Serena Williams has done it all. Twenty-three Grand Slam titles. Seven Olympic golds. Seventy-three career titles. You’d think she’d slow down. But retirement was just the start of a new chapter. Off the court, the tennis icon has stepped into the world of business, fashion, film, and sports ownership like she’s playing another final. With that kind of reach, it’s no surprise that she’s found herself on the TIME 100 Most Influential People list once again. With a résumé packed full of achievements, what’s the latest move that’s earned her a spot on this prestigious list once again? Let’s find out!

Serena Williams first featured on the TIME 100 Most Influential list in 2010. She was featured in the “Heroes” section of the list with an entry written by none other than Billie Jean King. In 2010, she was also the world No. 1 in singles and held the No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles simultaneously. Now, post-retirement, her business ventures and being a voice for women’s sports have rewritten her legacy. 

Over the past 15 years, the 43-year-old has built an empire off the court. She’s invested in over 120 companies, with 14 of them reaching unicorn status, valued at $1 billion or more. Her venture capital firm, Serena Ventures, has raised more than $100 million in outside funding since 2021 and has backed over 30 companies in that span. In just the last year, deal flow at the firm has quadrupled—proof that her business instincts are as sharp as her groundstrokes. But the American tennis icon’s most significant moves of late has been in women’s sports.

In an interview with TIME Magazine, she revealed the decision to invest in the team and said, “I fell in love with women’s basketball in particular because I think the athletes are just amazing, and they are beautiful. I love Toronto. Some of my biggest wins have been in Toronto. I have some of my best memories there.” But that wasn’t all.

The American tennis icon further continued, “My partner in Toronto is just really amazing, and we just had this amazing synergy when it came to how we invest, how we want to build the team. It wasn’t just about a small check and me being like it’s a ‘name investment’ for me. It’s very meaningful to be a huge part of the ownership. This is a place I can be at, I can make decisions, and we can come up with who to hire as managers and how to run the team, etc. Obviously, as a designer, I have lots of really cool ideas. The way I innovated and designed in my sport, innovated how I looked as an athlete, I have some really fun ideas, but we will see which ones work.”

In March, Williams joined the ownership group of the Toronto Tempo, the WNBA’s newest expansion team, which will begin play in 2026. The timing couldn’t be better. Last year, the WNBA smashed attendance and viewership records. Now, with Serena in the mix, she’s aiming to take the league to even greater heights.

But besides sports, Williams is making strides in the showbiz too.

Serena Williams to produce tennis-inspired Netflix project

Back in April 2023, Serena Williams added another chapter to her post-tennis journey by launching her own multimedia company, 926 Productions. The timing was no coincidence—this came on the heels of King Richard, the Academy Award-winning film that told the powerful story of Serena and Venus Williams and the vision of their father, Richard.

Two years later, she’s back behind the scenes, this time as an executive producer on a new Netflix project. On Monday, Serena shared the news on her Instagram story: she’s teaming up with the streaming giant to bring Carrie Soto Is Back to life—a series adaptation of Taylor Jenkins Reid’s 2022 bestseller.

The show, written and executive produced by Amanda Kate Shuman, follows the fictional tennis legend Carrie Soto. She’s broken records, dominated the sport, and walked away on her own terms. But when a rising star named Nicki Chan threatens her Grand Slam record, Carrie returns to the court—hungry to defend her legacy and prove she’s still got it.

From boardrooms to basketball courts and now to Netflix sets, Serena Williams continues to redefine what life after tennis looks like. With her influence only growing, is there any arena she can’t conquer?