The subject of tennis is incomplete without Serena Williams being mentioned. Williams is considered one of the greatest players of all time. Over the years, the athlete has won a staggering number of games and has also amassed wealth from her endorsements. With her earnings, no wonder her net worth comes in hundreds of millions.
Net Worth
Williams stands out as the highest-earning female player by a substantial margin. During her career, the world champion has amassed a net worth of $300 million.
Williams earned over $95 million in on-court winnings alone. She holds the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles of any player, male or female, in the Open Era. Additionally, she is a four-time Olympic gold medalist and has secured numerous other major titles.
Throughout her playing years, Williams consistently earned around $40 million annually from on-court winnings and endorsements. For instance, between June 2019 and June 2020, she earned $35 million, with approximately $20 million coming from endorsements.
Williams is among the most sought-after endorsement athletes globally, earning between $15-20 million annually from endorsements outside of tennis. She has endorsed companies such as Nike and Kraft Foods.
Nike deal
Williams signed a groundbreaking $55 million deal with Nike in 2003, as reported by Yahoo. This partnership has endured over the years, culminating in a remarkable tribute from Nike in 2022. The sportswear giant unveiled a building at its Oregon world headquarters named after Williams. Speaking about the building, Williams, now 41, expressed her excitement, saying, "The whole building takes your breath away. Every element, everywhere you go, is an opportunity to be inspired. I hope this building encourages people to bring out the best of themselves and to dream bigger than they thought possible."
DirecTV deal
In 2021, Williams appeared in a high-profile advertisement for DirecTV's streaming service, but the exact amount she was paid for this appearance remains undisclosed. The advertisement, which featured a Matrix-themed concept with Williams dressed as Wonder Woman, was a part of DirecTV's substantial advertising campaign. According to DirecTV's chief marketing officer Vince Torres, this campaign marked the company's most expensive advertising push since 2015, when it spent $164.6 million on advertising, as reported by iSpot.tv.
Real estate ventures
In 2017, Williams acquired a Beverly Hills mansion for $6.2 million. She also owns an apartment in Paris with a picturesque view of the Eiffel Tower. In 2015, Williams purchased a home in Palm Beach Gardens, South Florida, for $2.4 million. During their active playing days, Williams and her sister Venus resided together in a mansion in Palm Beach Gardens, which they bought for over $600,000 in 1998. They put this property up for sale 20 years later for $2.5 million.
In 2019, Williams sold her Bel-Air home, which she bought in 2006 for $6.62 million. Initially listed for sale at $12 million in October 2017, the property underwent two price reductions before eventually selling for $8.1 million two years later.
An illustrious career
Being an iconic figure in tennis, Williams held the world number one ranking on eight occasions and amassed a staggering $94 million in prize money, more than any other female player in history. Her remarkable career includes 23 Grand Slam singles titles and 14 doubles titles alongside her sister Venus. Additionally, she clinched gold medals at the Sydney, Beijing, and London Olympics, solidifying her status as one of the sport's greatest athletes.
Williams burst onto the professional scene at just 14 years old, making a notable impact at the 1997 Ameritech Cup by defeating higher-ranked players before finishing the year at number 99. The following years saw her rise through the ranks, securing her first Grand Slam singles victory at the 1999 US Open, signaling the start of her dominant reign in women's tennis.
Throughout the 2000s, Williams continued to dominate, reaching the number one ranking in 2002 and achieving the "Serena Slam" in 2003 by holding all four major Grand Slam titles simultaneously. Despite facing health issues and personal challenges, including knee surgery and the passing of her half-sister, Yetunde, Williams remained a formidable force on the court, reclaiming the top ranking and securing multiple Grand Slam victories. Her legacy as a tennis legend was solidified when she retired from the sport in September 2022.
Personal life
Williams married Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit, in a lavish ceremony in New Orleans in November 2017. Their wedding was attended by high-profile guests including Beyoncé and Kim Kardashian West. In April 2017, Williams accidentally revealed her pregnancy in a Snapchat photo intended for private use. Later that year, she gave birth to a daughter via C-section after experiencing a pulmonary embolism during labor. Following the birth, Williams faced health complications, including a second pulmonary embolism, which resulted in her being bedridden for six weeks and delaying her return to training. In August 2018, she bravely announced her struggle with postpartum depression. In 2023, it was announced that Williams and Ohanian are expecting their second child.
Early life
Williams was born on Sept. 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan. She spent part of her childhood in Compton, California, where she and her sister were introduced to tennis at a young age. Both girls were homeschooled to allow for extensive tennis practice. Their father, Richard Williams, and mother, Oracene Price, acted as their official coaches, with additional support from mentors such as Richard Williams, who later founded The Venus and Serena Williams Tennis/Tutorial Academy.
At the age of nine, Williams and her family relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida, to enroll her in Rick Macci's tennis academy. However, in 1995, Richard Williams decided to withdraw the girls from the academy and resume coaching them himself.
