Serena Williams Beats Novak Djokovic And Others To Win SI’s Sportsperson Of The Year For 2015
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Serena Williams has been named Sports Illustrated’s 2015 Sportsperson of the Year, the magazine announced earlier this morning.
“This year was spectacular,” said Serena Williams. “For Sports Illustrated to recognize my hard work, dedication and sheer determination with this award gives me hope to continue on and do better. As I always say, it takes a village— not just one person. This is not just an accomplishment for me, but for my whole team and all my fans. I am beyond honored.”
Serena finished 2015 with a 53-3 record falling just 2 wins from a Calendar Grand Slam at the US Open.
Serena beat out Triple Crown-winning horse American Pharoah, the NBA’s Steph Curry and even Novak Djokovic for the top honor. The award usually goes to an American sports figures often as a career service honor, not for a single year.
Serena becomes the fourth player to win the Sportsperson of the Year after Arthur Ashe in 1992, Chris Evert in 1976 and Billie Jean King in 1972.
“Serena has made a very strong case as not only the greatest tennis player of her generation but of all time, and after the string of performances she put together in 2015, she is one of the most dominant athletes playing today,” said Sports Illustrated Group Editor Paul Fichtenbaum. “Her extraordinary accomplishments on and off the court this year made the most deserving candidate for this award and also brought about the perfect opportunity to officially designate it as the Sportsperson of the Year moving forward.”
Added Scott Price who wrote the Serena feature: “In 2015 Williams hit this rare sweet spot, a pinch-me patch where the exotic became the norm … [her] numbers are reason enough for Sports Illustrated to name Serena Williams its 2015 Sportsperson of the Year. But the numbers lie. Her tennis year was all internal discord and quelled revolts; Williams battled her body like never before … But she refused to buckle … It’s an old saw that a nation gets the president it deserves. Maybe the same goes for its champions. No other active U.S. athlete rules a sport the way Serena Williams rules hers, and few reflect our era better.”
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