Tennis star Serena Williams recently listed her home in Bel Air with an asking price of $11.995 million. Williams purchased the property for $6.6 million in 2006. The house is pleasant. The land is spectacular.

The house dates to 1935, and has enormous unexplored potential. The exterior of the home shows traditional design elements embellished with a bit of moderne, although as an architectural statement it could use a bit more grace and a sense of cohesion. The uninspired exterior architecture translates to interior architecture that is a little stilted, and a little short on glass.

The highlight of the house, then, is the double-height living room/great room, which occupies the sweeping arc that largely defines the exterior, and is big, bright, and well-proportioned. The space feels entirely liberated, with a series of transom-capped French doors offering interior/exterior transition over and over again. This room is ideal for entertaining, and incorporates a full wet bar against one wall.

There are six bedrooms and seven baths throughout; the master features a bath centered by a luxurious tub alcove, the tub crowned with an ornate chandelier. Some bedrooms feature their own terraces.

The lot size, however, is the real selling point; the property extends to 2.76 acres of lush Bel Air land. That’s a significant parcel for the area, giving it the appeal of a true escape, although the lot size may make the house itself irrelevant against subdivision potential. That would be a shame, as the property as it stands is, taken as a whole, something special. Highlights of the acreage include private trails, gardens, a long trellised arbor that entrances, slate terraces and patios, a pool with covered pavilion, and some very idealized landscaping which could make the uninitiated lose track of time.

Serena Williams, a.k.a. tennis talent to burn, has won a staggering 23 Grand Slam singles titles. She may be the best female player to ever pick up a tennis racquet, and remains an underappreciated heroine in the pantheon of American sports legends. At her level of achievement, it’s not just talent or hard work—it’s genius. And she’s content to let the record speak for itself.

Williams has diversified her name into the fashion market with her own line of clothes. She is engaged to Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian.