Sporting icon and 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams will likely bring the curtain down on her illustrious career after her US Open exit. Here is a timeline of the 40-year-old’s personal and professional milestones.

Feb 1999

First WTA Tour title – Open Gaz de France. She was 17.

Sept 1999

First Grand Slam singles title. She beat Martina Hingis in straight sets at the US Open.

Sept 2000

First Olympic gold medal – women’s doubles with sister Venus Williams. She went on to win four golds over three Games (three doubles, one singles).

Sept 2001

First time she met Venus in a Grand Slam final. She lost in straight sets at the US Open. It was the first of their nine Major final meetings.

July 2002

First reached world No. 1. She has beaten 22 of the 26 women who have reached the top ranking. The other four retired before her career began.

Jan 2003

First Serena Slam – winning all four Majors in succession, though not in a calendar year.

July 2013

End of her longest winning streak – 34 matches.

Oct 2013

Earned a WTA record US$12.3 million (S$17.2 million) in prize money over the season. She also tops the career earnings list with US$94.6 million.

July 2015

Second Serena Slam. Only she and Steffi Graf have accomplished this in the Open era.

May 2017

Last held the No. 1 ranking. The 14 years, 10 months and six days from when she first reached the summit is a record. Her tally of 319 total weeks at the top is bettered only by Graf (377) and Martina Navratilova (332).

Jan 2017

Last Grand Slam title – the Australian Open. Her tally of 23 Major singles titles is only one behind record-holder Margaret Court. Her overall Grand Slam total is 39 (23 singles, 14 women’s doubles and two mixed doubles).

Sept 2017

Gave birth to her first child Alexis Olympia.

Nov 2017

Married Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of social media site Reddit.

Sept 2019

Last Grand Slam final – the US Open. She lost her last four Major finals.

Jan 2020

Last WTA Tour title – Auckland Open.