Tennis legend Serena Williams joins Netflix for new project inspired by her career

Tennis legend Serena Williams, winner of 23 Grand Slam singles titles, has been retired since 2022. However, she has been doing everything except resting. The star has now joined a new Netflix project as an executive producer.

Williams will help adapt Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel Carrie Soto Is Back, Deadline confirmed. The story follows fictional tennis legend Carrie Soto, who comes out of retirement at 37 to defend her Grand Slam record against a rising star.

She will executive produce alongside Caroline Currier through Nine Two Six Productions, in partnership with Picturestart. While the character is not directly based on Williams, Reid has said that Serena’s career was a major influence on the story. The author will also serve as a producer on the project.

“My incredible respect for the Williams sisters is part of what makes me interested in tennis,” Reid said in an interview when the book was released in 2022. “I wouldn’t write a book about tennis without the influence of just the absolute glory that has been their journey, but also specifically Serena’s quest to get as many Grand Slam titles as she has managed to do.”

Serena Williams inspired Taylor Jenkins Reid for her novel (Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)

Serena Williams steps further into entertainment

This is not Williams’ first major project behind the scenes. She executive produced the 2024 docuseries In the Arena: Serena Williams as well as King Richard, the 2021 film about the sisters’ early years in Compton under the guidance of their father, alongside her sister and fellow Grand Slam champion Venus Williams.

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She was World No. 1, won seven Grand Slams, caused a Wimbledon ‘scandal’, and is considered one of the greats

Williams is part of a growing list of sports icons moving into film and television production, joining names like Tom Brady, Lionel Messi, and more recently Cristiano Ronaldo, who launched a studio in partnership with director Matthew Vaughn.

While she continues to expand her ventures off the court, Williams is still seen at tennis events. Most recently, she showed her support for Novak Djokovic at the Miami Open.

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In addition to her 23 Grand Slam singles titles, she is a former World No. 1, an Olympic gold medalist, and the only player to achieve the Golden Slam in both singles and doubles.