Tennis great Serena Williams will host the 2024 ESPYS.
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Williams, 42, a 23-time women’s Grand Slam singles champion, will host the ceremony on July 11 at 8 p.m. EDT from The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. The annual show celebrates the best in sports.
“I couldn’t be more excited to host The ESPYS,” Williams said in a statement . “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.”
ESPN announced Williams as host during Disney’s upfront presentation to advertisers on Tuesday, according to The Hollywood Reporter .
Williams becomes the fourth woman to host the awards ceremony.
Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird and Russell Wilson co-hosted the 2020 show, which was virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Danica Patrick was the first woman to host the event in 2018, according to ESPN .
Last year’s show was held without a host, in part because of the Writers Guild Strike, according to The Hollywood Reporter .
Williams has won 12 ESPYS during her tennis career, ESPN reported. Williams retired after the 2022 U.S. Open.
Williams’ hosting duties will come a day after the premiere of the ESPN+ original series, “In the Arena: Serena Williams,” an eight-part series that will chronicle her career, ESPN said in a news release.
“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, vice president of production for ESPN, 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.”
The show will air live on ABC.
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