How did Serena Williams become a tennis legend? She began her path to greatness at an early age, alongside her older sister, Venus.

Born in 1981, Serena was just 4 years old when her father, Richard, began coaching his daughters in the sport. Richard believed that both Venus and Serena could be champions. Sure enough, before they were teenagers, the sisters were playing exhibition games against professional tennis players. (An exhibition game is one that’s played for show, not as part of a competition.) 

The Williams sisters enrolled in a tennis academy in 1991. In 1994, Venus played in her first professional competition. Serena did the same one year later. In 1997, still only in her teens, Serena defeated tennis great Monica Seles in a tournament.

Both sisters went on to become among the best in their sport. By 2018, Serena had 23 Grand Slam titles. She left the sport in 2022 but returned in 2026.

Serena Williams remains in the headlines whether she plays tennis or not. In 2014 she founded a company called Serena Ventures, which invests in, or puts money into, new or small companies that otherwise might have difficulty succeeding. She has also worked in the fashion world, both with existing companies and on her own clothing lines.

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