Serena Williams Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Serena Williams’ Net Worth, Salary, and Career Earnings?

With a net worth of $300 million, Serena Williams is a retired professional tennis player and world champion, regarded by many as one of the greatest female tennis players ever. She significantly outpaces her peers as the highest-earning female player. Her on-court earnings throughout her career exceed $95 million. In the Open Era, she holds the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles won by any player, male or female. Additionally, she boasts four Olympic gold medals and a multitude of other prestigious titles.

During her active years, Serena routinely brought in $40 million annually from a combination of on-court winnings and endorsements. For instance, her earnings from June 2019 to June 2020 amounted to $35 million, with approximately $20 million resulting from endorsements. After retiring, she shifted her focus towards her investment firm, Serena Ventures.

Below is a compilation of some of Serena’s most significant career achievements:

• Grand Slam singles titles: 23 (the most by any player in the Open Era)
• Grand Slam doubles titles: 14 (the most by any active player)
• Grand Slam mixed doubles titles: 2
• Olympic gold medals: 4 (in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles)
• WTA Finals titles: 7
• WTA Championships titles: 1
• Australian Open titles: 7
• French Open titles: 3
• Wimbledon titles: 7
• US Open titles: 6
• World No. 1 ranking: 319 weeks total (the second most for any female player; Steffi Graf holds the record with 377 weeks)
• Highest-earning female athlete of all time: $94.5 million
• Inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame: 2022

Early Life

Born Serena Jameka Williams on September 26, 1981, in Saginaw, Michigan, Serena grew up in Compton, California, for part of her childhood. From an early age, she and her sister, Venus Williams, were guided towards tennis. Both were homeschooled to ensure ample practice time. Their father, Richard Williams, and mother, Oracene Price, took on coaching roles, supported by various mentors, including another Richard Williams from Compton. This mentor established The Venus and Serena Williams Tennis/Tutorial Academy. When Serena turned nine, her family relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida, for her to attend Rick Macci’s tennis academy. In 1995, their father withdrew them from Macci’s academy to coach them himself once again.

Career

Ranked world number one on eight occasions, Serena Williams amassed greater prize money than any other female tennis player in history, totaling over $94 million. She clinched 23 singles Grand Slam titles and partnered with her sister, Venus Williams, to win 14 doubles titles. Additionally, she earned gold medals at the Olympics in Sydney, Beijing, and London.

At the age of 14, Williams made her professional tournament debut in 1995. Her impressive performance at the 1997 Ameritech Cup, where a No. 304 ranked Williams defeated the No. 7 and No. 4 ranked players before losing in the semifinals, marked a turning point in her career, enabling her to finish 1997 ranked No. 99.

The subsequent year was filled with notable victories, including several doubles titles at prestigious Grand Slam tournaments like Wimbledon and the US Open. However, her first singles title continued…to elude her. In 1999, Williams started demonstrating her early supremacy by defeating numerous top competitors, ultimately securing her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open.

Throughout the early 2000s, Serena firmly established her dominance, attaining the No. 1 ranking in 2002. That same year, she captured three Grand Slam titles: the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open, overcoming none other than her sister, Venus, in the finals of each event. In 2003, she secured her fourth Grand Slam title by winning the Australian Open, thereby holding all four major Grand Slam titles concurrently, a feat she dubbed the “Serena Slam.” This achievement would be repeated during the 2014-15 Grand Slam season.

In the subsequent years, Serena faced challenges related to both health and personal matters, including knee surgery and the loss of her half-sister, Yetunde. Although she continued to achieve tournament victories, her ranking slipped from the top 10, prompting many in the tennis community to speculate that both she and her sister, Venus, were no longer the formidable competitors they once were. Nonetheless, by 2008, Williams had regained her top ranking and began to win several Grand Slam tournaments.

The year 2011 marked a return of health issues, as doctors discovered a blood clot in one of her lungs. She underwent various procedures to address this, raising uncertainty about her return to the sport. However, the following year, she reclaimed major titles, including her first women’s singles gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games. She continued her triumphs with victories at the US Open in 2012, the French, Australian, and US Opens in 2013, followed by Wimbledon in both 2014 and 2015, and the Australian Open and Wimbledon in 2016. Despite a challenging 2018, with defeats in two consecutive US Opens and Wimbledons, she persevered.

