Serena Williams has been hailed as the greatest woman to ever grace a Tennis court and here are 5 incredible reasons why.
The 40-year-old’s unparalleled career in sports history is truly incredible.
In fact, only Margaret Court boasts more Grand Slams(24) than her.
From winning three Grand Slam titles from match point down to coveting three of the four major titles six times each as well as defeating No. 1 and No. 2 at the same tournament eight times, Serena Williams has set so many unique records throughout her career.
Williams had announced her retirement via an essay on VOGUE magazine earlier this month.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner is set to retire after the US Open this month- a tournament she has won a record six times.
Pulse Sports reviews 5 of her incredible records that might never be broken
Beating the reigning No. 1 and No. 2 at the same Tournament eight times
Serena has spent an incredible 402 career weeks in the Top 2 of the WTA rankings – 319 weeks at No. 1, 83 weeks at No. 2.
However, even when she’s neither first nor second, she’s always been the biggest threat in the sport.
Serena has defeated the world No. 1 and world No. 2 at the same tournament eight times in her career, the most of any woman in WTA rankings history:
- 1999 US Open (defeated No. 2 Davenport in the semis and No. 1 Hingis in the Finals)
- 2000 Los Angeles (defeated No. 1 Hingis in the semi-finals and No. 2 Davenport in the Finals)
- 2002 Miami (defeated No. 2 V.Williams in the Semi-Finals and No. 1 Capriati in the Finals)
- 2002 Roland Garros (defeated No. 2 Capriati in the Semi-Finals and No. 1 V.Williams in the Finals)
- 2005 Australian Open (defeated No. 2 Mauresmo in the Quarter Finals and No. 1 Davenport in the Finals)
- 2007 Miami (defeated No. 2 Sharapova in the 4th Round and No. 1 Henin in the Finals)
- 2012 Madrid (defeated No. 2 Sharapova in Quarter Finals and No. 1 Azarenka in the Finals)
- 2012 WTA Finals (defeated No. 1 Azarenka in Return Rally and No. 2 Sharapova in the Finals)
The No. 1-2 sweep has happened 36 times since WTA rankings began in 1975.
Interestingly, after Serena, the player who’s done it the most is her sister- Venus, who’s done it four times.
Serena is also one of only three women ever to beat No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 at the same tournament.
2 Winning three different Grand Slams six (or more) times each
Serena’s career haul of 23 Grand Slam titles is no doubt incredible, but even more incredible is how spread out they are across the four majors:
- 7 Australian Open titles (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2017)
- 3 Roland Garros titles (2002, 2013, 2015)
- 7 Wimbledon titles (2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015, 2016)
- 6 US Open titles (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014)
She’s the only tennis player in history – male or female, to win three different Grand Slams six or more times each.
The Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open are three of the four tour-level events she’s won six or more times.
The Miami Open is the only other tournament; she’s won that an astounding eight times (2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2015).
3 Winning three Grand Slam titles from match point down
Only one woman in the entire Open Era has come back from match point down to win a Grand Slam title more than once.
Yeah, you guessed it—and she’s actually done it three times.
Serena did it the first time came at the 2003 Australian Open, when she fought off two match points down 5-2 in the third set of her semifinal against Kim Clijsters—eventually recording a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 victory, before going on to defeat Venus Williams for the title.
Two years later at the 2005 Australian Open, also in the semis, she saved three match points down 5-4 in the third set against Maria Sharapova to win, 2-6, 7-5, 8-6—the first of her 19 straight wins over the Russian, before she defeated Lindsay Davenport in the final.
She then repeated the feat again at Wimbledon in 2009, saving a match point down 5-4 in the third set of her 6-7 (4), 7-5, 8-6 semifinal victory over Elena Dementieva.
After that turn-around against Dementieva, Serena ended up beating Venus for the title.
4 Most Grand Slam titles after turning 30
Serena had always been destined for greatness, having won her first Grand Slam title at the age of 17 at the 1999 US Open.
She then went ahead to rack up dozens of majors in her 20s and also played some of the best tennis of her career in her 30s.
Serena has won 10 major titles since she turned 30—the most in women’s Open Era.
5 23 Grand-Slam titles in WTA history
Williams is already regarded as the greatest in WTA history. But only Australian legend Margaret Court boasts more Grand Slams(24) than her.
However, with her 23 Grand Slam Singles titles, including the 2017 Australian Open, Serena now owns the Open Era record for Grand Slam singles titles by a tennis player, male or female.
Her Grand Slam titles have come over an 18-year period which dates back to 1999.
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