Serena Williams was named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year on Monday.
The 34-year-old American is the first female athlete honoured on her own by the magazine in more than 30 years.
Williams won three Grand Slam events — Australian Open, French Open and Wimbledon — en route to a 53-3 record and her seventh WTA Player of the Year award. She now has 21 career Grand Slam titles, one behind Steffi Graf. “This year was spectacular,” Serena Williams said in a statement. “For Sports Illustrated to recognize my hard work, dedication and sheer determination with this award gives me hope to continue on and do better. As I always say, it takes a village — not just one person. “This is not just an accomplishment for me, but for my whole team and all my fans. I am beyond honoured.”
Williams was ranked No. 1 throughout 2015 and won a WTA-high five titles. Williams’ bid for the calendar year Grand Slam fell just short when she lost to Roberta Vinci in the U.S. Open semi-finals. “She was the most deserving person for the award. She had an amazing year. The way she won her events; the fact that she’s done this for so many years at such a high level,” said Paul Fichtenbaum, editor of the Sports Illustrated Group. “She was a terrific candidate in a year of terrific candidates.”
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