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Serena Williams became the all-time singles Grand Slam match leader Monday at the US Open when she defeated Yaroslava Shvedova for her 308th major win.
The victory helped Serena pass fellow sure-fire Hall of Famer Roger Federer for lone possession of the record, and the pair has more in common than you think.
Born six weeks apart in the summer of 1981, Serena and Federer are each at the top of the Slam lists: Federer, with 17, has won more than any other male in history; Serena’s 22 are the joint most of the Open era, and she’s still in contention for No. 23. There’s an argument for each to be considered the greatest that ever played the game.
In some respects, fans are spoiled by the fact they’re playing together in the same era.
Each has won on the grass of Wimbledon seven times and had the least success on the clay of Roland Garros. They’ve been photographed at the winner’s ball together at Wimbledon three times, in 2003, 2009 and 2012, and they each won the Australian Open in the same year twice, in 2007 and 2010, and at the US Open once, in 2008.
They've both had exceptional careers defined by longevity and individual seasons defined by near perfection.
Serena is the only player in history to win all four majors at least 10 years after they won their first, and her 78-4 2013 season is as dominant as you’ll find in the women’s game. Federer, meanwhile, played in 65 consecutive Grand Slam main draws from 2000 to 2016 and went an astonishing 92-5 as part of his 2006 season. This year’s US Open is only the second major Federer has missed in 16 years.
“It's always a shame to have Roger not in the tournament,” Serena said, “but I think he said he wanted to make sure he's well and get ready for his future. That's also a positive because he said he wanted to continue to play. I definitely look forward to seeing him in the draws later on.”
Their level of continued dominance has led to some remarkable overall numbers. Serena has won 85 percent of her professional matches and ranks fifth all-time with 71 career WTA titles. She’s spent 307 weeks at No. 1 and has been the top player in the world for 186 consecutive weeks and counting.
Similarly, Federer has won 82 percent of his matches, sits third in the Open era with 88 ATP titles and spent a total of Federer’s 302 weeks in the top spot, including a record 237 straight weeks from 2004 to 2008. Because of that, Federer has ended the year ranked No. 1 in the world six times, one more than Serena, who has a chance to make it six by winning the US Open this weekend.
“I think it's great. … I think it's wonderful,” Federer said of Serena’s longevity. “Any week at world No. 1 is a great one, let's be honest. If you can make 200, that's very, very, very nice. That means you have been up there for a long time and means you had a great career.
“It's windy at the top; it's not easy. I hope she can stay there for her.”
In addition, both players have been on the cusp of additional records. Federer was one win away from achieving the calendar-year Grand Slam twice – he lost in the French Open final in 2006 and 2007 after winning the other three majors those years – while Serena claimed the first three majors of 2015 before losing to Roberta Vinci in 27th of a possible 28 matches.
When it comes to representing their country, there’s also a similar level of dominance. Serena, fluent in French and conversational in Spanish and Italian, has won an Olympic Games singles gold medal, three doubles gold medals and is undefeated in 13 Fed Cup singles ties. Federer, fluent in French and German, won a gold medal in men’s doubles and a silver medal in singles and has 40 Davis Cup singles wins.
Serena helped the U.S. win the Fed Cup in 1999 and has guided her country to Hopman Cup triumphs in 2003 and 2008. Federer won the Davis Cup with Switzerland in 2014 and the Hopman Cup in 2001.
That kind of success at home and abroad comes with a nice financial reward. Serena has earned more than $80 million in career prize money, the most of any female player in history. Federer currently sits at almost $99 million, second only to Novak Djokovic, who surpassed the $100 million mark earlier this season.
And as a result of their on-court dominance, they are each favorites in the commercial field. They both have equipment and apparel endorsements with Nike and Wilson, in addition to sponsorship deals with banks (Serena with Chase; Federer with Credit Suisse) and car manufacturers (Serena with Aston Martin; Federer with Mercedes-Benz).
Off the court, both players are avid supporters of charity work at home and abroad. The Serena Williams Foundation has supported projects from Miami and Los Angeles in the U.S. to Kenya overseas. The Roger Federer Foundation outreach has seen philanthropic initiatives thrive in South Africa and Switzerland. Both were involved in fundraising projects to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake, have served as UNICEF ambassadors and supported public awareness of AIDS programs.
The pair will likely never meet in a competitive match on the tennis court, but that’s just fine with Serena, who jokes that she beat Federer by association many years ago. At a 2009 press conference at the Australian Open, Serena told the story about the time she beat Andy Roddick in a practice match in Florida when they were both much younger. She mockingly referred to it as her "greatest match."
“Indirectly, you know, I've beaten a lot of people on the men's tour," Serena joked. "You know, might have been 11. Doesn't matter. Age doesn't matter. … Indirectly I have wins over Federer, Nadal. Just so exciting.”
However, one thing is certain. Whether they’re playing between the lines or using their global star-power for good, there’s nobody quite like Serena Williams or Roger Federer. Except maybe the other.

