Serena Williams US Open Tribute

Now that the curtains have closed on one of the most momentous careers in tennis history, USOpen.org takes a look back at Serena’s most noteworthy statistical achievements, keeping in mind that Williams was a woman who truly transcended the sport and the record books she repeatedly rewrote.

Serena is an activist, pioneer, phenom, warrior, shape-shifter, advocate, mother, and—perhaps more than anything—a constant reminder to everyone, especially women and people of color, that there are no limits to what can be achieved.

The goal of the piece was to recognize and honor the legacy of Serena Williams and her US Open journey in light of the announcement around her evolution away from tennis. The primary audience was Serena and all the fans inside of Arthur Ashe Stadium upon conclusion of her final Opening Night match, also running on broadcast both domestically and internationally, and across all US Open digital channels.

The entry was designed as a letter to Serena to commemorate the tremendous impact she made both on and off the court. The letter is written from the perspective of the fans, the city of New York, and the US Open and as such is signed “With Love, All of Us” to capture the idea that we are all thankful for all she has done throughout her career to entertain, thrill and inspire us.

The USTA engaged Oprah as the iconic voice for the script which broadened the reach of the video in a social collaboration between both Oprah and the US Open. The script came to life visually with a combination of US Open footage and social content. The distribution included both domestic and international broadcast partners and across US Open digital channels.