Serena Williams Makes Record As Female Athlete With Highest Priced Trading Card

Serena Williams keeps making history!

The iconic tennis player, who has garnered numerous accolades with her record-breaking serves, recently achieved a new milestone in WTA history.

On Saturday, May 21, the 40-year-old athlete broke her own record for the highest-priced trading card featuring a female athlete to be sold at the Goldin Auctions.

Williams has earned a name for herself as one of the most decorated female tennis players. Naturally, her trading cards are hot commodities in the market.

At the Goldin Auctions, a famous marketplace for collectibles, memorabilia, and trading cards, the former world No.1 titleholder set a new record for the highest-priced trading card belonging to a female athlete.

Ken Goldin, the Executive Chairman and Founder of the Goldin Auctions, confirmed the exciting news on Twitter with a picture of the Grand Slam Champion's record-breaking trading card.

According to the multimillion-dollar business owner, the Michigan native's 2003 NETPRO signed patch rookie card was sold for a whopping $266,400 at his auction house.

This exorbitant price of the athlete's trading card shocked some Twitter users, who flooded Goldin's comment section with conspiracy theories, claiming that only Alexis Ohanian, Williams' husband, would buy the WTA star's cards.

However, the Reddit co-founder refuted these speculations, noting that he had several of his wife's memorabilia but not her 2003 NETPRO signed patch rookie card. The entrepreneur wrote:

"I didn't win *this* one! I've been collecting the ultimate Serena collection for 4 years now ? I'm ok with a few other folks enjoying some wins."

One curious fan boldly asked Ohanian if the "Venus and Serena" star had seen his unique collection, but the 39-year-old admitted that she had only seen part of it.

According to the "Without Their Permission" author, he kept most of his wife's memorabilia in a vault and would not spoil the surprise until he completed the collection.

Although the investor missed out on the 23-time Grand Slam winner's 2003 NetPro signed patch rookie card, he happily celebrated his spouse's historic moment.

As shared by Sports Illustrated, the "Serena" star previously held the record for the highest-priced trading card of a female athlete after a bidder purchased her card in January.

At the time, the July 1999 SI For Kids Serena Williams rookie card was sold for $117,000, making this recent sale double her previous record.

Although Williams was not a rookie in 2003 as she made her professional debut in 1995, the NetPro pack containing her trading card marked the first tennis set made available to the public in nearly a decade.

Other notable names included in the 2003 set were ATP stars Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and the second half of the Grand Slam Sisters Venus Williams.

As reported by The Blast, the 2022 Wimbledon games were scheduled to hold between June 27 and July 10, marking the 135th edition of the iconic event.

In anticipation of the prestigious affair, Williams shared an Instagram post that seemed to indicate her plans to join this year's tennis games.

The mother-of-one shared a fun transition video of herself, confirming her status as a fashionista on and off the tennis court.

The clip began with the Olympic gold medalist rocking a lace gown designed with a full-cup bustier that accentuated her assets and completed the classy look with pink stilettos.

Instead of carrying a fancy purse, the 40-year-old held a tennis racket in her hand, flipping it once to transform herself into a sporty ensemble consisting of a green tank top, black skirt, and matching black tights.

In the next scene, the athlete did what she knows best, effortlessly slamming tennis balls on the court with her signature powerful swings.

Naturally, fans reacted positively to the post, many of whom expressed their desire to watch the former No.1 world ranker make a splashy return to the court.

The Michigan native has not played a competitive match since June 2021 after suffering a hamstring injury at the last Wimbledon tournament. She also withdrew from last year's US Open and this January's Australian Open due to injuries.