Serena Williams is now widely considered as one of the greatest tennis players ever to have played the game, but the 35-year-old feels that this recognition would have arrived a long time ago had she been a man. The tennis star has also opened up about how she still faces blatant sexism and racism.
In a candid interview with ESPN, Serena Williams opened up about the challenges of being a black women in a predominantly white sports, which still gives the men more prize money than the women. She said, “It’s very challenging because sometimes when things are blatantly wrong and blatantly unfair and blatantly racist or sexist, I just have to go and put on a brave smile and not let anyone know how I feel on the inside so they don’t get that satisfaction even though on the inside I would be dying.”
After winning the Wimbledon earlier this year, Serena Williams equaled Steffi Graf’s record of most Grand Slam wins in the open era, and she is now just two majors behind Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24. For many tennis experts, Serena has finally reached the title of the greatest female player ever, although many still disagree with the claim. The legend, however, chose to talk about the divide between the male and female players and said that she would have been recognized as one of the greatest to have wielded the tennis racket if only she had been a member of the opposite sex.
“I think if I were a man, I would have been in that conversation a long time ago.
“I think being a woman is just a whole new set of problems from society that you have to deal with, as well as being black, so it’s a lot to deal with — and especially lately.
“I’ve been able to speak up for women’s rights because I think that gets lost in colour, or gets lost in cultures. Women make up so much of this world, and, yeah, if I were a man, I would have 100 per cent been considered the greatest ever a long time ago,” Serena said.
Serena has had a love-hate relationship with the media, and she regrets the fact that she had criticized herself early on in her career for speaking her mind.
“I shouldn’t have to apologise for saying and believing that I could be the best.
“We took the globe and shook it, me and Venus because we came from Compton we came from nothing and in tennis you kind of have to have something.
“We came and we conquered,” she said.

Most players would be quite content with a season that included three Major finals and a 22nd Grand Slam title. But Serena isn't most players...

The best of times
It seems incredible to think that Serena finished the year at No.2 despite playing just eight tournaments. In fact, she held on to top spot for almost the entire season before Angelique Kerber displaced her at No.1 in September. When Serena played, she was extremely formidable – she reached three of the four Grand Slam finals, won Wimbledon and Rome, reached the final at Indian Wells and advanced to the semifinals at the US Open. She compiled a 6-1 record against top-five opponents (part of her stellar 38-6 win-loss in 2016) and won almost $8 million in prize money. And all of this was achieved at 34 years old – unprecedented success for a player her age. Her victory at Wimbledon, which gave her a 22nd major title and tied her on the professional-era list with Steffi Graf, made her the oldest female Grand Slam champion in history. It may have been a sub-par season by Williams’ lofty standards, but any other player would kill for similar results.

The worst of times

As amazing as Williams’ success is at her age, the inevitable flipside to that is a failing body. Injuries sidelined the American for vast chunks of the season, first when she hobbled out of the Hopman Cup with a knee injury and lastly when she missed all events post-US Open with a shoulder injury. In between, her body rebelled. She struggled with her movement during the latter rounds at Roland Garros – it was revealed she had sustained an adductor injury – and as the season progressed, injuries were intertwined with her performance. Shoulder troubles reportedly contributed to her shock third-round loss to Elina Svitolina in Rio, an injury which saw her withdraw from the Montreal and Cincinnati events either side of the Olympics. At the US Open, it was the knee; coach Patrick Mouratoglou said “it’s impossible to compete without moving. That’s why she missed so much, so many unforced errors, was because she was so slow.” Added Serena: “When you’re injured you’re thinking of other things when you should be just playing and thinking of your shots. My mind was just a little bit everywhere.” She hasn’t competed since.

Match of the year
When fully healthy, Serena proved she is still the benchmark of the women’s tour. In a fabulous Wimbledon final, she and Kerber went head-to-head in a rematch of their thrilling Australian Open finale, where all the pressure was on Williams. As the defending champion, she was desperate to avoid losing three major finals in a row as well as the ignominious distinction of becoming a “slamless” No.1. And she produced a stellar serving display to keep her tigerish opponent at bay, raising the level of her game when it was most required to subdue Kerber 7-5 6-3 and win her seventh Wimbledon crown.

Quote of the year
“I prefer the word ‘one of the greatest athletes of all time’.”
– Serena at Wimbledon, after a journalist asked her what she thought when she heard people referring to her as one of the greatest female athletes of all time. The quote would serve as inspiration for a Nike ad featuring Serena as the “greatest female athlete ever.”

Tweet of the year


Serena’s Twitter account has become increasingly sponsor-saturated over the years – she regularly promotes her partnerships with Berlei, Chase, Delta, Nike and HSN, among others, on her channel. But in between are some more organic tweets, like this one, which resonated strongly with her fans.

Serena elaborated on the image with a poetic missive dediated to Ohanian:

I came home
A little late
Someone had a bag packed for me
And a carriage awaited
Destination: Rome
To escort me to my very own "charming"
Back to where our stars first collided
And now it was full circle
At the same table we first met by chance
This time he made it not by chance
But by choice
Down on one knee
He said 4 words
And
r/isaidyes

Her fiance replied to her message on Reddit: "and you made me the happiest man on the planet."

