10 Sporting Heroes Who Ruled 2012

9. Serena Williams

"I didn't expect this. I can't even ... Oh my gosh €“ I have a gold medal in the singles! I never thought ... Wow," The Williams sisters dominate women's tennis, but this year Serena was the star of the two. She won the most WTA titles of any player this year, and won both Wimbledon for the fifth time and her home event the US Open the fourth time, taking her total Grand Slam total to fifteen. At only 31, she still has a few years at the top of the women's game, and was recently described by John McEnroe as the greatest female tennis player in history, which is a heck of a recommendation. Williams also won the Wimbledon doubles with her sister Venus, but the main reason for her placing on this list is her winning of two gold medals at the 2012 Olympics, one alongside her sister, but mainly her first ever singles gold medal, which was richly deserved in her magnificent career. This win also gave her a Career Golden Slam in singles, only the second woman to do so. Despite her constant rising and falling in the women's rankings, she always provides her best for the big competitions, and alongside her sister Williams will always be regarded as the queen of her sport. Standout Moment of 2012: Earning her first singles gold medal, demolishing Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1 in the final.