Serena Williams has been on top of the tennis world for a long time, and she is now considered one of the greatest athletes ever, for good reason. She has come a long way since she beat Martina Hingis in straight sets at the 1999 US Open to capture her first Grand Slam title at the young age of 17. Sixteen years later, Serena has won 21 Grand Slam titles, two “Serena Slams,” and is now looking to capture the coveted calendar-year Grand Slam at this year’s US Open, something last achieved by Steffi Graff in 1988. In preparation for this momentous event in Serena’s career, let’s take a look at some of Serena’s best US Open moments over the years: moments full of great tennis, great victories, and famous Serena Williams drama.
1999 US Open
17 year-old Serena Williams beats Martina Hingis 6-3 7-6 for her first Grand Slam title. Check out the forced smiles between these two (they didn’t really like each other in case you didn’t know).
2001 US Open
The first US Open Williams sisters final
Venus came out on top of this match 6-2 6-4.
2002 US Open
Another Williams sister final
Serena is victorious 6-4 6-3 this time…and in that famous black catsuit no less.
2008 US Open
After a few years of devastating injuries, Serena came back with even more fire and determination to be the best.
Serena captures her 3rd US Open title, defeating Jelena Jankovic 6-4 7-5 in the final.
2009 US Open
The famously strange semifinal match against Kim Clijsters
It’s 5-6 in the second set and Serena is serving 15-30. After missing her first serve, she goes for her second. The ball goes in right as the line judge calls a foot fault. Naturaly, chaos ensues. Serena walks over to the line judge with a tennis ball in her hand and proceeds to threaten the foot fault calling line judge. What does she say?
“If I could, I would take this f#$%^%$ ball and shove it down your f#$%^%$ throat.”
Safe to say, that didn’t go over well. The score is now 15-40 and Serena is faced with a potential point penalty, her warning already used do to a racket smashing. The umpire issued the point penalty…on match point…and the match was over. Clijsters played an amazing match, only to win in one of the more bizarre semifinal match endings ever. Miss all of the drama? Here’s the clip for you:
2011 US Open
Two years later, Serena and Sam Stosur met each other in the US Open final. Serena was struggling the entire match, but in Serena-fashion, she was still fighting and doing all she could to pump herself up. In the first game of the second set, Serena serves and then hits a rocket forehand. The point was hers, except for one little snag…she yelled “Come On!” before the point was officially over. While there was no way Stosur was getting the ball back over the net, she touched the ball after Serena yelled. The umpire made the right call to give the point to Stosur, but Serena made sure to give her two cents about the whole issue. Just what did she say to the umpire? Here are a few of her one-liners:
“If you see me walking down the hall, look the other way. Because you’re out of control.”
“You are a loser.”
“Don’t even look at me.”
Check out the full spat here:
2012, 2013, 2014 US Open
After a few years of rocky US Open appearances, the US Open has been dominated by the world #1. Serena has won the US Open the last three consecutive years.
She beat Victoria Azarenka two years in a row and Caroline Wozniacki last year.
