Record-breaking, trend-setting, polarizing, and controversial, Serena Williams often sparks conversation and debate. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has a team, an entourage, celebrity groupies, and a band of fans who call themselves “Serena’s army.” When not winning titles, Williams finds time to run her own fashion line, endorse luxury and financial brands, and fund schools for girls in Africa and Jamaica. Serena Williams transcends sports.
More than a biography, Serena Williams: Tennis Champion, Sports Legend, and Cultural Heroine not only tells the story of her upbringing and remarkable career but also looks at Williams as a sports pioneer. Merlisa Lawrence Corbett explores Williams’ influence on cultural and political issues such as body shaming, gender equality, and racism in sports and society. Corbett also analyzes Williams’ impact on discussions of feminism, the sports celebrity, and the marketing of female athletes. Williams is one of the most intriguing and influential figures in sports, and this book is the first to provide a fully-rounded portrait of a tennis icon.
Industry Reviews
For as long as Serena Williams has been a superstar within and beyond the sports world, it has seemed as if we’ve known so much about her. Yet we have always sensed there was so much more to her, and hungered to know it and understand where she came from and how that made her who she is. Thanks to this biography—and this author and her blend of expertise, diligence, and journalistic skills—now we know what we were missing. The complete story of who Serena is, why she is, and why the world is different because of her, has been long overdue. Now it’s here.