Wygrywając Wimbledon 2016 Serena Williams wywalczyła 22. wielkoszlemowy tytuł w grze pojedynczej. Amerykanka miała w tym roku jeszcze dwie szanse na triumf, ale przegrała finały Australian Open i Rolanda Garrosa, odpowiednio z Andżeliką Kerber i Garbine Muguruzą. Do wyrównania rekordu Margaret Smith Court 35-letnia Amerykanka potrzebuje dwóch wielkoszlemowych tytułów.


Serena Williams pod szczególnym nadzorem w Auckland
- [Serena] musi wygrać trzy turnieje, aby mnie wyprzedzić, a to wcale nie będzie łatwe. Jestem zaskoczona, że gra bardzo mało imprez poza wielkoszlemowymi - powiedziała 74-letnia Court. W 2016 roku Williams zanotowała tylko osiem startów, najmniej od 2011 roku. Jednak na osiem ostatnich wielkoszlemowych turniejów w sześciu Amerykanka grała w finale i zdobyła cztery tytuły.

Court w swojej kolekcji ma również 40 wielkoszlemowych tytułów w grze podwójnej. - Myślę, że nikt nie będzie w stanie pobić mojego rekordu 64 tytułów, jednak jeśli ktoś zdobędzie więcej niż 24 w singlu to po prostu na to zasłuży. Ja mogłam wygrać jeszcze więcej, ponieważ przegrałam finały, w których dzieliło mnie od zwycięstwa kilka punktów - mówiła Australijka, nawiązując do meczów z Brazylijką Marią Bueno, Amerykanką Billie Jean King oraz ze swoimi rodaczkami Evonne Goolagong i Lesley Turner.

Spośród 24 największych tytułów, 11 Court zdobyła w Erze Otwartej, która w wielkoszlemowych turniejach rozpoczęła się od Rolanda Garrosa 1968. Australijka denerwuje się, gdy ktoś mówi, że w przeszłości nie miała wielu przeciwniczek na wysokim poziomie.

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- Wiele osób myśli, że do Australii nie przyjeżdżały najlepsze tenisistki. Serena także tak mówiła, ale to nie jest prawda. Była Bueno czy Christine Truman. Gdy miałam 16 lat, pokonałam Bueno w ćwierćfinale. To trochę smutne, że amatorski tenis z tamtych lat jest niedoceniany. Niektórzy ludzie nie potrafią zapomnieć, że zdobyłam 11 wielkoszlemowych tytułów w Erze Otwartej. Widzę, jak wiele nagród dostają Rod Laver i Ken Rosewall, a w przypadku tenisa kobiecego mówi się tylko o zawodniczkach, które grały w Erze Otwartej. Jednak wydaje mi się, że w epoce amatorskiej było wiele lepszych tenisistek niż obecnie - powiedziała Australijka.

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Margaret Court po pięć razy wygrała Rolanda Garrosa i US Open oraz trzy razy Wimbledon. Najwięcej triumfów święciła w Australian Open (11). Ostatnie wielkoszlemowe tytuły Australijka zdobyła w 1973 roku. W 1970 roku wywalczyła klasycznego Wielkiego Szlema, czyli w jednym sezonie wygrała cztery największe imprezy. Oprócz niej takim osiągnięciem w Erze Otwartej może się pochwalić jeszcze tylko jedna kobieta (Steffi Graf w 1988).

Serena Williams’ 2016 season can be summed up on a word-per-tournament basis: eight events, five finals, two titles, one major.
As a model for late-career management, it will go down as a 44-match masterclass in efficiency. Williams reached three Grand Slam finals and tied Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 majors by winning a seventh Wimbledon title, where she also won her first major doubles title in four years alongside sister Venus.
There was even time to spell out the enormity of her achievement. “There will be talk of you going down as one of the greatest female athletes of all time,” one journalist told her on the eve of the Wimbledon final. “What do you think when you hear someone talk like that?”
“I prefer the word ‘one of the greatest athletes of all time,’” she replied. Game, set and match: Williams.
A title in Rome and a final appearance at Indian Wells helped the 35-year-old finish her eight-event year as the world No.2 behind Angelique Kerber, the Australian Open and US Open champion in 2016. In contrast, world No.3 Agnieszka Radwanska played 21 tournaments last year.
Nevertheless, the light schedule allowed the chasing pack to close in, both on court and on paper. Williams’ 186-week stretch as world No.1, another record she now shares with Graf, came to an end after her US Open semi-final defeat by Karolina Pliskova, which confirmed Kerber’s ascent to the top spot in September.
The number next to her name has always been of secondary concern, but Williams’ Grand Slam final losses to Kerber in Melbourne and fellow first-time major winner Garbine Muguruza in Paris no doubt rankled. It was the first time in her 19-year career she had lost consecutive major finals, and while she accepted both with great grace, her shock third-round loss to Elina Svitolina at the Olympics almost reduced her to tears.
“I hate losing more than I like winning,” she told The Sunday Times shortly before the 2016 season began. “It’s insane when you think about it. I learnt early on how to disconnect my emotions from my opponent, but I’m an insatiable perfectionist and, if I’m losing, I go crazy.
“I’ve always said being a champion isn’t about how much you win; it’s about how you recover from a low point, whether it’s a loss or an injury.”


