As of September 2022, Serena Williams officially retired from tennis. After playing her final match at the US Open, she lost to Ajila Tomljanovic 5-7, 7-6, 1-6. 

After a long 27 years as a pro, she finished her career with five years staying on top as the number one female tennis player in the world. 

Williams won a total of 39 Grand Slam titles between singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.    

Through her hard work and perseverance she has maintained one of the most successful and inspirational careers of any other professional athlete. 

As a strong female role model, Williams has been an inspiration to pretty much all young and even old female tennis players all over the world.

“Serena Williams has inspired me to become a better tennis player and work harder,” junior Maily Huynh said. 

To many, Williams’ retirement was a shock. Young girls who grew up watching and following Williams’ path will not forget the impact she made on their lives. 

“When I was young I would always watch TV and see Serena playing. This inspired me to start playing tennis and want to get good at it,” sophomore Caroline Chu said.

The amount of inspiration that Williams gave to so many young girls is something that doesn’t happen often.

 She showed many that the impossible can be possible through hard work and ambition. 

“Serena has inspired me to get better at tennis for years since she has been on top ever since I was little. Her hard work that made her the best women’s tennis player of all time inspired me to become the best tennis player I could,” junior Christine Xie said. 

Williams has inspired many young people all over the world to become hardworking, determined, strong, and confident. 

Going from a rough upbringing to the best women’s tennis player ever has inspired countless amounts of people and will continue to inspire people. 

Even though the next generation won’t be able to watch her dominate, she has made sure to leave her mark in the tennis world and her records will stand for many years to come.