Venus were coached by both her parents, Oracene and Richard, at a young age.
Like the Williams sisters, I was also coached by my father when I first started playing tennis. Serena was always one of the biggest contributors in tennis. I still very consciously remember watching her play against Maria Sharapova, one of William’s biggest rivals, as a child and thinking, “Wow she looks so strong.”
Serena was extremely tough and an aggressive player. She liked playing big. She had big and heavy strokes and an even bigger serve which would always give her the upper hand in the sport. I also loved Serena a tad bit more than other players because she was sponsored by Wilson, a racquet brand, like I was.
As a junior, I worked on getting better and dominating on the court like Serena and attempted my very own “Serena Slam,” which is when Serena Williams wins all four Grand Slams in a row. My attempt was with smaller tournaments and fortunately for me, I was able to win four singles events in a row as a U-16 Junior. I followed Serena’s training in the summers when I had more time with my coaches. My coach at that time was a big fan of Serena as well and would often show me videos of her playing to help me understand specific techniques.
Serena is one of the most inspirational athletes of all time. She is a daughter, sister, friend, wife and tennis legend. With 23 grand slams in her pocket, she has used her platform for many business ventures which also makes her a successful businesswoman. She is strong-willed and she stood up for what she believed in. Her dominance in tennis was unmatched. Like myself, she inspired and helped many young tennis players.
On Sept. 2, Serena played her last professional tennis match at the U.S. Open in Flushing, N.Y. It was an end of a beautiful and strong reign. Serena will always be remembered as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time). The world of tennis will never be the same without her.
