Serena Williams Defeats Sister Venus, Sets Record 23rd Grand Slam Win

“When it got on my radar, I knew I had an opportunity to get there, and I’m here,” Williams says

Serena Williams

Serena Williams won the Australian Open Saturday, becoming the only player — man or woman — to win 23 Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era.

“It’s such a great feeling to have 23,” Williams said. “It really feels great. 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.”

This was Serena’s seventh Australian Open victory, winning 6-4 6-4 against her older sister, Venus. Serena is now back at the No. 1 spot, which she lost in September to Germany’s Angelique Kerber.

Serena thanked her sister after the win, saying that “there’s no way I could be at 23 without her… Thank you Venus for inspiring me to be the best player I can be.”

The last time the two sisters faced off at the Australian Open was in 2003, a match Serena also won. According to the Associated Press, Serena has a 17-11 career record against Venus, including a record of 10-5 of Grand Slams.

“I really elevated my game somehow,” Serena told ESPN. “I really wanted to get to 23 so bad, more than you can imagine” she added.

The Australian Open is now gearing up for the men’s final when Roger Federer will face off against Rafael Nadal.

Comments