Serena Williams Height : 5'9'
Weight : 130 lbs. Plays : Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Serena Williams was born on September
26, 1981, in Saginaw Michigan and is the youngest of five sisters: Lyndrea,
Isha, Yetunde, and Venus. Her parents, Richard and Oracene, later relocated
to Los Angeles, and the girls grew up in Compton, a rough L.A. suburb.
When she was only four and a half, Serena entered her first tournament,
and from there she went on to win nearly every match she entered at the
junior level. Her talent for tennis led to national press coverage and
promises of product endorsement deals. In 1993, Serena was enrolled in
Rick Macci's Tennis Academy in Florida and the entire family moved to Palm
Beach Gardens. And although the World Tennis Association did not recognize
players that young, Serena turned pro at 14. Once she was playing in the
big leagues, things got off to a rocky start: Serena suffered a glaring
defeat at the 1995 Bell Challenge in Quebec, her first major tournament.
In 1997, she was ranked 304th yet beat No. 7 Mary Pierce in the second
round and No. 4 Monica Seles in the quarterfinals, at a 1997 Ameritech-sponsored
tournament in Chicago. With her father's continuous encouragement, Serena
continued her upward spiral. By 1999, Serena was No. 21, after managing
to beat sixth seed Irina Spirlea before losing to her sister Venus at the
1998 Australian Open, Serena's first Grand Slam singles event. When she's
not practicing, she enjoys surfing, skateboarding, watching cartoons, and
playing the guitar. For now, tennis remains a top priority for Serena,
as she will undoubtedly make that all-important leap to number one. |
