Serena Williams (US)

One of the most successful and admired sportspeople in the world, Serena Williams has won 39 major tennis titles, has been ranked number one player in the world eight times, and is matched only by Steffi Graf and Martina Navratilova in the all-time rankings. Her success is said to have revolutionised tennis, and sport more widely, for women, bringing a new level of power, athleticism and recognition to the women’s game and challenging preconceptions of gender, race and class.