Last week ended up with Tennis fans receiving glimpses from the past, as the women's singles final marked a long-forgotten script. At Melbourne Park, Serena faced her older sister Venus in what turned out to be a spectacular final -- with Serena in the winning seat. After a sloppy start in Auckland, things totally changed in Melbourne. This is perhaps what makes the difference between an extraordinary athlete and a decent one. Great players always know where and when to push harder in order to claim the best possible outcome -- and she did just that.
At the end of a compelling performance, she walked away with her 23rd Grand Slam title in women's singles.
What it really means
By winning the Australian Open for the 7th time in her career, Serena Williams surpassed Steffi Graf's 22 Grand Slam record. It was during last year's Wimbledon that Serena got there. Now, Serena can brag about being the best female competitor in the Open Era. With this thing being accomplished, the next challenge is the 24 milestone held by Margaret Court. But, there is a glitch, as Margaret Court earned some of her trophies before the Open Era. In the Open Era, Court won only 11 of her 24 Grand Slam singles titles. Even so, it is a milestone Serena might want to surpass in the future.
Her dominant position over the WTA Tour seems far from over.
New priorities may occur
Just before the end of 2016, Serena Williams caused some tremors around the world, as she announced her engagement to Alexis Ohanian, the co-founder of Reddit and well-known author, activist, and investor. This might signal that there are new priorities for the 35-year-old tennis star.
Tennis has been the top priority for almost two decades, and it should eventually come to an end.
If Serena Williams makes another run in 2017 as she did back in 2015, she might win 2 more Grand Slams to give her a lead over Margaret Court's record. The opposition is lacking consistency, while Serena excels. This might allow us to see a new record in 2017.
