The American is one of the greatest tennis players of all time. We take a look back at what has been a remarkable career
Her older sister Venus made her professional debut before Serena, but the younger Williams sibling had long been tipped to become the better player. She was only 16 in 1997 when she recorded her first professional main draw win, at the Ameritech Cup in Chicago. She quickly followed it up with two more victories, including one against Monica Seles, before losing in the semi-finals.