Serena Williams will forever be the greatest athlete of all time, period.
When she isn’t smashing glass ceilings in tennis, she’s still making history — whether it’s being the vision behind Nike’s latest design building or using her platform to invest in up and coming business ventures. Now, she is making history in the trading card business with a sale that just doubled the record for any female athlete.
Making History
Per Goldin Auctions, a 2003 Serena Williams NetPro signed patch rookie card sold for a barrier-breaking $266,400, Sports Illustrated reports. It is now the highest-priced trading card that features a woman athlete. Previously, that amount stood at $117,000.
New record set for highest priced trading card of a female athlete last night @GoldinCo . This @serenawilliams 2003 NETPRO signed patch rookie card sold for $266,400 setting the new record. pic.twitter.com/0jGn4BpEXO
— Ken Goldin (@KenGoldin) May 22, 2022
The 2003 NetPro pack was the first tennis set to become available to the public in more than a decade. It is the first officially licensed cardholder for other big names which includes Williams’ big sister, Venus Williams as well as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
Williams’ only competition is herself, as she reportedly “also owned the previous record after a bidder purchased a July 1999 SI For Kids Serena Williams rookie card in January.” In March, another card sold for an amount upward of $91,000 on eBay, according to The Athletic.
The Trading Card Business
As previously reported by AfroTech, sports trading cards remain in high demand. From LeBron James to Michael Jordan, people are looking to add to their collectibles through rookie cards and beyond.
While Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian is known to show up and out for his wife, he did confirm in a tweet that he is not the recipient of the latest trading card. The buyer still remains unnamed.
For the men’s trading card record, a T206 Honus Wagner card that was sold last year for a whopping $6.6 million still holds the title.