By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
Serena Williams has announced the start of production on her new ESPN series, In the Arena: Serena Williams.
Williams ruled tennis for over 20 years, winning 23 Grand Slams (singles). Like the Emmy-winning Man in the Arena: Tom Brady, the Serena Williams installment of the franchise reportedly will be a multi-part series that features first-person perspective from Serena and key figures throughout her life to “provide the most complete, intimate, and compelling account of her legendary career.”
The series examines Williams’s most memorable Grand Slam tournaments and formative life moments.
It contrasts Williams’s triumphant professional career and cultural significance with her private struggles, including her battle to keep her tennis career on top while adjusting to the life-altering event of having a baby.
The Walt Disney Company said a new generation of competitors, eager to emulate Williams’ success and ultimately defeat her, marks a full circle in her career.
The series revisits the superstar’s defining matches, formative moments, heartbreak, and glory to trace her personal and generational journey from phenom to icon across her whole career and into her legacy.
ESPN, Religion of Sports, 199 Productions (under the direction of Tom Brady), and Nine Two Six Productions (under the direction of Williams and Caroline Currier) will all produce the series, which Gotham Chopra will direct.
The Walt Disney Company said it would provide more information later.
