Before retiring, Serena Williams became one of the wealthiest self-made female millionaires in the United States. Serena Williams owns a fortune of USD 260 million, making her one of the wealthiest self-made female millionaires in the United States.
Serena Williams, one of the world's most famous tennis stars, recently announced that she will retire after this year's US Open to spend more time with her family and business career.
"Farewell is the worst thing that can happen in this world. But it's time for me to embark on a different path," Serena shared in an interview published in Vogue on August 9th. "I love tennis very much, but I can't play forever. I cried thinking about saying goodbye. I will enjoy the last weeks of my career. I haven't won at Wimbledon, and I'm not sure I will win in New York, but I will try for the joy of playing."
Serena will turn 41 next month during the US Open. The legendary tennis player has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles. Her most recent victory at the 2017 Australian Open helped her surpass Steffi Graf's record, making her the greatest player in the Open Era and second only to Margaret Court (24 titles) in all-time records.
Serena Williams is the most successful US Open champion alongside compatriot Chris Evert, with 6 titles. She also holds the record for the most consecutive weeks at world No. 1 (186 weeks).
According to the Forbes list of "The Richest Self-Made Women in America" released in June 2022, Serena Williams has a fortune of USD 260 million, ranking 90th in the Top 100. She has earned over USD 94 million in prize money in her career, surpassing all other female athletes.
Serena Williams also ranks in Forbes' Top 50 highest-paid athletes in the world for 2022, sitting at 31st place. Her total income in the past year is USD 45.3 million, with USD 45 million coming from off-court earnings.
Besides tennis, the 1981-born star has earned a significant amount from advertising contracts. She has a great passion for fashion and has studied in this field. After many years of collaboration with Nike and home shopping networks, Serena Williams launched the S by Serena brand. In 2007, she also introduced EleVen, an activewear line focused on tennis apparel. She continued to release new product lines in 2016.
Serena Williams also heads the Serena Ventures venture capital fund. In early March, Serena announced raising USD 111 million for her investment fund. The tennis star plans to invest in founders with a diverse perspective.
According to the fund's website, Serena Ventures has invested in over 60 companies since its launch in 2014, including home workout company Tonal, cryptocurrency startup CoinTracker, and Impossible Foods.
Serena plans to focus on venture capital after retiring. She also wants to spend more time with her family, including 4-year-old daughter Olympia and entrepreneur husband Alexis Ohanian.
Last year, Ohanian also established his own venture capital fund, Seven Seven Six. According to information on the website, this fund has invested in dozens of companies, including the Angel City Football Club. Ohanian also invested in Impossible Foods, but it is unrelated to his wife's investment. Despite jointly investing in startups, Serena noted that the couple keeps their business ventures separate.
"We try to keep things separate in business projects. Of course, at home, we can talk about this topic, but the more separate our work is, the better," the renowned tennis player shared in a CNBC program.