Spoiler:
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.
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.
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