Serena Williams: ‘Almost the end of an era’ with American icon set to retire

It is almost the end of an era.

It is difficult to imagine tennis without the American legend, who has won all there is to win during her 27-year career.

From a purely sporting point of view, Williams will be remembered as one of the game’s greatest competitors, an athlete who possessed the purest serve in the women’s game and a never-fading desire to win.

She will also be remembered for speaking out against racism, pushing for gender parity and equal prize money, and about her experiences of the healthcare system as a black woman.

World number 11 Coco Gauff, 18, said Williams was “the reason why I play tennis” and her legacy can “inspire many more generations”, while British number one Emma Raducanu, 19, said she “changed the game”.

“Tennis being a predominantly white sport it definitely helped a lot,” said Gauff. “Because I saw somebody who looked like me dominating the game. It made me believe that I could dominate too.”

Here, BBC Sport looks at the big moments from an iconic career.

First Grand Slam win – US Open 1999

Aged just 17, Williams produced a fine run to lift her first Grand Slam singles title in New York. She beat world number four Monica Seles in the quarter-finals, then second-ranked Lindsey Davenport before meeting world number one Martina Hingis in the final.

Williams claimed a straight-set victory to become the first African-American woman in the Open Era to win a singles major. Just for good measure, she and Venus then won the doubles title together in the same weekend.

Addressing racism – Indian Wells 2001

Both Williams sisters have spoken about the racism they experienced throughout their career in a traditionally white sport and the issues their father, Richard, faced.

The sisters were set to meet in the semi-finals of Indian Wells – one of the biggest events outside of the Grand Slams – in 2001. However, when Venus withdrew with injury, accusations of match-fixing were pointed towards Richard and the sisters. Serena was then heavily booed when she came out to play Kim Clijsters in the final, and both Richard and Venus said they were racially abused by the crowd.

Serena won and instantly hugged her father in the stands. She and Venus then boycotted the event for many years, with Serena not returning until 2015 and Venus a…