Serena Williams, the idol of our lifetime

27 years could mean many things. The first that comes to mind is probably age. Maybe a wedding anniversary, perhaps the 27th year spent in a career. For Serena Williams, 27 years means the almost three-decade long portion of her life where she dominated an entire sport.

Williams holds an overall record of 63–38 against the other stars of her generation. When most of her peers retired at 30, Serena rose even higher. From age 30 to 35, Serena Williams won nearly 90% of all her matches. She spent over three years in the №1 spot of women’s tennis, from early 2013 to late 2016. Not only did she dominate her own generation, she overcame — better yet, ignored, because she never seemed to have any issue at all — her age disadvantage against young and upcoming players.

Her longevity and dominance establish her as the GOAT of women’s tennis. She is a multi-generational hero, whom millions of Black girls can look up to. She has braved media attacks, racism, and all else to become the symbol of success and power she is today.

Especially with the release of *King Richard* last year, Serena’s backstory will be well-known forever. While most celebrities and many athletes start somewhere in the middle or upper class, Serena had to battle from the bottom up. She has risen to become an unmatched image of Black power, athletic excellence, and unvarying humility.

Sererna Williams will forever be an idol.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/08/28/sports/tennis/serena-age-opponents.html