Serena Williams is widely regarded as the greatest female tennis player of the Open Era, and her story goes far beyond the tennis court. From a childhood on the public courts of Compton to a business empire and a marriage to tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian, her life reflects grit, reinvention and family. This article looks at her early years, education, career, achievements, finances, and her life alongside husband Alexis Ohanian and their two daughters.
Quick Bio Table
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Serena Jameka Williams |
| Date of Birth | 26 September 1981 |
| Age | 44 (as of September 2026) |
| Birthplace | Saginaw, Michigan, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Profession | Former professional tennis player, businesswoman |
| Turned Professional | 1995 |
| Retired From Tennis | 2022 |
| Grand Slam Singles Titles | 23 (Open Era record) |
| Parents | Richard Williams and Oracene Price |
| Sister | Venus Williams |
| Husband | Alexis Ohanian |
| Children | Two daughters |
| Business | Serena Ventures, fashion ventures |
Early Life and Family
Serena Jameka Williams was born on 26 September 1981 in Saginaw, Michigan. She was raised in Compton, California, after her family moved there while she was still very young. It was on Compton’s public tennis courts that she first picked up a racket, coached almost entirely by her parents rather than through any official academy system.
Parents and Siblings
Her father, Richard Williams, had no formal background in tennis. He taught himself the sport from books and video tapes before deciding to train his daughters himself, believing strongly in their potential long before the tennis world took notice. Her mother, Oracene Price, worked as a nurse and later became deeply involved in coaching too, helping shape both Serena and her older sister Venus Williams into champions.
Serena is the youngest of five sisters. Venus Williams, her full sister, became a tennis star in her own right, and the two would go on to dominate women’s tennis together for years, both as rivals and as a formidable doubles pairing. Serena also has three older half-sisters from her mother’s earlier marriage: Yetunde Price, Lyndrea Price and Isha Price. Yetunde passed away in 2003. Richard Williams and Oracene Price divorced in 2002, after 22 years of marriage.
Education
Serena was largely homeschooled during her early years so that she could focus on intensive tennis training alongside Venus. Away from the sport, she later studied fashion design at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, an interest that would eventually feed into her own clothing ventures once her playing career slowed down.
Tennis Career and Achievements
Serena turned professional in 1995, a year after Venus, and it did not take long for her to make her mark. Her game was built on a powerful serve, aggressive baseline hitting and remarkable athleticism, a style that changed how women’s tennis was played and coached at every level.
Grand Slam Success
Over her career, Serena won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most of any player, man or woman, in the Open Era. She also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside Venus and two more in mixed doubles. She completed the career Grand Slam, winning all four majors at least once, a feat only a handful of players in tennis history have managed. She spent a combined 319 weeks ranked world number one, a mark of sustained dominance rather than a single golden run.
Olympic Glory
Serena also built an outstanding Olympic record, winning four gold medals across her career, including doubles success with Venus and an individual singles title. Few athletes in any sport have managed to combine that level of team and individual success on the Olympic stage.
Net Worth, Salary and Income Sources
Serena Williams built her wealth from several directions rather than tennis prize money alone, though that was substantial in itself. Over her playing career, she earned more in prize money than any other female tennis player in history, with total career earnings on court reported at well over $90 million.
Estimates of her overall net worth vary depending on the source, but most current figures place it somewhere above $250 million, built up through a combination of tournament winnings, endorsement deals and business investments. Her sponsorship portfolio has included major brands such as Nike, Gatorade, Beats by Dre, JPMorgan Chase, Intel, Wilson, Aston Martin and the Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet.
Business Ventures
Beyond the court, Serena founded Serena Ventures, a venture capital firm that invests heavily in companies led by women and people of colour. She has also developed her own fashion and lifestyle labels, drawing on her earlier design studies. This mix of investing and entrepreneurship has become as central to her public identity as her playing career once was.
Personal Life: Husband Alexis Ohanian and Children
Away from business and tennis, Serena’s personal life has attracted plenty of attention too, particularly her marriage to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.
Meeting Alexis Ohanian and Marriage
Serena met Alexis Ohanian in Rome in May 2015, and the pair got to know each other properly over a first date in Paris shortly afterwards. Ohanian, an entrepreneur best known for co-founding the social media platform Reddit while at university, proposed in December 2016 at the same Rome hotel where they first met. The couple married in November 2017 in New Orleans. Since then, Alexis Ohanian has often been seen supporting Serena courtside and has become a public figure in his own right through his technology and investment work, including founding the venture capital firm 776.
Children
Serena and Alexis Ohanian welcomed their first daughter, Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., in September 2017. A second daughter, Adira River Ohanian, arrived in August 2023, with Serena announcing the pregnancy at the Met Gala earlier that year. Family life with Alexis Ohanian and their two daughters is something Serena has spoken about often, describing motherhood as one of the most demanding and rewarding parts of her life.
Physical Profile: Height, Weight and Nationality
Serena Williams stands at around 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) tall, a height that suited her powerful serving style well. She is American by nationality, born and raised in the United States, and has represented the country at multiple Olympic Games and in international team competitions throughout her career.
Recent Career and Legacy
Serena announced her move away from professional tennis in 2022, choosing the word “evolving” rather than “retiring” to describe stepping back from the sport, with her final competitive matches coming at the US Open that year. Since then, she has focused her energy on Serena Ventures, her fashion projects, and family life alongside husband Alexis Ohanian and their daughters.
Her legacy in tennis is difficult to overstate. She reshaped what a dominant playing style could look like in the women’s game, extended her career and success well into her thirties, and became one of the most recognisable athletes in the world regardless of sport. Beyond the trophies, she has been a vocal advocate for equal pay in tennis and greater opportunities for Black women in sport and business, an influence that will likely outlast any single record she set on court.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Who is Serena Williams married to? Serena Williams is married to Alexis Ohanian, an American entrepreneur and co-founder of Reddit. The couple married in November 2017 in New Orleans.
2. How many children do Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian have? They have two daughters together: Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., born in 2017, and Adira River Ohanian, born in 2023.
3. What is Serena Williams’ net worth? Estimates commonly place her net worth above $250 million, built through tennis prize money, endorsements and business ventures including Serena Ventures.
4. How many Grand Slam titles has Serena Williams won? She has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most of any player during the Open Era, along with 14 doubles titles and two mixed doubles titles.
5. Is Serena Williams still playing professional tennis? No. She stepped away from professional tennis in 2022, following her final matches at that year’s US Open, and now focuses on her business ventures and family.
