Serena Williams, arguably the greatest Tennis player of all time, has announced an impending retirement after the upcoming US Open, which begins later this month. Williams, who turns 41 next month, is already the most successful athlete of the Open Era, winning a record total of 23 grand slam titles. 

In an article posted on Vogue, Williams wrote that the time has come for her to “evolve” away from her tennis career and focus more on family, spiritual health, and business interests. 

“I have never liked the word ‘retirement,'” Williams wrote. “Maybe the best word to describe what I’m up to is ‘evolution.’ I’m here to tell you that I’m evolving away from tennis, toward other things that are important to me.”

Here’s a look at the five most memorable moments of Williams’ glittering career.

Williams’ First Grand Slam Title (1999)

A year after she turned pro, Serena Williams became the first black woman in over four decades to win a grand slam title. She did so by defeating the world number four Monica Seles in the quarterfinals, defending champion Lindsay Davenport in the semis, and the world number one Martina Hingis in the final of the US Open. The triumph made Williams a force to reckon with, and she continued her dominance for close to two decades.

Williams’ Response To Racism At Indian Wells, 2001

The legacy that Serena Williams will be leaving behind after her retirement will go beyond her statistical brilliance on the court. Throughout her career, she had to endure racial attacks and dehumanisation from the overwhelmingly white world of tennis. 

In 2001 at Indian Wells final against Kim Clijsters, she was booed and subjected to racial chants in her own country. Serena took a stand by not returning to this event for the next 14 editions. She made her comeback in 2015 after she perceived a change in the establishment’s attitude towards racism. 

Serena Slam In 2003

Williams fell agonisingly short of matching Steffi Graff’s record of winning all four majors in a calendar year in 2002, but she did become only the fifth woman to hold all four slams in a row next year. After finishing 2002 with the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open, Serena prevailed over her sister Venus in the Australia Open 2003 to achieve what is regarded as the toughest feat in tennis. 

The Comeback Summer Of 2007

A series of debilitating injuries in the mid-noughties halted Williams’ juggernaut. She was forced to retire midway while defending her Wimbledon title in 2003, and then went for a brief hiatus to recover from injuries. When Serena finally returned to the court, in the Australian Open in 2007, she was ranked a lowly 84th in the world. However, she blazed her way to another Australia Open title with a crushing 6-1, 6-2 win over Maria Sharapova. 

Australian Open 2017

Serena Williams was eight-week pregnant when she defeated her sister to clinch her 23rd grand slam title in 2017, thus bettering Graff’s record of 22 majors in the Open Era. The victory cemented her place as the undisputable legend of the sport, and this month in US Open, she will be vying to add one more to her tally, which will bring her at par with Magaret Court’s record of 24 majors.

Lead Image: Serena Williams/Instagram