Legendary athlete and tennis pro Serena Williams will be the latest star to grace the cover of the iconic Wheaties cereal box and fans are unanimous in their declaration of ” well it’s about damn time “, Delish reported.
Williams will be the second African-American female tennis player to be featured on the box, and the first tennis player since 2004.
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Wheaties has a long-standing tradition of featuring the best of the best athletes on its cereal boxes.
Past honorees include Caitlyn Jenner, “Mean” Joe Greene, Lance Armstong, and Muhammad Ali, just to name a few of the number of athletes who have appeared on the iconic vibrant orange boxes since the tradition began way back in 1934 with baseball star Lou Gehrig.
Each athlete is meant to emphasize the cereal’s slogan, that Wheaties are “The Breakfast of Champions”.
On Tuesday, General Mills announced that the latest star of its Wheaties cereal box would be tennis champion Serena Williams.
In a press release , the company said that William’s accomplishments are “legendary.”
“Named the women’s player of the year seven times, she has earned 23 major singles titles and 14 major doubles titles, and was ranked the world No. 1 in women’s singles eight times between 2002 and 2017.”
In other words, Williams definitely deserves her own damn Wheaties box.
Williams took to her own Instagram to share her feelings on this honor.
“In 2001, Wheaties paid homage to a true champion and an icon by putting her on the cover of a Wheaties Box,” she wrote. “Althea Gibson was the FIRST Black Woman tennis player to be on the box. Today, I am honored to be the second.”
The 37-year-old athlete will appear on the box in a moment of pure triumph, celebrating a tennis victory with racket still in hand.
Speaking to the image chosen for the box, General Mills Brand Experience Manger Taylor Gessell said the decision was “unanimous”.
“We mocked up a few boxes with images for Serena and her team to select from, and it was a unanimous choice to go with that shot — and that white dress — was it!” she told ET Canada “It truly signifies a championship moment.”
In the official press release, Williams also expressed her pride on having been chosen to be the new face of Wheaties.
“I have dreamt of this since I was a young woman and it’s an honor to join the ranks of some of America’s most decorated athletes,” she said. “I hope my image on this iconic orange box will inspire the next generation of girls and athletes to dream big.”
Genreal Mills tweeted a photo of the new box and added a caption detailing what it is that makes Serena a true “champion.”
Honestly, the fact that they company is recognizing her accomplishments both inside and outside the sports world makes this moment even better, and fans have definitely voiced their support for this honor, as well as expressing that they believe this is also long overdue.
It’s clear that everyone has been waiting for Williams to become the rightful face of Wheaties cereal.
“Long overdue,” one user wrote, while another added, “I’d say this took way too long to happen. The GOAT should have been on that box a long time ago.”
As of right now, it’s unclear if Williams will be taking part in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, but her sister Venus has already confirmed she plans on competing.
Boxes of the history-making cereal are expected to hit grocery shelves in July.
