Presented by ZAMZOWS.
This Day In Sports…July 9, 2016, 10 years ago today:
Serena Williams ties Steffi Graf’s Open Era career record with her 22nd championship in a Grand Slam tournament, a straight-sets victory over Angelique Kerber at Wimbledon. Williams had fallen short of No. 22 at three previous Grand Slams. It was the seventh title at the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club for the 34-year-old Williams, who hit the milestone 14 years and one day after she achieved the world’s No. 1 ranking for the first time.
Six months later Williams won her 23rd and final major at the 2017 Australian Open, defeating her sister Venus in the final. Shortly after the victory in Melbourne, Williams revealed she had won the tournament while eight weeks pregnant. She stepped away from the tour for the remainder of the 2017 season and gave birth to her daughter, Olympia, in September.
Williams returned to pro tennis in March of 2018 with the goal of matching (and passing) Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. Serena came tantalizingly close, reaching four major finals (two Wimbledons and two U.S. Opens) but finishing as the runner-up in each, all via straight sets losses.
Williams acknowledged the pressure was a bit much and ultimately decided her 23 Grand Slam victories were a record in their own right, as all came during the Open Era. Some of Court’s wins in majors came before the Open Era, including early Australian Opens with smaller fields and less international competition. Williams retired in 2022 with the 23 titles still standing.
Last week, of course, Williams came out of retirement to try her hand at Wimbledon again at the age of 44, hoping that her two daughters would be able to see her play. She was slated to play just doubles with Venus, but Serena then received a last-minute wild-card entry into the singles field. Williams was beaten in three sets by 20-year-old Australian Maya Joint. Serena suffered a knee injury during the match that ultimately forced her and Venus to withdraw from doubles. But Williams intends to team up with her sister at the U.S. Open in two months.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
