Biography Serena Jameka Williams (USA)

Residence: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA
Birthdate: September 26, 1981
Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan, USA
Height: 5' 8" - 1.73 m
Weight: 130bs. - 59 kg
Plays: Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Status: Pro (September, 1995)

Career highlights:

1995

Played first professional match as a WC in Quebec City qualifying losing to Annie Miller.
1996

She did not play in 1996.
1997

First Tour main-draw appearance came as a qualifier at Moscow, where she lost to no. 22 Kimberly Po.

In just her second career main-draw event at Chicago as a WC, she defeated no.7 Mary Pierce in the second round and no. 4 Monica Seles in the quarterfinal before losing to Davenport in the semi-final.

Her ranking climbed from no. 304 to no 102 after beating two top ten players in one tournament.

She ended the year ranked at # 99.

1998

Serena began the year 1998 in Sydney, as a qualifier ranked no. 96, she had a quarterfinal win over no. 3 Lindsay Davenport saving match points and fighting off 6-1, 5-2 deficit, improving her ranking to no. 53.

She upset no. 9 ranked Spirlea in the first round to be defeated by her sister in the second round Australian.

In Miami she defeated the no.10 Spirlea again to reach the quarterfinal where she held match points on no.1 Martina Hingis before falling 6-3, 1-6, 7-6.

At the Italian Open Serena defeated no. 12 Tauziat and no. 8 Martinez before losing to sister Venus in the quarterfinal.

She reached the 4th round at Roland Garros held 6-4, 5-2 lead on eventual winner Sanchez- Vicario.

She won the mixed doubles titles at Wimbledon and US Open with Max Mirnyi.

Serena won first pro title in doubles at Oklahoma City with sister, Venus, becoming the third pair of sisters to win a tour doubles title.
Ended the year ranked at # 20

1999
Serena won her first five singles titles of her career, including first Grand Slam; US Open, Paris Indoors, Indian Wells, Los Angeles and the Grand Slam Cup.

Entered Top 10 at No. 9 for first time on April 5.

Did not have a losing record against any player ranked in Top 5; won three doubles titles with her sister including Roland Garros and US Open;

Helped the U.S. win the Fed Cup championship

Ended the season ranked at # 4

2000

Her best result was defending her Los Angeles title with wins over no.6 Martinez, no.1 Hingis and no.2 Davenport.

Serena also won titles at Hanover and Tokyo Princess Cup
Finalist at Canadian Open where she led no.1 Martina Hingis before retiring in the third set with inflammation of small bone in base of left foot.
She was also finalist at Paris Indoors, falling to Tauziat 7-5, 6-2 after suffering a ligament injury in her right knee.

Serena did not play again until June at Wimbledon, where she lost just 13 games in five matches en route to the semi-final and lost to her sister Venus.

In doubles she won Wimbledon and Olympic Gold titles with her sister, Venus

Ended the year ranked at # 6.

2001

She began at Sydney reaching quarterfinal before falling to Hingis 6-4, 7-5.
She reached first quarterfinal at the Australian Open falling to Hingis 6-2, 3-6, 8-6.

At Indian Wells she won her ninth career singles title where she defeated no.2 Davenport in the quarterfinal and Clijsters in final.

In Miami she reached the quarterfinals defeating Clijsters and lost to Capriati in the next round.

For the first-time she reached a quarterfinal at Roland Garros extending eventual winner Capriati to three sets.

At Wimbledon she held 7-6, 5-3 lead on Capriati in QF and was two points from winning before falling in three sets.

She lost her two-year grip on Los Angeles title when she fell 7-6 in the final set to Seles in quarterfinal after holding six match points.
She won the title at Canadian Open defeating Majoli, Schett, Testud, no. 8 Seles and no. 3 Capriati.

At US Open she defeated no.6 Henin, no.3 Davenport and no.1 Hingis in consecutive matches before falling to her older sister, Venus, in the final.
Serena is the first player to win the Tour's season-ending championships on her debut, receiving a walkover in the final when Davenport withdrew due to injury.

She ended the year ranked at # 6.

2002

She reached career-first clay-court final at the German Open, where she fell in a third-set tiebreak to eighth-ranked Henin.

She captured her career-first clay-court title at the Italian Open, defeating no. 2 Capriati in the semi-final and no. 8 Henin in final.

Serena’s ranking improved to a career-high No. 3.

Defeated her older sister Venus 7-5, 6-3 to win Roland Garros, her second Grand Slam singles title.

Defeated older sister Venus 7-6 (7-4), 6-3

Become no.1 on the WTA world rankings