The year she turned 14, she played her first professional event, in Quebec. The year she turned 17, she earned a main draw place at the Australian Open and won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title with Max Mirnyi, her first Grand Slam title.
The breakthrough yearThe year she turned 18, she won her first WTA title in Paris and then the U.S. Open, beating Martina Hingis in the final for her first Grand Slam singles title.
The year she turned 19, she won Olympic doubles gold in Sydney with Venus Williams. The year she turned 21, she beat her sister Venus at the French Open and again in the Wimbledon final, her first Wimbledon title. Days later she became world No. 1 for the first time. The year she turned 22, she won the Australian Open over Venus and held all four Grand Slam titles at once.
The year she turned 24, she won her second Australian Open, over Lindsay Davenport. The year she turned 26, she won the Australian Open as an unseeded player, beating Maria Sharapova. The year she turned 27, she won a second Olympic doubles gold with Venus and won the U.S. Open to return to No. 1.
The year she turned 28, she beat Venus in the Wimbledon final for her third title there. The year she turned 29, she won her fourth Wimbledon title, beating Vera Zvonareva. The year she turned 31, she won her fifth Wimbledon title and Olympic singles gold in London. The year she turned 32, she won her fifth U.S. Open title over Victoria Azarenka. The year she turned 33, she won her sixth U.S. Open and 18th Grand Slam singles title.
The year she turned 34, she won the French Open for her 20th Grand Slam title, then Wimbledon for her fourth successive grand slam title. The year she turned 35, she won Wimbledon for her 22nd Grand Slam title, tying the record. The year she turned 36, she won her seventh Australian Open, over Venus, for an Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam singles title.
The year she turned 41, she said she was evolving away from the sport and lost in the third round of the US Open. The year she turned 45, she announced a return to professional tennis, played a first-round singles match at Wimbledon and played US Open doubles with Venus.
Serena Williams (born Sep 26, 1981) played her first professional event in 1995, the year she turned 14. On Sep 11, 1999, the year she turned 18, she won the U.S. Open for her first Grand Slam singles title, and on Jan 28, 2017 she won her 23rd.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.
She lost in the qualifying round of the Bell Challenge, 6-1, 6-1, the New York Times reported.
Source 01 · The New York Times · Results Plus · opens in a new tab The New York Times article is dated Oct. 29 and says “yesterday.”Her world ranking qualified her for the main draw, the New York Times reported, and her first Grand Slam tournament was to begin the following Monday.
Source 02 · The New York Times · Williams Sisters Won’t Meet in the Final · opens in a new tab Date of the New York Times article.They beat Mahesh Bhupathi and Mirjana Lucic 6-4, 6-4 in the final. Tennis.com called it her first Grand Slam title of any kind.
Source 03 · Tennis.com · On this day 25 years ago: 16-year-old Serena Williams wins Wimbledon mixed doubles title · opens in a new tab Tennis.com marks the anniversary on July 5.She beat Amélie Mauresmo 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (4) in the Open Gaz de France final.
Source 04 · WTA · 20 years on: Remembering Serena Williams’s first WTA title · opens in a new tabShe beat Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) in the final, the Associated Press reported, and was to move up from No. 6 to No. 4 in the rankings.
They beat Kristie Boogert and Miriam Oremans 6-1, 6-1 in the final in Sydney.
Source 06 · ESPN · Williams sisters win gold in women’s doubles · opens in a new tabCNN reported that she beat her sister at the French Open the month before Wimbledon.
Source 07 · CNN · Serena grabs sister’s Wimbledon title · opens in a new tab CNN gives only the month.She beat her sister Venus 7-6, 6-3 in the final.
Source 07 · CNN · Serena grabs sister’s Wimbledon title · opens in a new tabThe WTA wrote that she first reached World No. 1 on July 8, 2002, a first stay of 57 weeks.
Source 25 · WTA · Serena To Return To No.1 For Sixth Time · opens in a new tabShe beat Venus 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4, and BBC Sport wrote that she was the fifth player to hold all four Slams simultaneously.
Source 08 · BBC Sport · Serena completes Slam · opens in a new tabShe won 2-6, 6-3, 6-0 for her second Australian Open and seventh Grand Slam title.
Source 09 · BBC Sport · Williams battles to Aussie title · opens in a new tabShe beat top seed Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 for her third Australian Open and eighth Grand Slam title.
Source 10 · BBC Sport · Superb Williams wins Aussie title · opens in a new tabThey beat Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-2, 6-0 in the final in Beijing, ABC News (Australia) reported.
