Serena Williams takes wrecking ball to rivals
17 Dec 2013 5:22 AM IST
The American diva finished 2013 with 11 titles while her major triumphs at the French and US Opens took her Grand Slam haul to 17, one off the mark shared by Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova and just five away from Steffi Graf’s Open Era record of 22.
In a year of staggering dominance, Williams enjoyed a match record of 78 wins against just four defeats, claimed the season-ending WTA Championships title and became the oldest number one player. Her $12,385,572 total prize money smashed the previous season record of $7,923,920 set by Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and at one stage she went on a 34-match winning streak, just one short of the record set by sister Venus in 2000. She fired 480 aces which was more than Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Roger Federer managed.
Despite her complete control of the women’s game, Williams insists there is always room for improvement, starting at the Australian Open where last year she was knocked out in the fourth round by Stephens, a defeat which sparked a year-long feud between the two.
‘I have some areas where I can do a lot better for next year and I look forward to it,’ said Williams. ‘My goal is just to go a year in Australia without twisting an ankle. That’s all I’m going to start with.’ ‘The French Open was probably the thing that stands out most,’ she said after a second Paris title.
In a year of staggering dominance, Williams enjoyed a match record of 78 wins against just four defeats, claimed the season-ending WTA Championships title and became the oldest number one player. Her $12,385,572 total prize money smashed the previous season record of $7,923,920 set by Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and at one stage she went on a 34-match winning streak, just one short of the record set by sister Venus in 2000. She fired 480 aces which was more than Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Roger Federer managed.
Despite her complete control of the women’s game, Williams insists there is always room for improvement, starting at the Australian Open where last year she was knocked out in the fourth round by Stephens, a defeat which sparked a year-long feud between the two.
‘I have some areas where I can do a lot better for next year and I look forward to it,’ said Williams. ‘My goal is just to go a year in Australia without twisting an ankle. That’s all I’m going to start with.’ ‘The French Open was probably the thing that stands out most,’ she said after a second Paris title.
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