Serena williams

* Born in Michigan on Sept 26, 1981. (Age 31)

* Turned professional in September 1995.

*Grand Slam singles titles

Australian Open 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010; French Open 2002; Wimbledon 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012; US Open 1999, 2002, 2008; 2012

* Williams is sixth on the list of female Grand Slam title winners.

* Is one of only five women, after Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf, to hold all four Grand Slam titles at same time. The non-calendar year achievement in 2002-03 was dubbed the "Serena Slam". She beat her older sister Venus in each of the four finals.

* She also owns 13 women's Grand Slam doubles titles with Venus and has won four Olympic gold medals: Singles (2012), doubles (2000, 2008, 2012).

* At the 2009 US Open, Williams was fined $175,000 and placed on a two-year probation for unsportsmanlike behavior in her semifinal loss to Kim Clijsters.

* She missed the US Open in 2010 because of medical complications after cutting her foot on glass while celebrating her win at Wimbledon.

* In 2011, she underwent surgery after a life-threatening blood clot was detected on her lung. She made the US Open final but lost to Australia's Sam Stosur.

* After a slow start to 2012, the 30-year-old has finished with a flurry, winning Wimbledon, the Olympics and the US Open.

* She became the oldest woman to win the US Open since Margaret Court won her last title in 1973 at the age of 31.

(China Daily 12/16/2012 page8)