The simply unquantifiable influence and legacy of 23-time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams - US Open Diary

‘She extended my career’ As Serena Williams gets ready to hang up her racquet, everyone has been scrambling to find the right words to describe the impact she has had on the sport and making the futile effort of trying to do her legacy justice. Ad The fact is, both Williams sisters, Serena and Venus, are two of the most consequential athletes of all time and their influence is simply unquantifiable. US OpenWhy Nadal was 'a little bit nervous' during US Open first-round victory42 MINUTES AGO Speaking to players this past week in New York, you realise there are countless facets to the Serena legacy, beyond the obvious ones.

32-year-old American Madison Brengle credits Serena for forcing a change in the attire rule that now allows players to wear full-length leggings while competing. Several years ago, Brengle had a procedure to remove a cancerous spot on her leg and now competes in leggings to protect her skin from the sun. “When Serena wore the catsuit at the French Open that year, she changed the rules for us, allowing us to play in pants.

I had Melanoma and I wouldn’t be able to play anymore if I couldn’t wear pants,” Brengle told Eurosport. “She’s blazed so many trails, all of the trails, but for me personally, the big one is that I can play in pants now. That has extended my career for a couple of years.

“For any reason if you want to cover up, but for me it’s for sun protection, and I wouldn’t be able to play like this if it wasn’t for her. She has done wonderful things for all of us.” Frances Tiafoe got to spend time with Serena during the off-season and has hit with her on multiple occasions this year. The 24-year-old wore a Serena ‘GOAT’ (greatest of all time) hoodie to his first round on Tuesday, and gushed over