![\"Serena,](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/assets.today.ng\/main\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/serena-1-690x450.jpg?resize=618%2C403&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\nSerena Williams rewrote history Saturday to surpass Steffi Graf and capture a record 23rd Grand Slam title as well as the world number one ranking by beating her sister Venus in the Australian Open final.<\/p>\n
The dominant American swept past her greatest rival 6-4, 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena for her seventh Melbourne Park crown to finally clinch the record for Open-era major titles, nearly 18 years after winning her first.<\/p>\n
The 35-year-old, who equalled Graf\u2019s mark of 22 at Wimbledon last year, now stands just one behind the all-time 24 won by Margaret Court, who was in the president\u2019s box to witness Williams\u2019 feat.<\/p>\n
Her astonishing achievement also means she again becomes the world\u2019s top-ranked player, ending the brief stay of Angelique Kerber who knocked Williams off the top after three-and-half years in September last year.<\/p>\n
Fittingly, her sister and closest confidante Venus was on the other side of the net to share the moment, another chapter written in their long rivalry.<\/p>\n
It was Venus \u2014 still, a teenager with beads in her hair \u2014 who knocked Serena out in round two on her Grand Slam debut in Melbourne 19 years ago, and they have since played nine major finals together, living each other\u2019s highs and lows.<\/p>\n
At 36 and seeded 13, Venus had turned back the clock to make her first Grand Slam title match since Wimbledon in 2009, but adding to her seven major successes was not to be.<\/p>\n
Showing the single-mindedness that has propelled her to greatness, a focused Serena, seeded two, overcame a scratchy and nervous start in which all four opening games were breaks and when she smashed a racquet in frustration.<\/p>\n
But she soon settled to get a decisive break to go 4-3 in front with an unstoppable backhand\u00a0and served out the set with an ace.<\/p>\n
Serena was fired up and after the first two games of the second set went to serve, she worked three break points in the third only for her sister to negotiate her way out of trouble with some big forehand winners.<\/p>\n
The tense battle went with serve to 3-3 before Serena cranked up the pressure to break with a scintillating crosscourt backhand and take a 4-3 lead.<\/p>\n
With history beckoning, she wasn\u2019t about to throw it away and she served out the match, falling to the floor in celebration before a long embrace with Venus to share the biggest moment of her career.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Serena Williams started playing tennis on potholed courts in one of America\u2019s most notorious gangland neighbourhoods, but against the odds, she has risen to become arguably the best player in the sport\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
It hasn\u2019t been an easy journey in a white-dominated sport steeped in tradition, but Williams has pursued her goals with a determination just as fearsome as the raw power with which she plays her shots.<\/p>\n
Strong but also quick, ruthless and fiercely competitive, Williams has been at the top for a generation, since she beat Martina Hingis aged 17 in the 1999 US Open final.<\/p>\n
So often she has been more or less unbeatable, and even at the age of 35 she remains the favourite whenever she plays, her capacities not noticeably diminished.<\/p>\n
Along the way she has been world number one for a total of 309 weeks \u2014 a span of nearly six years \u2014 and won major titles against some of the greats: Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Maria Sharapova, Justine Henin and of course, her sister Venus.<\/p>\n
Venus, 14 months older at 36, is her greatest rival and she can also take much credit for her success\u00a0after so many years touring and practising together and encouraging each other.<\/p>\n
But it\u2019s a lopsided head-to-head: out of their nine major finals, Serena has won seven and her overall win-loss record against her big sister is 17-11.<\/p>\n
In a sign of her dominance, Williams has a winning career record against all 14 players she has beaten in major finals, including her towering 19-2 against Sharapova.<\/p>\n
After surpassing Steffi Graf\u2019s record of 22 major titles in the post-1968 Open era on Saturday, there\u2019s little else for Williams to achieve, barring Margaret Court\u2019s all-time record of 24 which will surely soon be hers.<\/p>\n
But don\u2019t bet against the newly engaged Williams, showing a refreshingly carefree spirit this year, also sealing the calendar-year Grand Slam which narrowly eluded her in 2015.<\/p>\n
\u2013 \u2018Prepare for the unexpected\u2019 \u2013<\/strong><\/p>\n It\u2019s all a long way from the pitted courts, sometimes missing nets and with gunshots audible nearby, of Compton in Los Angeles, where Williams practised with Venus from the age of five.<\/p>\n The youngest of five daughters was drilled intensely by her father, former sharecropper Richard Williams, who was happy to let schoolchildren hurl insults at his girls as they played.<\/p>\n \u201cIn order to be successful you must prepare for the unexpected \u2014 and I wanted to prepare for that,\u201d he told CNN in 2015. \u201cCriticism can bring the best out of you.\u201d<\/p>\n Richard and Oracene Williams moved their family to Florida in the early 1990s, seeing their daughters needed more specialist coaching, with Serena already an outstanding junior.<\/p>\n She turned professional in 1995, at the age of just 14. Two years later, she was in the top 100 and in January 1998 made her Grand Slam debut, reaching the second round of the Australian Open \u2014 where she was beaten by Venus.<\/p>\n It was to kick off a long rivalry, the biggest of either player\u2019s career but also the friendliest, with no question of disharmony even as Serena took control of their head-to-head figures and beat Venus in six major finals.<\/p>\n And so it was fitting that when Serena\u2019s crowning glory came, in the same place where her Grand Slam career started 19 years earlier, Venus was the first to congratulate her across the net.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a story,\u201d Serena said. \u201cThis is something that I couldn\u2019t write a better ending. This is a great opportunity for us to start our new beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Serena Williams rewrote history Saturday to surpass Steffi Graf and capture a record 23rd Grand Slam title as well as the world number one ranking by beating her sister Venus…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6244,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[2468,818,2353],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/serena.jpg?fit=1280%2C720&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6202,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/bloodline-battle-nothing-can-break-family-serena-says-aussie-final-will-unite-williams-sisters\/","url_meta":{"origin":6243,"position":0},"title":"BLOODLINE BATTLE! Nothing Can Break Our Family \u2013 Serena Says Aussie Final Will Unite Williams Sisters","author":"Damilare Salami","date":"January 28, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Serena, 35, is bidding for an Open-era record 23rd Grand Slam, while Venus, 36, is targeting her eighth major and first since Wimbledon in 2008. \"This probably is the moment of our careers so far,\" said Serena, who has beaten Venus in six of their eight Grand Slam finals. \"I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Venus-Williams_Serena-Williams.