Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American professional tennis player. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has ranked her world No. 1 in singles on seven occasions. She became the world No. 1 for the first time on July 8, 2002, and achieved this ranking for the seventh time on January 30, 2017. On the sixth occasion, she held the ranking for 186 consecutive weeks, tying the record set by Steffi Graf for the most consecutive weeks as world No. 1 by a female tennis player. In total, she has been world No. 1 for 311 weeks, which ranks her 3rd in the Open Era among female tennis players. Williams' accomplishments and success in professional tennis have led some commentators, players, and sports writers to regard her as the greatest female tennis player of all time.