It is impossible to discuss diversity in women’s tennis without mentioning Venus and Serena Williams. Not only have they brought more women of color into playing the sport, but they have also attracted more people as a whole to watch the women’s sport. According to data by Signal Al, the US Open Women’s singles final in 2018 had 1.04 million more viewers than the men’s final, which is significant. The two players to compete were Naomi Osaka, a Japanese-African American, and Serena Williams, both women of color.
History of the WTA
As demonstrated by the previously mentioned statistic, women’s professional tennis, officially known as the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), has come a long way since it was founded in June 1973. Women’s sports have historically attracted far less attention than men’s sports, and tennis is no exception. Some tennis fans may point out notably famous [white] female tennis players such as Billie Jean King, Chris Evert, and Martina Navratilova as highly influential people, both on and off the court. However, they were not nearly as influential as modern-era superstars Serena and Venus Williams, both in and outside of the sport.
Over the past two decades, the dominance of top-ranked American players Venus and Serena Williams over the past two decades has exposed the sport to many people who otherwise wouldn’t have a reason or interest to watch. The Williams sisters are not your stereotypical tennis players. Raised in Compton, California, Venus and Serena grew up far away from the green grass and white-picket-fence suburbs often filled with tennis courts.
According to an article from USA Today, the Williams sisters have 30 combined Grand Slam singles titles and have “changed the tennis landscape.” Children of color, who otherwise wouldn’t have had much interest in tennis, have increasingly taken part in youth programs, “often citing the superstars as the reason.” Chief diversity and inclusion officer of the USTA D.A. Abrams said in 2018 that “there’s certainly more diverse activity from an ethical standpoint since they came on the scene.”
What Does the Data Say About Diversity?
The Williams sisters’ influence on women’s tennis is essential, as it is still apparent that the number of POC top-50 players in the WTA is lacking. According to data from the WTA’s top-50 ranked players, only 20% are people of color.
The data from the top-50 ranked WTA players shows a global need for players of color. But it is important to point out that from a US tennis perspective, there have been significant leaps towards improving the diversity problem within US women’s tennis, which has been aided by the Williams sisters’ rise to success. From a USA Today article, chief diversity and inclusion officer of the USTA D.A. Abrams said, “At junior tournaments at higher levels, they’re more diverse ethnically than they were in the past.” One young black American player who Serena Williams heavily influenced is Coco Gauff, currently ranked 23 in the WTA singles rankings.
How Have the William’s Sisters Have Impacted Women’s Tennis?
Although both Venus and Serena Williams are famous successful tennis players, Serena is undoubtedly the more notable sister because she is undeniably the greatest female tennis player of all time. After turning pro in 1995, she has won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, including 6 US Open titles and 7 Wimbledon titles. She has won 73 career titles overall, including non-grand slam titles, which has won her $94,518,971 in career prize money. This is without even mentioning that she is currently 40 years old and still ranked 41 in the WTA rankings.
Serena’s older sister, Venus Williams, is one of the best tennis players ever, having won 7 Grand Slam singles titles and 49 total titles over her career. An upcoming movie starring Will Smith, titled King Richard, depicts the humble beginnings of Venus and Serena Williams and how their dad, Richard, coached them to become one of the best and the best tennis players of all time.
More diversity in tennis attracts more people to watch the beautiful sport, which in turn attracts more young people to want to play it. Whenever Serena Williams decides to retire from professional tennis, she will undoubtedly have left a massive impact on tennis globally. Her success has and will continue to inspire young girls everywhere to play the timeless sport of tennis.