The price of Williams’ greatness is the unwavering spotlight: she is the story, whether she’s the one hoisting another Grand Slam trophy or among the 127 also-rans. This was never more palpable than at the 2015 US Open, where she arrived holding all four majors and bidding to complete the first calendar Grand Slam since – who else – Steffi Graf in 1988, and left bereft after falling short in the semi-finals at the hands of Roberta Vinci, not to be seen again until last year’s Australian Open, the first chapter of her short-story season.
“First, you have to talk about the pressure she has, the highest in any sport,” her coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, said in January. “She's not the only one; Novak [Djokovic] and some other exceptional guys and girls in different sports have had this pressure. It's unbelievable, and very difficult for people to understand because we're not in her shoes.
“But when you don't have any other option than win every match, every year, people think you're declining or something's wrong. The pressure is incredible. She puts this pressure on herself because she expects herself to win all the matches, and it's multiplied by expectations by the media and the fans. So it's tough, but I think on the other hand, everyone would love to be in her position. It's a good one to be in.”
Off-court, Williams’ year started on a high. She announced her engagement to Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian before playing her first matches of the year in Auckland ahead of this year’s Australian Open, suggesting a return to a more regular schedule in her bid to stand alone as the most decorated Grand Slam champion of all time. A seventh Australian Open title would see her surpass Graf. Only Margaret Court, whose

Q. You said in Auckland how windy it was there, wasn't a great chance to assess how you were playing coming into Melbourne. Do you feel now that you're here, you have a better sense of how you're feeling under court?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I felt great going into my last event. Hopefully I can improve on that. Well, I can't get worse, so that's also very exciting. Hopefully I'll be able to improve on that.

Q. Does it feel good to be back?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. Or you're so occupied on what you were doing?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I've been spending so much time on the court, so... But it feels really good to be back, just hitting on Rod Laver, hitting on all the stadiums, it's a good feeling.

I love it here. It's such a great tournament for me, so... Feels really good.

Q. In general, is there something in your game, because of the time off, you feel you really need to improve quite a bit to be back to where you were?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I always go in every off-season trying to improve pretty much everything all around. There's things that I definitely focus on more than others. But for the most part... I don't really talk about those things. For the most part I go off, try to do better in a lot of things.

Q. This winter when you sat down with the team, did you talk about a different approach for this season? What was the mindset coming into 2017?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I definitely wanted to work on some things, like I just said. Every season I always sit down with Patrick, I have a conversation on what I want to improve on. We work towards that.

Q. How do you view last season? We never really had a chance to get your opinion. Obviously Wimbledon I think is the highlight.
SERENA WILLIAMS: For me, it wasn't a great season. I think for other people it would have been wonderful. For me, it wasn't.

It was what it was. I'm still hitting.

Q. Health permitting, how much do you want to play this year?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely don't want to play a lot, but I don't think I've played a ton throughout the past. I've played a lot. I've always been super consistent the past five, six years. I definitely want to play probably around... Maybe not as many events.

If I can keep my consistency, that's all.

Q. The reason I ask is last year you weren't able to play that much, partly because of injury.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah.

Q. You mentioned it wasn't a great year by your standards. Is there a certain amount you feel you do need to play in order to still find your best?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. I think actually last year's schedule would be perfect for me. But I was injured a lot last year, especially after Wimbledon. My year basically ended after that, so... If I could have played the tournaments that I would have played, I think that would have an ideal, perfect schedule for me.

Q. When you talk about last year and how injuries kind of interrupted it at different segments, with the time off, do you think you were able to kind of let your body heal up in terms of the things that were bothering you last year, or was it still a little bit of an issue during the off-season or pre-season training?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I got a lot better. I had a little bit of a problem initially in the pre-season. Just did a ton of therapy, exercises. I was able to get a lot better.

I felt that if I hadn't of taken that time off, could have been bad for me.

Q. Have you seen the forecast for Tuesday, the warm weather, how that will affect things?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I haven't seen it. Is it supposed to be hot?

Q. 38.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Uh. Okay, better be ready.

Q. You're playing Belinda, someone that has beaten you before. Thoughts about playing against someone as good as her right out of the gate?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it will be good for us both. I don't know if she played here last year. Was it last year? She was quarterfinals, I think. I'm getting my years mixed up. Anyway, she's done well here before.

So, yeah, she's had a good win over me. It's never easy for me. So I always go out there, and all I can do is do my best. I didn't come here to lose in the first round, or the second round, or at all. If I can play the way I've been practicing, it will be fine.

I know she's been playing well, so it will be good for both of us.

