Sophia Michaels
Serena Williams is making waves off the court. Reports are circulating that she is shopping a memoir, with offers reportedly reaching beyond $10 million. A publishing insider said that the book world is buzzing that Williams is “selling a memoir via [power literary agent] Suzanne Gluck at WME” and speculated that there are “eight-figure deals on the table.”
Williams has experienced a lot since her 2009 tome “My Life: Queen of the Court” was published. She has married tech mogul Alexis Ohanian, become a mother, and battled health issues. On Monday, she launched a multimedia production company, 926 Productions, which reportedly already has a first-look TV deal with Amazon Studios. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the company has numerous projects in development, including a soccer documentary called “Copa ’71” about the 1971 unofficial Women’s World Cup.
Williams told THR of the company’s creation: “With the launch of 926 Productions, we aim to elevate female and diverse voices through content that speaks to everyone.” She also executive-produced the 2022 Best Picture nominee “King Richard,” about the early lives of her and Venus Williams. Will Smith won his first Oscar for his role as the girls’ father, Richard Williams.
Although she announced her retirement from the sport last year, Williams has since said she’s “not retired” and playfully teased a return to the court this week, by posting an Instagram shot of herself playing tennis with the caption, “Just trying to stay fit here.”
