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There are very few people who can argue that they are the absolute greatest to ever do something. This is even more true when it comes to sports. When you hear names like Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan, you think of some of the most dominant and winningest icons of all time. There’s another name that undoubtedly belongs on that list. That name is Serena Williams!

Under the teachings of her mother Oracene Price and father Richard Williams, Serena started playing tennis at the very young age of four years old. She followed in the footsteps of her older sister Venus Williams and went pro at just 16. From that point forward, she became the most dominant athlete her sport has ever seen. Serena spent 319 weeks ranked as the world’s number one player by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), including a record 186 consecutive weeks. On five separate occasions, she finished as the year-end number one. She won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, which is the most by any player in the Open Era, and the second-most of all time. Additionally, Serena won fourteen double’s titles with her sister Venus. She also won three of her four Olympic gold medals alongside her older sibling. It also doesn’t hurt that she is the highest earning woman athlete of all-time.

The Williams sisters are credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism in women’s professional tennis. Whether it’s fighting back from gruesome injuries to reclaim her number one ranking multiple times or winning a Grand Slam while pregnant with baby Olympia, Serena’s perseverance and will to win are unmatched. She is a role model and ambassador to women of all ages worldwide. On her 44th birthday, we want to celebrate the GOAT with a gallery of some of our favorite photos of her. HAPPY BIRTHDAY SERENA!