As Serena Williams hangs up her racket following her exit from the US Open, she closes the book on one of the greatest careers not just in tennis but in sports.

The 40-year-old announced her retirement plans in early August via a Vogue cover story, a bold move befitting the groundbreaking, statement-making superstar. She inspired a new generation of athletes by being the best while being unapologetically herself, using her platform as a tennis champion to push the boundaries of sports and culture.

“Sometimes being a woman, a Black woman in the world, you kind of settle for less,” said rising American star Coco Gauff. “I feel like Serena taught me that, from watching her. She never settled for less.”

After Williams’ final Grand Slam, Just Women’s Sports takes a look back at Williams’ journey through the numbers.

4

Not only has Williams dominated the WTA, she’s dominated the Olympics as well, winning four gold medals in her career — one in singles and three in women’s doubles.

6

Williams played in this year’s US Open as a six-time singles champion, tying her with Chris Evert for the most in the Open era. The US Open is also the site of her first-ever Grand Slam back in 1999. She won it for the second time in 2002, after winning the French Open and Wimbledon that same year.

“I started playing tennis with the goal of winning the US Open,” said Williams in Vogue. “I didn’t think past that. And then I just kept winning.”

7

The Australian Open has been kind to Williams, with the future Hall of Famer winning the major singles title seven times, the most all-time for a women’s player.

10

Since turning 30, Williams has won 10 of her 23 individual Grand Slams, a record in women’s tennis.

After winning her 17th overall major title at the 2013 US Open, she shut down questions about age as an obstacle to success.

“I don’t think about it. I always said, age for me, I feel great. I’ve never felt better,” she said.

14

A total of 14 years, 10 months and six days passed between the time when Williams first acquired the No. 1 ranking on July 8, 2002, and the last time she held the No. 1 ranking on May 14, 2017. That’s the longest any women’s player has gone between their first and last No. 1 rankings.

23

With 23 Grand Slam singles titles, Williams sits just one behind Margaret Court for the most all-time. Williams, however, does hold the record for the most titles in the Open era.

“There are people who say I’m not the GOAT because I didn’t pass Margaret Court’s record of 24 Grand Slam titles, which she achieved before the ‘Open era’ that began in 1968. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that record. Obviously I do,” Williams told Vogue. “But day to day, I’m really not thinking about her. If I’m in a Grand Slam final, then yes, I am thinking about that record. Maybe I thought about it too much, and that didn’t help.

“The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus Grand Slams. I had my chances after coming back from giving birth. I went from a C-section to a second pulmonary embolism to a Grand Slam final. I played while breastfeeding. I played through postpartum depression. But I didn’t get there. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. I didn’t show up the way I should have or could have. But I showed up 23 times, and that’s fine. Actually it’s extraordinary.”

39

On top of her 23 major singles titles, Williams also won 14 Grand Slam titles in women’s doubles and two in mixed doubles. All of her doubles titles have come alongside sister Venus. The two teamed up again at this year’s US Open, falling in the first round to Linda Nosková and Lucie Hradecká.

That mark gives her the most combined major titles among active players.

73

The tennis great has won 73 total singles titles.

94

Williams has racked up $94.6 million in prize money. That stands as the most of any women’s tennis player, per the WTA. In second is sister Venus Williams, who has earned a total of $42.3 million in prize money.

“Venus and I started out being successful, continued to be successful, and we were also unapologetically ourselves,” Williams told Allure in 2019. “We were not afraid to wear braids. We weren’t afraid to be Black in tennis. And that was different.”

319

In total, Williams spent 319 weeks atop the world rankings, ranking third all-time behind Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf.

858

Throughout her career, Williams held a singles record of 858-156. Her 367 total wins in Grand Slams sits second all-time behind Roger Federer.

1,014

Williams played 1,015 matches on the WTA Tour. During her career, she has faced opponents born in every year from 1966 to 2003, and two-thirds of her matches came against players younger than she was.

Yet more than her staggering success, Williams leaves behind a legacy of changing the game for women.

“The success of every woman should be the inspiration to another,” she said. “We should raise each other up. Make sure you’re very courageous: Be strong, be extremely kind, and above all be humble.”

For the first time in the NWSL's 12-year history, fans can now buy their own goalkeeper jerseys. And while replica goalkeeper jerseys representing all 14 NWSL teams hit the market on Wednesday, some didn't stick around for long. 

Fans across women's soccer have long vocalized their discontent over the position's lack of availability on social media, often comparing the shortcoming to the widespread availability of men’s goalkeeper jerseys. And as the NWSL has grown, so has demand — and not just from those in the stands. 

"To have goalkeeper kits available for fans in the women’s game as they have been for so long in the men’s game is not only a long-awaited move in the right direction, it’s just good business," said Washington Spirit goalie Aubrey Kingsbury in an team press release. "I can’t wait to see fans representing me, Barnie [Barnhart], and Lyza in the stands at Audi!"

just went looking at #nwsl goalkeeper kit stock out of curiosity — Alyssa Naeher's $145 kit already sold out S-XL (league announced GK jerseys on sale 3 hours ago)https://t.co/8bYA7tlwcx

— Meg Linehan (@itsmeglinehan) April 17, 2024

Business does, in fact, appear to be booming. Alyssa Naeher’s Chicago Red Stars kit sold out less than three hours after the league's announcement. Jerseys for other keepers like DiDi Haračić, Abby Smith, Michelle Betos, Katelyn Rowland, and Bella Bixby aren’t currently available via the Official NWSL Shop, though blank goalkeeper jerseys can be customized through some individual team sites. Jerseys start at $110 each.

