Serena Williams
Serena Williams has clearly signalled that she is not a spent force in women's singles and is capable of teaching the new generation of young eastern European players a thing or two on the sport's biggest stage.
Player Biography
Serena Williams, like her sister, was groomed for tennis stardom. The younger Williams sister won her first tournament aged only four years old, and by the age of 10 had won 46 tennis tournaments. Competing mainly against her sister, Serena enjoyed periods as the highest ranked junior tennis player in California.
Career
Serena Williams turned pro at the age of 14, playing part time and forced to participate in non-WTA events due to age restrictions. In 1997 Serena Williams began competing against WTA tour players, proving her ability by beating both Monica Seles and Mary Pierce at the Ameritech Open.
Grand Slam Record
It took Serena Williams just one season to get up to speed in grand slam tennis. After making a strong grand slam debut in 1998 that saw her advance to 3rd rounds of Wimbledon, the US Open and the French Open, Williams powered to her first grand slam win in 1999 when she won the US Open for the first time.
Since winning her first grand slam titles Serena Williams has been a constant presence in the final rounds of the grand slams. In 2002 and 2003 her form was imperious as she claimed three grand slam titles in each year, becoming the most recent player to hold all four grand slam titles at the same time.
Although Serena Williams has failed to return to the heights reached in 2002 and 2003, she has still managed to claim additional grand slam titles, winning the Australian Open in 2005 and 2007. She has been no slouch on the WTA tour either, taking home 28 singles titles.
2008 was a real comeback year for both sisters, Venus claimed the Wimbledon 2008 crown, while Serena won the US Open women's singles title. She also made it to the number one spot on the WTA rankings for a short time, but dropped to number three after pulling out of the Kremlin Cup due to injury complaints.
The 2009 season saw Serena Williams bounce back to her best with a vengeance. The American claimed the first grand slam title of the season by winning the Australian Open, and then took her second grand slam title of the year at Wimbledon in July. Many believe that Serena is likely to play at her best for years to come, and the American entered the 2009 US Open as a strong favourite.
Playing Style
Serena Williams has built her excellent record in grand slams and the WTA on a powerful, aggressive approach to tennis that sees her dominate rallies with raw power off her forehand and serve. Williams' serve is regarded as her most potent weapon, and apart from raw power she is able to add subtlety in spin and action to confuse her opponents.
