Serena Williams indicated on Tuesday she is preparing to walk away from her professional tennis career as the start of the U.S. Open approaches on Aug. 29 and her 41st birthday approaches next month. She would leave behind a legacy that extends beyond her dominance on the court.
A couple of days before Serena Williams claimed the 22nd of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles at Wimbledon in 2016, she was asked what she makes of it when people refer to her as one of history's greatest female athletes.
Still, mere numbers can't capture everything Williams has represented during a distinguished career that began when she was a teenager in the 1990s and is remarkable for not just the successes but also the longevity, including a record 10 major championships after turning 30. “It is important to take a step back and think about everything that Serena has brought to our sport and what she has accomplished both on and off the court,” said Steve Simon, the head of the WTA women's tennis tour. “She is one of the greatest champions, an entrepreneur, a mother, an investor in women’s business ventures and an inspiration to women and girls across the world.”
“I don’t particularly like to think about my legacy. I get asked about it a lot, and I never know exactly what to say,” she wrote in an essay released by Vogue magazine. “But I’d like to think that thanks to opportunities afforded to me, women athletes feel that they can be themselves on the court. They can play with aggression and pump their fists. They can be strong yet beautiful. They can wear what they want and say what they want and kick butt and be proud of it all.
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