Q. In the six months that Roger was unable to play the sport because of injury, he spoke about a glimpse of life without tennis, but he still kept in touch with it, he still has the passion for it, it helps to motivate him for this year. Do you keep across the sport when you're unable to play? Does that give you extra motivation, refresh you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't really keep up with it as much. I feel like when I take a break, I just need to really take a complete break, both physically and mentally. I definitely kind of take a step back.

But tennis is a sport that I absolutely love, that I definitely see myself -- it's my life, you know, for the rest of my life, whether I'm playing or whether I'm not playing. It's definitely something that has made an incredible impact in my life.

Q. A few weeks ago you posted some personal, exciting news. Can you tell us a little bit about that.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, can you elaborate (smiling)?

Q. You said you were engaged.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh.

Q. That, remember?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I'm just kidding (smiling).

Yeah, it's been really great. I've said from the beginning, I just didn't want to think about it until after Australia because I was, like, Grand Slams mean a lot to me. I was, like, Well, I'm not going to think about it.

It's almost a little unreal right now because I haven't taken it in. I'm being rather selfish and focused on my career.

Q. You made it sound like it was a very romantic moment.
SERENA WILLIAMS: It was. It was. I'm actually just a really good writer, so... If you guys want any tips, I'm around (laughter).

Q. Does it feel different?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Again, not really because I don't think I've had an opportunity to, like, let everything sink in. I won't allow it to sink in because I'm so focused. It was right in the middle of pre-season. I'm really focused training, cardio, all kinds of stuff.

Now I'm on the road, already back at work. I don't want to get too happy because I want to stay focused (smiling).

Q. The record, moving past Steffi, been around for a while. These days does it mean anything to you? What are your thoughts on that opportunity?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Oh, I'm not talking about that. I'm just here to play and to win obviously, but just to play.

Q. I know you said you don't want to get too happy. Do you feel like you need a certain amount of anger or something, a drive or focus, to switch on to full gear?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I wouldn't call it anger, but I would definitely say drive and focus. What's the word? Sacrifice? Yeah, sacrifices that you definitely have to have, so...

Serena Williams pokonała 6:4, 6:4 Venus Williams w finale Australian Open na kortach twardych w Melbourne i zdobyła 23. wielkoszlemowy tytuł.


Po 14 latach Serena Williams i Venus Williams ponownie spotkały się w Melbourne w finale, a po ośmiu znów zmierzyły się w decydującym meczu wielkoszlemowej imprezy. W Australian Open 2003 i Wimbledonie 2009 lepsza była Serena. W sobotę doszło do ich 28. konfrontacji, 15. w największych turniejach. 36-letnia Venus przegrała z młodszą o rok siostrą 4:6, 4:6.


Serena Williams najlepsza w Erze Open. Amerykanka o krok od rekordu wszech czasów
Kończący return bekhendowy oraz efektowne minięcie forhendowe po krosie dały Serenie przełamanie na 1:0 w I secie. Po chwili młodsza Amerykanka oddała podanie robiąc cztery niewymuszone błędy, w tym podwójny. Już w trakcie trzeciego gema Serena nie wytrzymała napięcia i złamała rakietę. To źle podziałało na Venus, którą dwie forhendowe pomyłki kosztowały stratę serwisu.
Festiwal przełamań trwał w najlepsze. Po trzech podwójnych błędach Sereny na tablicy pojawił się remis 2:2. Jako pierwsza podanie utrzymała Venus, a jej młodsza siostra odpowiedziała tym samym. Kombinacją potężnego returnu i bekhendu po linii Serena wykorzystała break pointa na 4:3. Po chwili od 0-30 zdobyła cztery punkty. Kros forhendowy dał jej prowadzenie 5:3. Serena była blisko kolejnego przełamania, ale Venus z pomocą serwisu wróciła z 15-30. W 10. gemie młodsza Amerykanka utrzymała podanie do zera, seta kończąc dwoma asami.


W trzecim gemie II seta Venus w świetnym stylu wróciła z 0-40. Forhend po linii dał jej prowadzenie 2:1. W siódmym gemie starsza Amerykanka obroniła dwa break pointy, ale trzeciego Serena wykorzystała returnem bekhendowym po krosie. Było to jedyne przełamanie w tej partii. Mecz młodsza z sióstr zakończyła forhendem wymuszającym błąd w odpowiedzi na dropszota rywalki.

Górą była ta siostra, która lepiej poradziła sobie z napięciem oraz potrafiła pokazać większe urozmaicenie gry i posiadała lepszy serwis. Wprawdzie liczbę asów miały podobną, ale Venus zdobyła tylko sześć z 21 punktów przy swoim drugim podaniu. Starsza Amerykanka była mniej cierpliwa i bardziej schematyczna w długich wymianach, których dużo nie było, jak to zwykle bywa w ich spotkaniach. W krótkich akcjach skuteczniejsza była Serena, która dysponowała lepszym returnem.

