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Serena Williams named Female Athlete of the Decade

By Veronica Elizabeth Bruno

2019 US Open Tennis Tournament- Day Thirteen. Serena Williams of the United States serving against Bianca Andreescu of Canada in the Women's Singles Final on Arthur Ashe Stadium during the 2019 US Open Tennis Tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 7th, 2019 in Flushing, Queens, New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
2019 US Open Tennis Tournament- Day Thirteen. Serena Williams of the United States serving against Bianca Andreescu of Canada in the Women's Singles Final on Arthur Ashe Stadium during the 2019 US Open Tennis Tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 7th, 2019 in Flushing, Queens, New York City. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) /
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Serena Williams is the most celebrated WTA athlete of all time. Is it any wonder that she was selected as the Female Athlete of the Decade by the Associated Press?

Serena Williams is a legend in sports, and an icon on and off the tennis court. With 23 singles grand slam titles—the most in the Open Era—she is the undisputed queen of tennis. On Saturday, she added another title to her long list of achievements, Female Athlete of the Decade by the Associated Press (AP).

The 38-year-old tennis player earned a dozen of those singles slam titles in the last decade. A testament to her dominance in the sport, she earned the other 11 in the previous decade. Serena Williams is not only the greatest tennis player of the last decade, but the last two.

During the last 10 years, she also equaled Steffi Graf’s record for most consecutive weeks in the top WTA spot. Even though her last slam trophy came at the 2017 Australian Open, Serena made four incredible finals (two Wimbledons, two US Opens) since then, returning to the game less than a year after giving birth (and dealing with health complications from the event). Since 2007, she has appeared in at least one grand slam final a year.

https://twitter.com/BillieJeanKing/status/1211067234627522560

Among Williams’s many accomplishments include:

  • Most decorated tennis player in Olympic history, along with her sister Venus: three golds in doubles (Sydney, Beijing, London) and 1 singles (London).
  • The Serena Slam: reigning champion of all four grand slams (though not necessarily in the same tennis season), having done that twice (Rod Laver and Graf the other two).
  • She has appeared in at least one slam final in the last two decades, dating all the way back to 1999, minus three years.
  • The only tennis player (male or female) to win at least 10 slams in the past two decades each.
  • Only player to complete the Career Golden Slam after age 30, male or female.
  • Second player to win slam titles in singles in three separate decades (besides Martina Navratilova).
  • Highest-earning female athlete of all time.

Simone Biles was named 2019 Female Athlete of the Year by the AP, and had nothing but praise for her idol Serena Williams.

"“She’s been my idol growing up,” Biles said according to ESPN.“She’s remained humble. She’s stayed true to herself and her character and I think that’s really neat about an athlete.”"

At age 38 and ranked No. 10, Williams is still going strong, as evidenced by her boxing skills while sparring with Mike Tyson earlier this month.

Still on top of the game, she will look to add to her legacy in 2020, an Olympic year.

Williams continues to define excellence.

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