Serena Williams vividly remembers a headline that once claimed she and her sister Venus had reached the pinnacle of their careers and couldn’t ascend any further. It was a declaration that seemed to suggest they had reached their peak and wouldn’t achieve more. However, as time has shown, Serena has proven that notion wrong.

Today, she stands as one of the most decorated and dominant athletes in the history of tennis, continually surpassing records, breaking barriers, and redefining what’s possible in the sport. Her journey has been marked by resilience, determination, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.

With each victory, she has silenced doubters and shattered preconceived limitations, demonstrating that her potential knows no bounds. So, while that headline may have once cast doubt on their future success, Serena’s remarkable achievements since then have proven otherwise, solidifying her legacy as one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Not even Richard Williams, who faced rejection and ridicule while ferrying his daughters, Venus and Serena, from their Compton, California home to tennis events across Southern California, could have foreseen the profound impact his youngest daughter would have on the predominantly elitist sport of tennis and beyond. Despite their humble beginnings playing on public courts, Richard was confident that both Venus and Serena would rise to the top rankings in the sport. However, Serena’s ambition went beyond merely achieving greatness alongside her sister.

In her 2009 memoir, “On The Line,” Serena recounted how a national newspaper article about Venus, published early in their tournament careers, served as a catalyst for her determination. The article insinuated that Serena would always be overshadowed by Venus, merely a minor footnote in her sister’s career. Serena made a vow to herself that she would never forget that article and that one day, she would prove the reporter wrong.

Venus, 15 months older, certainly paved the way for Serena. Then Serena, with that article fueling the fire that burned inside her, blazed her own path to become the most dominant female athlete of all time with a jaw-dropping 23 Grand Slam singles championships, a record in the Open era, that fittingly began at the U.S. Open in 1999.