W trwającym 81 minut spotkaniu Serena zaserwowała 10 asów, o trzy więcej niż jej siostra. Młodsza Amerykanka dwa razy oddała własne podanie, a sama wykorzystała cztery z 11 break pointów. Naliczono jej 27 kończących uderzeń i 23 niewymuszone błędy. Venus miała 21 piłek wygranych bezpośrednio i 25 pomyłek.

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Bilans meczów sióstr to teraz 17-11 dla Sereny. To jej piąte z rzędu zwycięstwo nad Venus w wielkoszlemowej imprezie. Starsza Amerykanka po raz ostatni górą była w finale Wimbledonu 2008. Bilans ich starć w czterech największych turniejach to teraz 10-5 dla Sereny (7-2 w finałach).

Statystyki meczu Serena Williams - Venus WilliamsStatystyki meczu Serena Williams - Venus Williams

Serena Williams sięgała po wielkoszlemowe tytuły za kadencji czterech prezydentów USA
Wygrywając 23. wielkoszlemowy turniej, siódmy w Melbourne (wcześniej 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010 i 2015), Serena zapewniła sobie powrót na pozycję liderki rankingu WTA. Amerykanka została samodzielną wiceliderką klasyfikacji wszech czasów, pod względem liczby zdobytych wielkoszlemowych tytułów. Wcześniej współdzieliła to miano z Niemką Steffi Graf. Do wyrównania rekordowego osiągnięcia Australijki Margaret Smith Court potrzebuje już tylko jednego triumfu.
W sobotę odbył się najstarszy wielkoszlemowy finał w Erze Otwartej. Serena i Venus mają łącznie 71 lat. Dotychczasowymi rekordzistkami były Włoszki Roberta Vinci i Flavia Pennetta w US Open 2015 (66 lat). Serena jako pierwsza tenisistka od czasu Marii Szarapowej (2008), wygrała Australian Open bez straty seta w siedmiu meczach. Bilans jej wielkoszlemowych finałów to teraz 23-6. Dla Venus był to 15. finał w imprezie tej rangi (bilans 7-8). Ostatni tytuł zdobyła w Wimbledonie 2008.

Q. You finally got rid of Steffi Graf in a way. Took awhile, but you deserve it. What is the satisfaction?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It's such a great feeling to have 23. It really feels great. Yeah, I've been chasing it for a really long time. It feels like, really long time. When it got on my radar, I knew I had an opportunity to get there, and I'm here. I'm here.

It's a great feeling. No better place to do it than Melbourne.

Q. Do you reassess your goals now? Do you have 30 in mind or another number?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, no, I definitely don't. I never had a number. That's the beauty of it. When I started this journey, I just wanted to win a Grand Slam. Then I just wanted to win. Every time I step on the court, I want to win.

It's just really remarkable.

Q. You say no better place to win it than in Melbourne, and I'm sure no better person to share it with than Venus.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yes, absolutely. My first Grand Slam started here, and getting to 23 here, but playing Venus, it's stuff that legends are made of. I couldn't have written a better story.

I just feel like it was the right moment. Everything kind of happened. It hasn't quite set in yet, but it's really good.

Q. World No. 1 ranking to top it all off.
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, that was a bonus. I didn't know actually. It feels good. I like being on top, so I really like that feeling.

Q. Did Patrick tell you that wasn't a possibility?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, in the beginning of the tournament, I was like, If I win, will I be No. 1?

He said, No, no, no.

I was like, Whatever.

Today on the court when they were like, And No. 1, I was like, Whoa, really?

Q. Was the childhood you had in California the type of childhood where you didn't look up to players?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Absolutely. I used to love watching Monica Seles and I loved watching Steffi. I also loved Pete. I wanted to serve like Pete Sampras. That was kind of my thing. I just liked so many different players. I remember when Zina Garrison got to the finals of Wimbledon, that was so amazing. I loved watching her play whenever I got that opportunity.

Yeah, I really loved watching so many people.

Q. Irrespective of the result tonight, it was certain to be the 30th time the Williams name was going to be on a Grand Slam trophy. How proud are you of what you and Venus have achieved in the game?
SERENA WILLIAMS: We are just so proud. We feel so fortunate to have this opportunity to be the ones that can do it, you know. Venus and I work so hard. Still to this day we work side-by-side each other at practice. We motivate each other. Like I said on the court, every time she won her match, I felt obligated to win, I've got to win, too.

The motivation she gives me, it's really second to nothing. It's amazing.

Q. Can you share with us, straight after the match she embraced you, what she said to you?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It was our private moment. But it was something that we definitely hold close to us. It felt good.

Q. Was it different to play Venus in a slam final at this stage of your career compared to the past?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It definitely feels different. I feel like right now we really -- I don't know. We're both, like I say, 30-fun. Yeah, we're having fun. To be able to play Venus...

I really felt like today, win or lose, I really felt like there was no way I could have lost today. If I had of lost, it wouldn't have been a loss because I know everything that Venus has gone through. I know how hard she works. In particular before this tournament, she worked so hard.

So I just felt like this was just a win-win situation for me.

