2. 35 years old and in the form of her life
Serena Williams went pro in 1995, at the age of 15 – meaning she has spent over half her life in the sport. 21 years in the sport and 23 Majors would mean Williams had to have won at least a minimum of one Major a year, and given she won her first in 1999, at the US Open, between one and two majors every year that she has been a professional.
But that does not seem to have dulled her sparkle in the least. From a teen sensation to a 35 year old one, Serena Williams has only gotten better with age. Her shots just as powerful, her serves just as strong as players who were born after she became a full-time tennis player.
Both Australian Open winners – Roger Federer and Serena Williams – are 35 years old, and both runners-up – Venus Williams and Rafael Nadal, are 30 or over (although Nadal just about manages!)
At what is described best as ‘older’, an age when most other players (past or present) have either already retired, or are at the end of their careers and tiring, Serena Williams is not.
Where most other players would be struggling to wins, if they got them at all, Serena Williams has been fighting fit. Not a sign of injury or her body giving way and with signature Williams confidence, the American, who will be 36 this September, has been moving across the court faster than many younger than her, serving more powerfully than anyone on the court, and outplaying every opponent.
When other players have struggled with joint issues after years of play, Williams has enjoyed the consistency that few players in the sport ever have.
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