When the Williams family burst onto the scene in the tennis world as juniors, an inordinate amount of discourse focused on Venus and Serena's appearance. The Williams sisters weren't the first Black people—men or women—to play tennis at an international level, but they quickly achieved heights that set them on the path to legendary status.
The heightened attention brought with it a lot of racist and colorist comments about their hair, their skin, and their bodies—especially Serena's more muscular and curvy body.
Despite Williams going on to break numerous records in tennis—earning her the unofficial title of Greatest Of All Time (GOAT)—people still focus on her appearance.
In her career, Serena Williams has won:
- 23 Grand Slam Singles Titles: Most in the Open Era; second-most all-time (behind Margaret Court's 24).
- 14 Grand Slam Doubles Titles: With sister Venus.
- 2 Grand Slam Mixed Doubles Titles.
- Career Golden Slam: Won all four Grand Slams and an Olympic Gold medal in both singles and doubles.
- 73 Career Singles Titles: Fifth-most in the Open Era.
- 367 Major Matches Won: Most by any woman in tennis history.
- Most Grand Slams After 30: 10, seven more than any other woman in the Open Era.
- 4 Olympic Gold Medals: 1 singles, 3 doubles (all with Venus).
- Oldest Woman to Win a Major: 2017 Australian Open at 35 years, 124 days, while pregnant.
- Most Prize Money: Over $94.8 million, the most for any female athlete.
To say Serena Williams is the tennis goat seems almost an understatement, but discussions and questions about Williams often still focus on her weight and appearance—scrutiny John McEnroe, Roger Federer, or Martina Navratilova rarely, if ever, faced.
The latest topic of discussion, after Williams confirmed she used GLP-1 to address issues she had with her own postpartum body, is her skin tone. People online have begun accusing Williams of lightening her skin—again.
People way too obsessed with Williams' appearance shared their speculation on photos she shared online, seen here:
Responding to the trolls, Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian reposted her family snapshots with the message:
"Where are all the comments from idiots who don’t understand how photography lighting works."
You can see Ohanian's post here:
People appreciated how Ohanian always has his wife's back.
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Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian met by chance while staying in the same hotel in Rome in 2015.
They were engaged by 2016 and married in 2017.
They welcomed daughter Alexis Olympia in September 2017 and daughter Adira River in August 2023.
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