"This should be the benchmark," said Spirit Chief Operations Officer Theresa McDonnell. "The expectation is that all players’ jerseys are available to fans. Keepers are inspiring leaders and mentors with their own unique fan base who want to represent them... I can’t wait to see them all over the city."

Decorated gymnast Simone Biles took to the popular Call Her Daddy podcast this week to open up about her experience at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, revealing she thought she was going to be "banned from America" for her performance.

After Biles botched her vault routine due to a bout of the "twisties," she withdrew from the team final as well as the all-around final in order to focus on her mental health. She later reentered the competition to win bronze in the individual balance beam final.

In her interview with podcast host Alex Cooper, Biles admitted to feeling like she let the entire country down by failing her vault attempt.

"As soon as I landed I was like 'Oh, America hates me. The world is going to hate me. I can only see what they’re saying on Twitter right now,'" she recalled thinking. "I was like, ‘Holy s---, what are they gonna say about me?'"

"I thought I was going to be banned from America," she continued. "That’s what they tell you: Don’t come back if not gold. Gold or bust. Don’t come back."

Widely regarded as the greatest gymnast of all time, Biles has hinted at a desire to join her third Olympic team in Paris, though her participation won't be confirmed until after the gymnastics trials in late June. She holds over 30 medals from the Olympic Games and World Artistic Gymnastics Championships combined, and if qualified, would be a sure favorite heading into this summer’s games.

Caitlin Clark is reportedly close to cementing a hefty endorsement deal with Nike.

The Athletic was the first to break the news Wednesday evening, commenting that the deal would be worth "eight figures" and include her own signature shoe. On Thursday afternoon, the publication tweeted that the deal would top $20 million, according to lead NBA Insider Shams Charania. Both Under Armour and Adidas are said to have also made sizable offers to the college phenom and expected future WNBA star.

The new agreement comes after Clark's previous Nike partnership ended with the conclusion of the college basketball season. She was one of five NCAA athletes to sign an NIL deal with the brand back in October, 2022. 

Considering Clark's overwhelming popularity and Nike's deep pockets, the signing's purported value doesn't exactly come as a shock. New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu’s deal with the brand is reportedly worth $24 million, while NBA rookie and No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama’s deal is rumored to weigh in at $100 million. And in 2003, LeBron James famously earned $90 million off his own Nike deal. 

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Clark’s star power continues to skyrocket, with the NCAA championship averaging 18.9 million viewers and the 2024 WNBA Draft more than doubling its previous viewership record. Following the draft, Fanatics stated that Clark's Indiana Fever jersey — which sold out within an hour — was the top seller for any draft night pick in the company’s history, with droves of unlucky fans now being forced to wait until August to get their hands on some official No. 22 gear.

In Wednesday's Indiana Fever introductory press conference, the unfailingly cool, calm, and collected Clark said that turning pro hasn’t made a huge impact on how she’s conducting her deals.

"If I’m being completely honest, I feel like it doesn’t change a ton from how I lived my life over the course of the last year," she said. "Sponsorships stay the same. The people around me, agents and whatnot, have been able to help me and guide me through the course of the last year. I don’t know if I would be in this moment if it wasn’t for a lot of them."

Former Oklahoma slugger Jocelyn Alo has signed on with Athletes Unlimited and will compete in the AU Pro Softball AUX this June.

The NCAA record holder in career home runs (122), total bases (761), and slugging percentage (.987), Alo was originally drafted by the league in 2022 but opted instead to join the newly debuted Women’s Professional Fastpitch. 

Alo currently plays for independent pro softball team Oklahoma City Spark, with team owner Tina Floyd reportedly on board with her recent AUX signing. AUX games are scheduled for June 10-25, while the Spark's season will kick off June 19th. Alo will play for both. 

Among those joining Alo on the AUX roster are former James Madison ace pitcher Odicci Alexander and former Wichita State standout middle infielder Sydney McKinney.

According to Alo, the decision to play in the Athletes Unlimited league was fueled by her desire to propel women's sports forward as well as provide more exposure to a sport that's given her "so many opportunities."

"Not only to challenge myself more, but just for the growth of the game," Alo said, explaining her reasoning to The Oklahoman. "I genuinely believe that professional softball can be a career for girls."

Joining AUX is also one more step in her plan toward representing Team USA at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I’m constantly thinking about how can I do these little things right in these four years to prepare me for the biggest stage of softball," she told The Oklahoman. "I definitely want to play in the Olympics, for sure."

Alo further expressed enthusiasm in the hope that the rise of other women’s sports, like women’s basketball and the NWSL, will push softball’s professional viability even higher.

"We’re seeing the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League) get their stuff going, I see the WNBA starting to get hot," she continued. "I feel like the softball community is like, 'All right, it’s our turn and it’s our turn to just demand more.'"