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Venus-Williams_Serena-Williams.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Venus-Williams_Serena-Williams.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Venus-Williams_Serena-Williams.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Venus-Williams_Serena-Williams.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5964,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/serena-venus-set-dream-australian-final\/","url_meta":{"origin":6243,"position":1},"title":"Serena, Venus set up dream Australian final","author":"Arinze Ago","date":"January 26, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Unstoppable Serena Williams zeroed in on a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title Thursday by setting up an Australian Open final against her older sister Venus, as the siblings\u2019 dream came true. The ruthless world number two proved one step too far for unseeded Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, whose fairytale tournament was\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Serena-and-Venus-Williams-690x450.jpg?fit=690%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Serena-and-Venus-Williams-690x450.jpg?fit=690%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Serena-and-Venus-Williams-690x450.jpg?fit=690%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15202,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/last-tennis-superstar-serena-williams-pregnant\/","url_meta":{"origin":6243,"position":2},"title":"AT LAST! Tennis Superstar Serena Williams Is Pregnant","author":"Damilare Salami","date":"April 20, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Tennis record breaker, Serena Williams is pregnant and taking maternity leave through the rest of 2017. She is expecting to give birth this fall, her spokeswoman said on Wednesday in an announcement that upended a sport the 35-year-old athlete has dominated for the past decade. The confirmation came hours after\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Celebrity Lifestyle"","block_context":{"text":"Celebrity Lifestyle","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/celebrity-lifestyle\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"serena williams","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/serena-williams-aus-open-2017-gettyimages-632629660.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/serena-williams-aus-open-2017-gettyimages-632629660.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/serena-williams-aus-open-2017-gettyimages-632629660.jpg?fit=640%2C360&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":122712,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/serena-williams-in-tears-after-injury-forced-her-out-of-cincinnati-masters\/","url_meta":{"origin":6243,"position":3},"title":"Serena Williams In Tears After Injury Forced Her Out Of Cincinnati Masters","author":"Damilare Salami","date":"August 14, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Serena Williams has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Masters with a recurring back injury, just days after pulling out of the Rogers Cup final. Williams, 37, was set to face Zarina Diyas in the first round on Tuesday. \"I am so sad to withdraw as it is truly one of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Serena Williams, Cincinati Masters,","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Serena-Williams.jpg?fit=590%2C350&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Serena-Williams.jpg?fit=590%2C350&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Serena-Williams.jpg?fit=590%2C350&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5908,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/sister-act-serena-venus-eye-family-final\/","url_meta":{"origin":6243,"position":4},"title":"Sister act as Serena, Venus eye family final","author":"Arinze Ago","date":"January 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"America\u2019s Williams sisters can write another chapter in their eventful family history as they attempt to set up their ninth Grand Slam final, eight years after the last, at the Australian Open on Thursday. In a plot straight from the 2000s, both sisters have raced into the Melbourne semi-finals without\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Serena-and-Venus-690x450.jpg?fit=690%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Serena-and-Venus-690x450.jpg?fit=690%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Serena-and-Venus-690x450.jpg?fit=690%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":35599,"url":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/serena-williams-set-quit-baby-nursing-australian-open-title-defence\/","url_meta":{"origin":6243,"position":5},"title":"Serena Williams Set To Quit Baby Nursing For Australian Open Title Defence","author":"Damilare Salami","date":"October 10, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Latest tennis mum Serena Williams is targeting a return to Melbourne Park next year to defend her Australian Open title, tournament director Craig Tiley said on Tuesday. The former world number one, who won her 23rd grand slam title when pregnant at the 2017 tournament in January, gave birth to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sports"","block_context":{"text":"Sports","link":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/sports\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Serena Williams","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Serena-Williams-3-690x450.jpg?fit=690%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Serena-Williams-3-690x450.jpg?fit=690%2C450&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Serena-Williams-3-690x450.jpg?fit=690%2C450&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6243"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6243"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6243\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6245,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6243\/revisions\/6245"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6243"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6243"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6243"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.citypeopleonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Serena-Williams-3-690x450.jpg?resize=343%2C224&ssl=1\")
<\/p>\n