Serena Williams’ legacy, on and off the court

Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam champion, has announced her retirement from tennis on Tuesday. Williams is considered one of the greats to play the sport and has numerous accolades to prove it, receiving a standing ovation in Toronto on Wednesday as she left the court following her final career Canadian Open match.

Williams’ legacy reaches beyond what she achieved on the court, and what she championed off the court will positively impact future generations of female tennis players. Here are some of the moments that cemented her legacy.

Grand Slams
It’s almost impossible to look back on Williams’ career and not mention the “Serena Slam.” A spin on tennis’ Grand Slam, Williams’ version refers to a reigning champion of the major tournaments who won the titles again in a non-calendar year. She first accomplished this feat after beating her sister Venus Williams in the 2003 Australian Open. More than 10 years later, she accomplished it again when she won four majors in a row during the 2014-15 season.

In the 2012 season, Williams achieved an even greater feat known as the Golden Slam. She won all four majors plus an Olympic gold medal in singles and doubles at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is the only tennis player to own a Golden Slam in both singles and doubles. 

WTA updates post-pregnancy rankings

During the 2017 Australian Open, Williams won her 23rd Grand Slam singles title. Consequently, she was ranked number one following the win. However, she withdrew from the upcoming events, later revealing that she was eight or nine weeks pregnant at the Australian Open and would be unable to compete for the remainder of the season.

When she returned from maternity leave at the 2018 French Open, she was ranked No. 451 — shocking for an athlete ranked first almost a year prior. After much outcry, the Women’s Tennis Association updated its rules for returning mothers. Now, a player will be eligible for a special ranking up to three years after the birth of their child. Before, the rule stated players could receive a special ranking for up to two years after their last competition. While the old rule didn’t only affect Williams’ ranking, it was her notoriety that helped put the archaic rule on public display. 

2018 French Open catsuit 

In her first competition back since the birth of her daughter, Williams showed up to Roland Garros in a black catsuit inspired by the movie Black Panther. She dedicated her outfit to “all the moms out there who had a tough recovery from pregnancy.” Williams has a history of blood clots that worsened after her pregnancy and wore the tight catsuit to keep her blood circulating.

French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli said Williams’ outfit would no longer be accepted and was disrespectful to the game, but after much backlash, the WTA changed their dress code rules. At the beginning of the 2019 season, female players were allowed to wear leggings and compression shorts without a skirt or dress during matches. While players were not prohibited from wearing such outfits before, the new rule made it explicitly clear that they were allowed. Williams has been widely credited as the leading cause for the change.

Serena Ventures capital fund

Founded in 2014 by Williams, Serena Ventures is a venture capital firm that mainly invests in companies whose founders are historically underrepresented or marginalized. In March, the company raised $111 million that will be invested in founders with “diverse points of view.” Williams talked about her venture capital firm in her Vogue article, where she announced her retirement. Through a conversation with a female CEO at a conference, she realized someone like her needed to invest in other BIPOC or female founders. “Like attracts like,” she said in the article. 

Williams is repeatedly one of the few women on Forbes’ World’s Highest-Paid Athletes. This year she ranked 31st, earning $45 million off the field. It’s safe to assume that Williams will surely invest more time into her company following her retirement. Though she won’t play tennis anymore, fans will still see Williams through her countless endorsement deals or hear her name when she invests in another groundbreaking company.