Serena Williams is a force to be reckoned with.
According to Bleacher Report, the tennis star caused an upset for opponent Jessica Pegula, defeating her at the New Zealand ASB Classic on Sunday (Jan. 12) with a score of 6-3, 6-4. Williams will be donating her $43,000 tournament earnings to the victims of the Australian wildfires.
CNN reports that following her win, Williams said, “It feels good. It’s been a long time. I think you can see the relief on my face. I played an incredible opponent today in Jessica and, honestly, it was a great match and I couldn’t have played anyone better in the final.”
This is Serena’s first tennis title since welcoming her daughter Alexis Olympia three years ago.
“You have to be your biggest cheerleader, especially if you’re feeling you’re not doing everything right — or even if you are doing everything right but things aren’t working out for you,” she added.
Williams will go on to prepare for the Australian Open, which she has won seven times.
The tournament begins on Jan. 20.
In June of 2019, Williams experienced another milestone – her very own Wheaties box. She took to her Instagram page to make the announcement. “In 2001, Wheaties paid homage to a true champion and an icon by putting her on the cover of a Wheaties Box,” she said at the time. “Althea Gibson was the FIRST Black Woman tennis player to be on the box. Today, I am honored to be the second.”
”I have dreamt of this since I was a young woman and it’s an honor to join the ranks of some of America’s most decorated athletes,” she added in a statement. “I hope my image on this iconic orange box will inspire the next generation of girls and athletes to dream big.”
Williams, who has 23 Grand Slam titles under her belt, was the first tennis player to be featured on a Wheaties box since Andre Agassi in 2004.