Serena Williams has been named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Decade following several years of brilliance as a tennis superstar.
The 38-year-old snagged 12 Grand Slam titles in the last 10 years, with no other woman claiming more than three during the period, and reigned as No.1 in the WTA rankings for three-and-a-half years. Serena has been just as popular off the court, staying in the news whether her activities are tennis-related, to do with fashion, in relation to her getting on magazine covers or a Super Bowl ad voicing women’s power. There have also been highly-publicized disputes with officials, but the biggest bit of news had to do with her pregnancy and the health scare that came with it.
The younger Williams sister was voted in as the aforementioned by AP editors and beat writers. She came out ahead of 2019 AP Female Athlete of the Year Simone Biles (gymnast), swimmer Katie Ledecky, and ski racers Lindsey Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin.
"When the history books are written, it could be that the great Serena Williams is the greatest athlete of all time. ... I like to call it the 'Serena Superpowers' — that champion's mindset. Irrespective of the adversity and the odds that are facing her, she always believes in herself," WTA CEO from 2009-15 and now chief executive for professional tennis at the U.S. Tennis Association, which runs the U.S. Open, Stacey Allaster told the AP (via CBS).
"Whether it was health issues; coming back; having a child; almost dying from that — she has endured it all and she is still in championship form. Her records speak for themselves."
“She’s been my idol,” Biles revealed. "She's remained humble. She's stayed true to herself and her character and I think that's really neat about an athlete. Once you start winning, some get cocky, but she's stayed true to herself, win or lose."
Serena has won 23 Grand Slam titles overall, more than anyone else in tennis’s professional era, which began in 1968. She’s reached at least one Slam final every year since 2007 and is the oldest woman to win one in the pro era.
The American is the favourite to win the Australia Open next month, with Bet365 offering 11/2 odds on her chances. And Aussie fans can find the best bet offers at australiabestbets.com.au. Ashleigh Barty is 8/1, Naomi Osaka is 9/1 while 2019 US Open winner Bianca Andreescu is 7/1 after usurping Williams in the final back in September.
Skybet are offering 10/1 odds on Simona Halep, while Karolina Piscova is 14/1 with Ladbrokes and Elina Svitolina is 16/1 with Betfair. You could get 20/1 odds on Aryna Sabalenka from Marathon Bet, who are offering 25/1 on Belinda Bencic.
Serena’s achievements over the last 10 years left her among the top choices for said award and she must be extremely proud of herself. But her role as a women’s activist off the court, as well as her speaking out against the inequality as it relates to the poor healthcare black women in America are afforded, has been just as important.
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