Q. Did it always feel like that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, it definitely didn't feel like that before, not at all. I just felt like today and any other time we played a Grand Slam final, it's different now. I mean, in the beginning it was a lot more emotionally involved. Now I just feel like I'm satisfied with where I am, although I always want to win. I also just feel, you know, a little bit more satiated.

Q. To be two strong sisters and champions, do you think it helped you in your growth, in your longevity? If you were more of a rival, do you think it would have made you stronger and win more titles?
SERENA WILLIAMS: More titles than what we have now?

Q. You never know.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don't know. I can't say. I always feel like love conquers all, not war. I definitely feel like having a loving relationship is always better.

Q. Where do you go from here? What does life have until Indian Wells?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I was signed up for Indian Wells. I don't know. I was feeling good about my game. I don't want it to stop. I want to keep it going. I haven't thought much about it. We'll see.

Q. When did 23 hit the radar for you, now that we can talk about it, looking back?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I guess after Wimbledon, I obviously was thinking, Okay the next one. I had the Open. I got it fast, so it didn't stay on the radar too long.

Q. Is 24 already there?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No. One thing I learned in the past is you have to enjoy it. That's the beauty of winning Australia, you have a few months to relax. If you win the French, it's like back-to-back-to-back-to-back. Australia, you have time to enjoy the moment before the next Grand Slam.

Q. Was it extra special to have your fiance here to win this tournament?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah. He's been so supportive in the stands. Although I never really heard him, even though I heard he was very boisterous. I'm so focused, I don't hear a lot. I have really selective hearing. It's nice to have that support. It is a wonderful feeling.

Q. Many discussions between the GOAT, greatest of all time, Federer, Laver, Nadal, Djokovic. What about Serena Williams and Martina Navratilova?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I definitely think so. I mean, between Martina, myself, Steffi Graf, hands down we are leading that conversation.

Q. You obviously topped the mark of Chrissie and Martina. You passed Steffi. Margaret Court is down the line. Can you talk about them as champions? Do you see any quality of commonality that those four have in common?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, just one thing about a champion, they keep fighting, they keep going. I just feel like those four really are incredible fighters. They're mentally tough as well. They always kept going.

It's something that I learned from them a lot, is how to hopefully do the same, which hopefully I've been able to do.

Q. Have you had the opportunity to meet Margaret Court and chat with her?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I met her, I think it was last year in Perth. We actually chat together -- we had a little chat together on stage, in fact.

Yeah, it was really interesting.

Q. Are you aiming for another Serena Slam this year?
SERENA WILLIAMS: A Serena Slam doesn't start in Australia. It starts any other Grand Slam outside of Australia, so no.

Q. Calendar slam then?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I don't think about that either. So just one at a time.

Q. Tell us a little bit about your shoes. You obviously packed them in your bag today with a lot of hope.
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I didn't pack them. My Nike representative had them apparently at the Open. That didn't work out so well. He said they got a lot of Delta miles on them, are like platinum members. They flew all the way here.

I had no idea that it was happening. Yeah, so I guess they've been waiting on this moment for a while.

Q. How will you celebrate?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Well, so far I've been celebrating by doing non-stop press. But, you know, it's fine. I feel good. Just to even talk about it is great. But it's getting late. I don't know how I'll celebrate. I don't know.

I'm just still excited. Hopefully I'll be able to sleep.

Q. Are you going to be watching the men tomorrow night, do you think? Being on a plane?
SERENA WILLIAMS: No, I'm leaving. Man, I got to watch that match.

Q. Vika is a mother now and Maria is practicing. Do you miss the competition against them?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Absolutely. I feel like Victoria will be back hopefully soon. I feel like it will be good to see competition. She's always been me great competition. It's always great to play against her.

- Following her record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam triumph at the Australian Open, newly re-crowned World No.1 Serena Williams sat down with a small pool of reporters after her non-stop media duties, reflecting on her fortnight and look ahead at what's to come:

Q: Setting aside Slam No.23, World No.1, how do you assess your two weeks here in Melbourne? How do you feel it sets you up for 2017?
Serena: I feel like my game is good. I was thinking yesterday on the practice court, 'Gosh, I'm playing better than I have, maybe ever.' I'm moving better - I've always been a fast mover, but I kind of stopped moving in the middle [of my career] thinking, 'I don't really have to move.' But I was like, man, I'm hitting pretty well. So it felt pretty good to know that I'm playing better. I'm here to take this game pretty seriously.

Q: What's the key difference? Is it a physical thing or a mental thing?
Serena: I don't know. Every year I sit down with Patrick, and look at the things I want to improve. I want to do something better, and so we sat down this year to do the same thing. We said we wanted to do better, and we did better; we don't want to stop, we want to continue to do better.

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Q: Did being No.2 motivate you at all to want to get back here and play your best? Did it piss you off?
Serena: It didn't piss me off. I didn't deserve to be No.1; I think Kerber played unbelievable. She was the most consistent, and she definitely deserved to have that position. That's one thing about me, that when credit's due, you have to give a person credit. She absolutely deserved it; it looked weird, because I never felt like No.2, but I think she definitely deserved to be No.1, she played well.

