28-05-2025
Tennis legend Serena Williams awarded Princess of Asturias for sports 2025
Former tennis player Serena Williams has been awarded the Princess of Asturias for sports 2025. The award is one of the most prestigious in Spain and is given to members who have demonstrated excellence in various fields, including sports, arts, literature, and others. The organisers of the event have said Williams is 'one of the greatest tennis players in the history of the sport' and also were appreciative of her work outside the tennis court. 'A staunch advocate for gender equality and equal opportunities in sport and society,' they said.
The 43-year-old American won 73 career singles titles including 23 Grand Slams. She said in 2022 that she was stepping away from tennis to focus on her family and business interests. The 50,000-euro ($57,000) Princess of Asturias Award is one of eight annual prizes covering different areas, including arts, literature and science among others. The awards ceremony, presided over by Spain's Princess Leonor, takes place each fall in the northern city of Oviedo. Past winners of the sports prize include skier Lindsey Vonn, the IOC Refugee Olympic Team and the New Zealand rugby team.
1999 – First Grand Slam title
When Venus Williams burst on the scene in 1994, her father Richard was boldly predicting that his younger daughter Serena would be even better. At the U.S. Open in 1999 she showed why.
It was 17-year-old Serena who stole the spotlight though as she claimed the first of her 23 Grand Slam singles titles with an extraordinary run.
2012 – Olympic singles gold
Serena already had two Olympic gold medals in her locker having partnered Venus to victory in Sydney and Beijing but a singles gold had eluded her.
She returned to London for the 2012 Games fresh from a fifth Wimbledon title, and with the tournament being played on the All England Club lawns she was the overwhelming favourite. The American was on a mission. She only dropped 16 games in her run to gold, beating Maria Sharapova 6-0 6-1 in the final.
2017 – Australian Open and 23rd Grand Slam title
Most probably her last Grand Slam title, but possibly the sweetest. Her run to the title in Melbourne, where she beat sister Venus in the final, was achieved without dropping a set.
It took her past Steffi Graf's Open era record of 22 Grand Slam singles titles, returned her to world number one and made her, at the age of 35, the oldest woman to win a major.
