Talk About a Grand Slam! Inside Serena Williams' Net Worth and How She Made It Ahead of Her Retirement
Serena Williams’ net worth proves she’s a gamechanger on and off the court. With 23 Grand Slam titles and four Olympic gold medals to her name, the record-breaking star is, without question, one of the greatest tennis players of all time—and on Aug. 9, 2022, she announced her retirement.
Williams made the proclamation in Vogue, explaining that she wanted to expand her family for her daughter.
"I never wanted to have to choose between tennis and a family. I don’t think it’s fair. If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labor of expanding our family. Maybe I’d be more of a Tom Brady if I had that opportunity," she wrote.
"Don’t get me wrong: I love being a woman, and I loved every second of being pregnant with Olympia. I was one of those annoying women who adored being pregnant and was working until the day I had to report to the hospital—although things got super complicated on the other side. And I almost did do the impossible: A lot of people don’t realize that I was two months pregnant when I won the Australian Open in 2017. But I’m turning 41 this month, and something’s got to give."
Williams is going out on top. She's made proverbial grand slams in business, fashion, and philanthropy, earning her yet another accolade: the 90th spot on the Forbes list of America’s Self-Made Women in 2022.
But the road to self-made millions certainly wasn’t simple, as she told Parade in 2018. “It hasn’t been easy; there really was no manual for that,” she said, when asked what she’d learned about pushing through boundaries. “My sister, Venus, obviously entered the scene a year before me so she opened many doors for me and she pushed so many boundaries. Together, it was as if we pushed a lot of boundaries hand-in-hand.”
Through her many business ventures, she now seeks to help pave the way for others. “The only way that people can get funding is if people like me, women and people of color, are actually writing the checks,” she told Business Insider in 2022. “Otherwise it's going to be the same boys’ club, except not for a lot of Black people.”
Keep reading for everything we know about Serena Williams’ net worth—and how she’s stayed at the top of her game in both business and athletics.
How did Serena Williams start playing tennis?
Tennis is a family affair for Wiliams. When she was just four years old, her father Richard introduced her and her sister Venus to the sport. The moving story has since gotten the Hollywood biopic treatment with the Oscar-winning film King Richard. “There would be no Venus and Serena if it wasn’t for Richard,” Williams said during an August 2021 Refinery29 interview. “He’s always thinking on a different level. Even now, he is always thinking five steps above everyone else. And the way he taught tennis with techniques, the way he pushed myself and my sister, [King Richard] was a great opportunity to tell his story.”
Related: She's Aces in Mom's Book! Meet Serena Williams' Daughter—And Bestie—Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr.
What is Serena Williams’ net worth in 2022?
Serena Williams has a net worth of $260 million, according to Forbes.
How much did Serena Williams make last year?
Williams made $45.3 million in 2021, landing her at number 31 on the Forbes list of the world’s 50 highest-paid athletes. She rose to 10th when the outlet factored in solely earnings from outside of athletics, as the majority of her 2021 income came from her over a dozen endorsement deals.
How much has Serena Williams won in prize money?
Over the course of her storied career, Williams has won more prize money than any other female tennis player. According to the Women’s Tennis Association, her current earnings stand at $94.5 million. Because major tennis tournaments come with major earning potential, that figure could easily go up in the coming days. In June 2022, Wimbledon singles winners reportedly stand to earn $2.5 million, whereas doubles winners will share $662,000.
Related: While Serena Williams Kills It on the Court, Get to Know Her Super Supportive Husband Alexis Ohanian
What is the name of Serena Williams’ company?
Williams has a firm named Serena Ventures, which raised $111 million in its initial round of funding. According to Business Insider, she made the move into venture capital over nine years ago when she found out that 2% of women and less than 1% of people of color received venture capital funding. “Whether it's venture people saying that I shouldn't be doing it, or it's tennis when people said I'll never be good at it, I do think there's a part of me that always will enjoy proving people wrong,” Williams told the publication.
She’s reportedly invested in more than 60 startups so far, according to the Forbes report, in addition to serving as an advisor for NFT company Sorare and sitting on the board of SurveyMonkey parent company Momentive.
Who is richer, Venus or Serena?
While both sisters have had highly profitable careers that transcend the tennis court, Serena’s net worth is $165 million higher than her older sister Venus, who has a net worth of $95 million according to Celebrity Net Worth. Venus also comes in second for the most prize money earned in women’s tennis, with a whopping total of 43,280,540, according to the Women’s Tennis Association.
Related: All Hail the Goddess Venus: All About Venus Williams’ Net Worth—Just How Much Does a G.O.A.T. Make?
Were Venus and Serena involved in King Richard?
Yep! Serena and Venus gave the movie their support, and producer Tim White told Variety the sisters “loved” the idea of centering the story on their dad. “I think Serena came [to set] one day and Venus came two days,” he added to the outlet. “And they gave notes on the script…When they saw the movie, they gave us a couple thoughts too. But again, they were all in service of making things as authentic as we possibly could." Just call it game, (movie) set, match.
King Richard isn’t the only entertainment industry project Williams has had a hand in. In 2021, she signed a first-look TV deal with Amazon Studios, which includes an already-in-the-works docuseries.
How much does Serena Williams make from Nike?
Williams signed a $55 million deal with Nike in 2003, according to Yahoo. Her longstanding relationship with the sportswear giant didn’t stop there, however. In 2022, Nike even unveiled a building named after her at its Oregon world headquarters. "The whole building takes your breath away," Williams, 40, said in a press release, per Fox Business. "Every element, everywhere you go, is an opportunity to be inspired. I hope this building encourages people to bring out the best of themselves and to dream bigger than they thought possible.”
Nike isn’t Williams’ only foray into fashion; the tennis star has served plenty of stylish moments over her career, from her iconic catsuit to the many times she’s twinned with her 4-year-old daughter Olympia. Williams even co-chaired the Met Gala in 2018, likely thanks to her friendship with Anna Wintour. “She’s a special person and I just absolutely completely adore her. I love being around her. I love her brain,” Williams said of the Vogue Editor-in-Chief on Naomi Campbell’s podcast No Filter with Naomi in 2020. “I think a lot of people take for granted everything she’s done and everything she’s stood for, and I just really love having her advice on so many different things.”
Perhaps one of those things? Her clothing line S by Serena line. Williams debuted a spring collection at New York Fashion Week in 2020, with none other than Wintour watching.
How much did Serena Williams make for DirecTV commercial?
It’s not publicly known how much Williams was paid to appear in a 2021 advertisement for DirecTV’s streaming service. The buzzy, Matrix-themed ad combined several athletic and pop culture phenomena, as Williams sported a Wonder Woman costume while swatting tennis balls in a mall. DirecTV chief marketing officer Vince Torres said at the time that the advertisements marked the company's most expensive ad push since 2015, when it spent $164.6 million on advertising, according to iSpot.tv.
How much did Serena Williams get paid for Subway commercial?
Another of Williams’ endorsement deals? A campaign for Subway. She starred alongside fellow athletes Tom Brady, Stephen Curry and Megan Rapinoe in the chain’s “Eat Fresh Refresh” ads. While it’s unclear how much Subway paid for the GOAT-filled ad, it was likely quite the bill for the footlong sub chain to foot.
Next, Serena Williams reveals her $900 nighttime skincare routine.