Q: We saw the genius of your father expressed this week. What was so special about him? What did he bring to your family, and as a dad?
Serena: Well, he's brought everything. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him; this was his vision. It's literally his vision, and he wrote this. He knew this would happen, us playing each other for yet another Grand Slam. He gave us the best games possible, that we could always build on; he gave us the best techniques possible. It's crazy, really crazy. Another thing that's so great is how our family is so important, and realizing that above all, we have to put each other first, way in front of a tennis ball. I think that's something that I've always been able to appreciate. The older you get, the more you appreciate this.

Q: This is still very fresh, but after a performance, like that, how many more Slams do you think you can win?
Serena: I don't think about that any more. At the next Grand Slam, I'm going to request you guys not to ask me about it again, because I just have to take it a day at a time [laughing].


I've been saying this since this tournament began: this is a bonus for me. I don't have anything to prove; I don't have to win another match. I can just relax, and that's what I'm doing now. I'm going out there, relaxing and playing hard. I'm just enjoying my time, like this little fly over here [Note: A fly was buzzing around the small interview room].

Q: Talking about the last couple of years, you've been saying you have nothing to prove, and playing with house money. It seems like this tournament has been the one where you really lived that, as opposed to the last few tournaments where you've felt the tension.
Serena: I've been trying to live it for quite some time, but I definitely agree. I was really able to do it at this tournament. I've been trying to do it, and trying and trying. I don't know why it worked now. I think having to play those matches in the first two rounds, I was like, 'I have no choice but to be better.'

I was really just ok with, not losing, but I knew that I didn't have to win here to make my career. For whatever reason, that settled with me this time. I don't know why; I wish I could tell you, but I want to know because I definitely want to do it again next time. I need to figure that one out.


Q: By regaining the No.1 spot, do you think trying to stay No.1 will be more of a priority, and will you play extra tournaments outside of the regular schedule?
Serena: I don't know. I honestly was thinking, 'I should go to Dubai and try to get my No.1 ranking back.' I had no idea I was going to be No.1 after this. I was thinking about it, but I'm enjoying my time on the court, my game, the style I'm playing. It's been kind of refreshing, and I definitely want to keep the momentum going. I don't know; I'm going to go home, take a deep breath, and then start from there.

Patrick Mouratoglou odpowiedział Margaret Court, która kurczowo trzyma się stwierdzenia, że kiedyś było dużo trudniej. - Tenisistki, które brały udział w turniejach, nie były profesjonalistkami - przyznał Francuz.

Margaret Smith Court zaciekle broni należącego do niej rekordu wszech czasów, przyznając otwarcie, że dawniej zawodniczki musiały się zmierzyć z dużo większymi wyzwaniami - tenisistki nie miały sponsorów, porządnego sprzętu i grupy specjalistów obok siebie. Przypomnijmy, że Australijka zdobyła w sumie 24 tytuły wielkoszlemowe, ale tylko 11 w Erze Open. Patrick Mouratoglou, trener Sereny Williams, odpowiedział 74-letniej obecnie Court.

- Z całym szacunkiem dla Margaret Court, to była inna era i inne czasy - powiedział Mouratoglou w wywiadzie dla SBS. - Drabinka była rozpisana na 16 nazwisk [Francuz się pomylił, bowiem była rozpisana na 32 - przyp. red.], a tenisistki, które brały udział w turniejach, nie były profesjonalistkami. Oczywiście ten rekord widnieje na listach wszech czasów i chcemy go pobić, ale w profesjonalnej erze rekord ten należał do Steffi Graf - dodał.
Serena Williams zdobyła w ubiegłą niedzielę 23. tytuł wielkoszlemowy, pokonując w finale Australian Open swoją siostrę Venus.

Is the week of April 24 shaping up to be the biggest yet on the WTA Tour this season?

All eyes will be on the German city of Stuttgart when Maria Sharapova makes her return after a 15-month suspension for testing positive to meldonium.

Tournament organisers have handed the former world No.1 a wildcard and announced they will hold her first round match until the Wednesday, the day her ban is lifted. It’s a move that has angered many top players, including Caroline Wozniacki and Barbora Strycova.

READ MORE: Strycova reacts to Sharapova’s return

Sharapova’s long-time rival Serena Williams won’t be there – but her presence will still be felt that week, with the American guaranteed to return to world No.1 for a 317th week. It will be her eighth stint in the top position.

With Angelique Kerber’s loss in the Monterrey final today, it means the German will relinquish her No.1 ranking on April 24 when she loses her Stuttgart title points from 2016. Williams, who has not played since winning a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam at the Australian Open in January, will then surpass Kerber at the top of the WTA rankings.

READ MORE: Pavlyuchenkova upsets Kerber for Monterrey title

Yet Serena’s lead will be a mere 85 points, which means the world No.1 ranking will also be in play in Stuttgart – adding to what is already shaping up to be a very big tournament. Exciting times ahead!

- See more at: http://tennismash.com/2017/04/10/serena ... gtIgH.dpuf