Serena Williams to host The ESPYS following “unprecedented” year for sports, female athletes

Amid a “sensational” year for sports and female athletes, one of tennis’ biggest champions will return to the awards spotlight as Serena Williams is set to host The ESPYS this July.

Serena spent most of her career redefining greatness in tennis, having been ranked WTA world No. 1 in singles for 319 weeks—including a joint-record 186 weeks in a row—and walking away with 23 Grand Slam singles titles to her name, the most in the Open era.

She’s also no stranger to the ESPYS stage: Serena won 12 awards during her career, being named Best Female Tennis Player 10 times and claiming the coveted Best Female Athlete award in 2003 and 2013.

"This is a dream come true for me, and something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember," Serena said in a statement shared to social media.

"It has been a sensational year for sports and an unprecedented one for female athletes. I can't wait to celebrate everyone on stage in July."

The ESPYS will air on July 11 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN and ABC) live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Short for the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award, The ESPYS honor the past year’s major athletic achievements and unforgettable moments.

Serena will be just the fourth woman to host the show, and only the second ever to do it solo—following in the footsteps of Danica Patrick back in 2018, who first helmed The ESPYS shortly after she retired from professional motorsports.

Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird also joined Russell Wilson as co-hosts in 2020, when the show went virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In a year where women’s sports are being watched and celebrated like never before, it is a perfect fit to have perhaps the greatest female athlete of all time host The ESPYS,” Kate Jackson, ESPN vice president of production, said in a statement. “Given Serena’s spectacular on-court achievements and her overall cultural impact, she’ll bring elite star-power and dynamic energy as host of the show.

“We are thrilled to work with her to shape a powerful and entertaining show celebrating the best moments in sports this year.”

Since her retirement at the 2022 US Open, Serena has stayed as busy as ever with multiple business ventures—she’s currently pondering WNBA team ownership—and media production projects. She was recently spotted at the Miami Open supporting sister Venus Williams, as well as at the Met Gala in a head-turning Balenciaga gown.