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Here Are Some of Serena Williams' Greatest Moments

Here Are Some of Serena Williams' Greatest Moments

Hot97 Staff
09/06/2018 12:00 AM EDT
Photo credit Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images

Tennis superstar and legendary athlete Serena Williams just advanced to the U.S. Open semi finals for the 9th consecutive time. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has solidified her greatness status in more ways than one for reasons that stretch far beyond the tennis court. Aside from being able to handle anyone in a match, she has made many loving appearances in the pop culture world, continuously spoken out about unfair treatment, and has become a fashionable figure as well.

There are plenty of occasions that remind us why Serena Williams is great. Here are some of them:

Winning the Australian Open while 8 weeks pregnant

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One of the many moments that defined Williams’ dedication to tennis was revealed after she claimed her victory at the 2017 Australian Open. The win in itself was extremely admirable, but the full context of how amazing the accomplishment really was came after she revealed her pregnancy later on in the year.

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All women’s bodies respond to pregnancy differently, but for the most part, the majority can agree that it becomes more difficult to do simple everyday tasks. The fact that Serena Williams was able to gain another major title win during this time was truly remarkable.

The catsuit

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In 2002, Serena Williams emerged in a body-hugging, sleek black suit that stopped at her thighs. Considering the time and climate of the tennis world back then, this fashion choice was an extremely bold statement. Although the “revealing” skin-tight apparel itself is definitely not the only time Williams decided to take fashion risks, it served as a reminder of the cultural icon she was becoming due to her ability to make unapologetic choices.

The first Williams’ sister match

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Although we’ve grown accustomed to a good Venus Williams vs Serena Williams match up through the years, it’s important to reflect on just how special the dynamic really is. The sisters met on the night of the 2001 U.S. Open after overcoming close games and upsets. Many can agree that the match itself is bigger than what the scoreboard turned out to show, as we remember the story of Venus and Serena. Two sisters who were coached by their dad, went on to chase their tennis superstar dreams and stayed close as ever during the entire process.

Her perfect cameo in a Beyonce music video

Williams can claim many things that most others can’t, one of them being an appearance in a very important Beyonce music video. In “Sorry,” Serena Williams surprised viewers by coming in and dancing alongside Beyonce. The visual was striking, as two powerful Black women joined together for an empowering shot.

“She told me that she just wants me to dance, like just be really free and just dance like nobody’s looking, and go all out,” Williams, 34, told reporters at an event in Rome shortly after the video came out. “So that wasn’t easy in the beginning, but then it got easier. … I thought that particular song on the visual album was really a strong song, and it was also really fun at the same time.”

Rightfully claiming her “greatest athlete” title

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After her 2016 semi final Wimbledon victory, a journalist asked how she felt about being “one of the greatest female athletes of all time.” To that, she gave one of the best responses of all time. “I prefer the words ‘one of the greatest athletes of all time.'” The confidence that lies in that answer self-explanatory.

Officially being No. 1

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Although the world already knew Williams was an amazing athlete, she officially gained the top spot in the rankings in 2002. That was the year following her double at the French Open and Wimbledon. Overall, Serena has reached the top spot eight times and spent 319 weeks at No. 1.