Even in the face of injuries and taking time off to welcome a child, Serena Williams maintained her status as a powerhouse in women’s tennis. She holds numerous records, including an impressive tally of 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Williams officially retired from the sport in September 2022.

Endorsements

Recognized as one of the most sought-after endorsement athletes globally, Williams earns between $15-20 million annually outside of tennis, partnering with brands such as Nike and Kraft Foods. In 2004, she signed a substantial $40 million contract to launch a fashion line with Nike.

Activism

Through her social media platforms, Williams dedicates her efforts to supporting various causes, particularly advocating for Black Lives Matter and the LGBT community. She is also an ardent advocate for gender equality both on and off the court and openly discusses her experiences as a woman in the realm of tennis. For her activism, she has received multiple accolades, including the prestigious NAACP President’s Award.

Philanthropy

Renowned for visiting hospitals and participating in tennis matches to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House charities, both Serena and Venus have made significant contributions to philanthropic efforts. An ESPN special documented their charitable tour in 2004 and 2005. Serena also established the Serena Williams

The foundation, which supports scholarships for universities catering to underprivileged students, also contributed funding for the establishment of the Serena Williams Secondary School located in Matooni, Kenya. Furthermore, the foundation partnered with Helping Hands Jamaica to build the Salt Marsh Primary School for children in the Trelawny Parish of Jamaica.

In collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater L.A., Serena has engaged in charitable work and has served as an international Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF since 2011. Together with her sister Venus, they manage the Williams Sisters Fund and participate in various charity initiatives. They co-founded the Yetunde Price Resource Center in Compton to honor their late sister, providing support and services for families impacted by community violence. In 2017, Williams took on the role of Ambassador for the Purple Purse project initiated by the Allstate Foundation. Additionally, she lends her support to the Elton John AIDS Foundation, Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital in London, the HollyRod Foundation, the Eva Longoria Foundation, along with many other organizations.

Other Ventures

Apart from her athletic career, Williams has explored opportunities in television and voice acting. She voiced a character in a 2001 episode of “The Simpsons” and contributed voicework for Playhouse Disney’s “Higglytown Heroes” in 2005. She has made guest appearances on shows like “The Bernie Mac Show,” “ER,” and “Law & Order.” In 2007, she appeared in the music video for “I Want You” by Common, alongside Alicia Keys and Kanye West. Together, the Williams sisters authored a book titled “Venus & Serena: Serving From the Hip: Ten Rules for Living, Loving, and Winning” released in 2005.

Serena is the creator of the self-funded clothing brand S by Serena. Additionally, she holds minority ownership in both the UFC and the Miami Dolphins, and serves on the board of directors for SurveyMonkey.

Personal Life

In November 2017, Williams wed Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit, in New Orleans. Their wedding was attended by celebrities such as Beyonce and Kim Kardashian. In April 2017, she inadvertently disclosed her pregnancy through a Snapchat photo intended only for personal use. She welcomed her daughter in 2017 via C-section due to a pulmonary embolism during labor, facing a six-week recovery period owing to another embolism that led to a postponement of her training. In August 2018, she revealed her experience with postpartum depression. In 2023, it was announced that Williams and Ohanian were anticipating a second child.

In January 2023, Serena Williams was baptized as a Jehovah’s Witness in Florida.

Real Estate

In 2017, Serena acquired a mansion in Beverly Hills for $6.2 million. She also owns an apartment in Paris that offers a scenic view of the Eiffel Tower. In 2015, she purchased a South Florida home in Palm Beach Gardens for $2.4 million. During their playing days, she and her sister Venus resided in a mansion in Palm Beach Gardens, which they purchased for over $600,000 in 1998 and later listed for sale 20 years later at $2.5 million.

In 2019, Serena successfully sold her Bel-Air home, originally bought in 2006 for $6.62 million. After listing it at $12 million in October 2017, she had to reduce the price twice before ultimately selling the property for $8.1 million two years later.