What was happening in the sports world when Serena Williams won her first major? (2024)

Sports

Serena Williams is planning to end her tennis career at the same tournament where she won her first major: the U.S. Open in New York. That big win came in September 1999, when she was only 17 years old.

As Williams competes in the 2022 U.S. Open, tennis commentators and fans are highlighting how much the sports world has changed since the 1999 U.S. Open.

Here’s a look at what was happening when Williams first raised the U.S. Open Championship Trophy:

• In September 1999, Karl Malone and John Stockton were still leading the Utah Jazz.
• Albert Pujols had been drafted a few months earlier by the St. Louis Cardinals but had not yet played in even the minor leagues.
• Roger Federer, who has now won 20 grand slams, was four years away from winning his first major tournament.
• Federer’s main rivals, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, had not yet started their professional tennis careers.
• Michael Jordan had retired for the second time eight months earlier.
• The Chicago Bulls’ streak of dominance had come to an end, and the San Antonio Spurs were NBA champions.
• Quarterback Kurt Warner had just become the St. Louis Rams’ starter and was about to lead the team on a Super Bowl run.
• Trey Lance, the current starting quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, and Trevor Lawrence, starting quarterback for the Jacksonville Jaguars, were not born yet. Zach Wilson was one month old.
• Tiger Woods had just won the 1999 PGA Championships for his second major win.
• LaVell Edwards was BYU’s head football coach.
• Joe DiMaggio had recently died. Walter Payton and Wilt Chamberlain were in the final months of their lives.