Arthur Ashe and Althea Gibson might have broken barriers for Black American tennis players, but Serena Williams took that legacy to an unprecedented level. The legendary player dominated the US Open across more than two decades, winning six singles titles between 1999 and 2014.
After winning her maiden US Open triumph in 1999 at the age of 17, Serena Williams won five more titles in 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, and 2014, making her the first Black American tennis player to win five or more titles at Flushing Meadows, cementing her status as one of the greatest athletes in sporting history.
Apart from five US Open titles, Williams clinched seven titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and four French Open crowns, bringing her staggering career total to 23 Grand Slam singles titles, the most by any female player in the Open Era.