Retiring Serena Williams will leave a lasting legacy

DETERMINED: Serena Williams in determined mood during her singles match against France’s Harmony Tan on the second day of the Wimbledon Championships earlier this year. Pic: Glynn Kirk/AFP

With the imminent end of Serena Williams' career comes the time to reflect on not just one of the most successful but one of the most important figures in tennis history.

The emergence and subsequent dominance of Williams and sister Venus forced tennis to confront, not always willingly, its attitudes to race and strong women.