Serena Williams Is Finally Going To Be On A Box Of Wheaties
Serena Williams will soon join the ranks of athletes like Althea Gibson, Andre Agassi, and Caitlyn Jenner-not in terms of wins, of which she has plenty, but in another veritable athlete rite of passage: getting her very own cereal box.
Serena and General Mills announced today boxes of Wheaties featuring a photo of the decorated tennis player will begin rolling out in grocery stores nationwide in the next month. The occasion is momentous for many reasons-Serena is the second black female tennis player to ever be featured on a box of Wheaties, the first tennis player since 2004, and the fourth female tennis player.
"In 2001, Wheaties paid homage to a true champion and an icon by putting her on the cover of a Wheaties Box," Serena wrote on Instagram. "Althea Gibson was the FIRST Black Woman tennis player to be on the box. Today, I am honored to be the second."
In a press release posted to General Mills' blog, Serena also said this:
I have dreamt of this since I was a young woman and it’s an honor to join the ranks of some of America’s most decorated athletes. I hope my image on this iconic orange box will inspire the next generation of girls and athletes to dream big.
As for her accomplishments, even the least sports-engaged person knows she's crushed it a dozen times over. More specifically, that amounts to 23 major singles titles, 14 major doubles titles, and a ranking as the world No. 1 in women’s singles eight times between 2002 and 2017. It's about time she earned a spot on the iconic orange box!
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