Queen Serena Williams Named Sports Illustrated’s Sportsperson of the Year

Tennis player Serena Williams was named Sports Person of the year 2015 by Sports Illustrated on December 14, 2015. On Monday, Sports Illustrated announced that Williams is their Sportsperson of the Year.

Williams also has her own line of clothing and accessories, which she presented on the New York Fashion Week runway this past September. “This is not just an accomplishment for me, but for my whole team, I am beyond honoured”. She is the first individual female athlete in 12 years to be given the recognition. Williams was No. 1 in the WTA rankings all season. While some mentioned the “rap-like” nature of the shoot, other’s suggested that Williams got named Sportsperson of the Year just because she is African-American.

In the end, as you already know, we chose Serena Williams, and even amid such a rich collection of finalists, she was a decisive choice. Serena’s bid for the calendar year Grand Slam fell just short when she lost to Roberta Vinci in the US Open semifinals.

The Sports Illustrated magazine Sportsperson of the Year was unfazed by her decision to grab a cab to the finish line with 2km to go, posting a video on Facebook at the annual Serena Williams Live Ultimate Run. Serena is on her way to being the greatest player of all time. “I am beyond honored”, she said, according to Sports Illustrated. He is horse racing’s first Triple Crown victor in 37 years.

As the first female athlete to be honored with the title alone since track star Mary Decker in 1983, this honor emboldens Williams to forge ahead toward more impressive endeavors.

Williams thanked Sports Illustrated for the honor in an Instagram post.

Billie Jean King also won the award in 1972. The last time a tennis player won it was 1992, when Arthur Ashe won it. The last time an active player won it was Chris Evert.