Source 26 · ABC News (Australia) · Williams sisters win doubles gold · opens in a new tabSource 24 · CNN (AP) · Serena and Venus Williams lose in a match tiebreaker in their return to the US Open · opens in a new tabShe beat Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 7-5 for her third U.S. Open title, the New York Times reported.
Source 11 · The New York Times · Serena Williams Wins to Regain No. 1 Ranking · opens in a new tabShe beat Venus 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 in the final to hold three of the four Grand Slam titles, BBC Sport reported.
Source 27 · BBC Sport · Serena shocked to stay number two · opens in a new tabShe beat Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 6-2 in a 67-minute final for her 13th major title, Tennis.com reported.
Source 12 · Tennis.com · Serena routs Zvonareva for fourth Wimbledon title · opens in a new tabShe beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 for her 14th major title.
Source 13 · ESPN · Serena wins 5th Wimbledon title · opens in a new tabShe beat Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1 in the final. Tennis.com described the result as completing her Golden Slam.
Source 14 · Tennis.com · On This Day: Serena completes her Golden Slam at 2012 London Olympics · opens in a new tabSource 24 · CNN (AP) · Serena and Venus Williams lose in a match tiebreaker in their return to the US Open · opens in a new tabShe beat Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7, 6-1 in the final.
Source 15 · The Guardian · Serena Williams crowns 14-year reign with fifth US Open title · opens in a new tab The Guardian article is dated Sept. 9; the final was played the evening before.She beat Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-3, the Guardian reported, level with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on 18 titles.
Source 16 · The Guardian · US Open: Serena Williams powers past Caroline Wozniacki for sixth title · opens in a new tabShe beat Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-7 (2), 6-2 in the final.
Source 17 · ESPN · Serena wins French for 20th Grand Slam title · opens in a new tabShe beat Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 6-4 in the final, her fourth successive grand slam title, the Duluth News Tribune reported.
Source 18 · Duluth News Tribune · Serena Williams adds 21st grand slam title with Wimbledon win over Muguruza · opens in a new tabShe beat Angelique Kerber 7-5, 6-3 in the final, the Associated Press reported, to tie the record.
Source 19 · The Durango Herald (AP) · Serena Williams’ 22nd Grand Slam comes at Wimbledon · opens in a new tabShe beat Venus 6-4, 6-4. BBC Sport wrote that it was an Open-era record and that she regained the No. 1 ranking.
Source 20 · BBC Sport · Australian Open 2017: Serena Williams beats Venus Williams to set Grand Slam record · opens in a new tabShe said she was evolving away from the sport, and Sky Sports wrote that the US Open could be her farewell tournament.
Source 21 · Sky Sports · Serena Williams: 23-time Grand Slam champion announces upcoming retirement from tennis · opens in a new tabShe lost 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-1 in what the Associated Press reported was expected to be the last match of her career. The WTA says she stepped away from tennis after the 2022 US Open as a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion.
Source 28 · FOX 5 DC (AP) · US Open: Serena Williams loses to Ajla Tomljanovic · opens in a new tabSource 22 · WTA · Serena Williams player profile · opens in a new tabSource 24 · CNN (AP) · Serena and Venus Williams lose in a match tiebreaker in their return to the US Open · opens in a new tabSky Sports reported that she had been confirmed as a wild-card entry for the women’s doubles at the HSBC Championships at Queen’s Club.
Source 29 · Sky Sports · Serena Williams: 23-time Grand Slam winner announces sensational tennis return at age of 44 to play at Queen’s and likely Wimbledon · opens in a new tab Date of the Sky Sports report.She lost to Maya Joint 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3 in the first round, her first singles match in four years, ABC News (Australia) reported.
Source 23 · ABC News (Australia) · Serena Williams beaten by Maya Joint at Wimbledon in tennis great’s return to grand slam · opens in a new tabSource 24 · CNN (AP) · Serena and Venus Williams lose in a match tiebreaker in their return to the US Open · opens in a new tabThey lost 6-3, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (10-7) in the first round to Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint, the Associated Press reported.
Source 24 · CNN (AP) · Serena and Venus Williams lose in a match tiebreaker in their return to the US Open · opens in a new tabEND OF SELECTED RECORDSSelected records, 1995–2026 · not a complete list of work. “Key moment” is an editorial label, not a measure of success.
What did they do, and at what age?
AgeTrail lines up the key moments of a life by age.
Debut and breakthrough are marked separately, and every record has a source.
Sports · United States
Sep 26, 1981
Ages are counted from the birth year 1981: the year of the event minus 1981, birthdays aside. “Key moment” labels and the connecting story are AgeTrail's editorial reading.
Fact-checked: 2026.10.18 · An independent archive, not affiliated with the person or their agency.