In 1999, Serena Williams burst onto the tennis scene after winning her maiden Grand Slam singles title at the US Open.

Serena, seeded seventh at the event, defeated Monica Seles and Lindsay Davenport on her way to the final in New York. There, she defeated Swiss legend Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6.

At just 17 years old, Serena became the first player from the Williams family to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Photo by Jamie Squire/Allsport/Getty Images

This moment represented the start of a glorious career, one that saw Serena win 23 Grand Slam singles titles, 14 major doubles titles, and three Olympic gold medals.

Serena, who also won the 1999 US Open Women’s doubles event alongside Venus, received a call from the US president after winning the singles title.

Bill Clinton told Serena

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