Serena Williams Retirement: Serena Williams’s checkered career is coming to an end as she is all set to bid farewell from the sport after the US Open. Ever since winning her maiden Grand Slam title in 1999 at the US Open, Williams has been a torch-bearer of Women’s Tennis in the Open Era for the last two decades and her retirement will leave a void in Women’s Tennis. Follow US Open LIVE updates on InsideSport.IN
Serena Williams Retirement: Top 5 moments in the illustrious career of Serena Williams – Check Out
Serena Williams will be facing Danka Kovinic in the first round of the US Open and if the American loses the contest it would be the final match of her glorious career. While the fans around the world want Serena to make a deep run in the US Open and end her career on a high, ahead of the contest, here is InsideSport taking you all down the memory lane and revisitinng Serena’s Top 5 moments in her illustrious career.
First Grand Slam Singles title in 1999
Just one year after she had started competing on the professional tour, 17-year old Serena Williams came into the limelight after winning her maiden Grand Slam title in 1999 at the US Open. She was the seventh seed in the tournament and in the third round defeated former Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters in three sets. She then clinched another hard-fought victory over Conchita Martine to progress to the quarterfinal. She knocked off fourth seed Monica Seles and defending champion Lindsay Davenport in the quarterfinal and semifinal to set up clash with top seed Martina Hingis in the final. She won the summit clash comfortably in straight sets to complete her dream run and win her maiden Grand Slam title. She also became the second black woman since Althea Gibson in 1958 to win a Grand Slam title.
Serena boycotting Indian Wells Masters for 14 years
By the dawn of the 21st century Serena Williams was already a big name in Tennis. In 2001, as a 19-year old Serena featured in the Indian Wells Masters. The teenager showcased her dominance in the tournament as she entered the semifinals without dropping a set. In the last-four contest, she was scheduled to play against her elder sister Venus Williams. However just 20 minutes before the contest, Venus Williams withdrew citing a knee injury. This didn’t go well with the crowd and there were theories that the Williams sisters’ father Richard Williams fixed the match in advance and wanted Serena to play the final. When Serena met Kim Clijsters in the final the following day, a crowd of nearly 16,000 people booed the 19-year old as well as Venus and Richard Williams when they took their seats to watch the contest. Though Serena managed to win the final, the experience was traumatising for her and the sisters vowed to never play the tournament again. For 14 years Serena did not feature at the Indian Wells and finally returned in 2015.
The Serena Slam
Since Steffi Graf in 1994, no woman on the WTA Tour has won four consecutive Grand Slam titles and Serena managed to achieve the feat in 2002-2003. In the year 2002, she won the French Open title, Wimbledon and US Open. She began the 2003 Australian Open as the top seed. Apart from dropping a set in the opening round, she won all the other matches until the quarterfinals and met Kim Clijsters in the semifinal and won the contest in three sets. She was then up against her elder sister Venus Williams in the final. The younger Williams prevailed in the final by winning it 7-6, 3-6, 6-4 to win her fourth consecutive Grand Slam title. With the win, she became fifth woman to hold all the four major titles at once. She achieved the feat yet again in 2014-15 and since then it came to be known as the Serena Slam.
Infamous Catsuit at 2002 US Open
At the 2002 US Open, Serena Williams secured a fourth Grand Slam title but in that tournament her attire attracted all the eyeballs. Her apparel sponsor Puma designed a black sleeveless catsuit and she took to court in that attire which received mixed reactions from the Tennis Community. Her outfit was called ‘outrageous’ by some people. It was however not the first time that a women stepped on to the Tennis court wearing a catsuit as two decades ago in the 1985 Wimbledon, Anne White made her first appearance in a catsuit. Serena’s catsuit in 2002 was much talked about as she went on to win the title but she chose not to wear it in another tournament. However in 2018, she returned with a full-body catsuit for the French Open in 2018. However the oufit was soon banned by the oraganisers at Roland Garros.
Serena won her 23rd Grand Slam title while being pregnant
By 2017, Serena was a force to reckon with and at the start of the year she was looking to surpass Steffi Graf to lift her 23rd Grand Slam title. She entered the Australian Open that year and did not drop a single set to win the title, She won the final against her sister Venus Williams. But what made this victory very special was that Serena was pregnant at that time. It was later revealed that she was nine weeks pregnant when she won the title at the age of 35. While doctors were sceptical about her participation, Serena was confident of her chances and went ahead with the tournament. Serena on her own words admitted that it was the best victory of her career and this further elevated her status as the greatest women’s Tennis players of all time.
Serena Williams Retirement: Top 5 moments in the illustrious career of Serena Williams – Check Out
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