“I couldn’t be more excited to host The ESPYs,’ Williams said in a release. “This is a dream come true for me, and something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember. 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 event that honors the best athletes and moments in sports over the previous year is scheduled for Thursday, July 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Williams won 23 Grand Slam titles, four Olympic gold medals and revolutionized women’s tennis for the first quarter of the 21st century. She stepped away from the sport in August 2022.
The awards show takes place during what was previously thought of as a dead period in the sports calendar, with MLB coming off its All-Star Break, but the emergence of WNBA and NWSL have provided more programming options.
“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.”
On July 10, the first episode of the eight-part documentary ‘In The Arena: Serena Williams,’ will stream on ESPN+.
