Serena Williams is one of the best tennis players of all time.
Now 39, with 23 career Grand Slam singles titles, Williams still competes at the top of the sport, having made a run to the semifinals at the Australian Open in February. While she’s probably not retiring any time soon, Williams now has another post-career pursuit lined up: a first-look television deal with Amazon Studios, which includes a docuseries about Williams both on and off the court.
That news came last night via Variety:
“I’m very excited to be partnering with Amazon Studios – they are developing some of the most inspiring and important content for a global audience,” Williams said. “I have a lot of stories I’m eager to tell, including a continuation of my own, and I look forward to sharing those with the world.
Under the deal, the 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion will develop both scripted and unscripted projects at Amazon, starting with the untitled docuseries. That project will be produced by Plum Pictures, Goalhanger Films and Amazon Studios and is executive produced by Williams, Patrick Mouratoglou, Stuart Cabb, and Tony Pastor.
For Amazon, it’s easy to see why they’re interested. Serena is one of the biggest names in sports, having been at the top of women’s tennis for more than twenty years.
“Serena has transformed her sport and become one of the most inspiring athletes, entrepreneurs and women of her generation, admired not only for her unmatched prowess on the court but for her dedication to advocacy as well,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios. “We’re incredibly excited to share her journey in this new series, and to work with her to create new original content for our Prime Video customers worldwide.”
The docuseries has a chance to be something special, presumably looking at what it takes to balance family, fame, and staying competitive near the end of a legendary athletic career. The tone will certainly dictate a lot, but there could be a lot of real poignancy there.
It doesn’t yet have a title or release date, but it will almost certainly be something worth watching.
[Variety]
About Jay Rigdon
Jay is a columnist at Awful Announcing. He is not a strong swimmer. He is probably talking to a dog in a silly voice at this very moment.