Wimbledon Win Puts Serena Williams in Reach of ‘Greatest of All Time’ Status

Serena Williams is three-quarters of the way to achieving one of the most remarkable feats in the history of tennis.

Muguruza Garbine, a 21-year-old tennis player, won her sixth Wimbledon title on Saturday, defeating a 33-year-old opponent in a match that inspired her.

This marked the first time in her legendary career that she won all four major titles, also known as the Grand Slam, defending her titles as the champion of all four major titles. Serena earned her second American Slam of the year.

Serena will be aiming to become the first woman since Steffi Graf in 1988 to slam the calendar year win in New York in less than two months.

Would Serena also grab her 22nd Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open, which would tie her with Graf for the first spot on the career list in the Open Era?

In the upcoming two months, this is the most crucial sports article to keep an eye on.

Steffi and Serena have both been given the title of the greatest of all time, but Serena was able to reach the German’s trophy haul before long.

The discussion is nearing its end, with two Serena Slams on her curriculum vitae over a span of more than 12 years, and with Serena being on the verge of achieving these two significant achievements right before her 34th birthday. However, the current situation has changed.

If Serena manages to secure the triumph in New York, she will unquestionably be recognized as the greatest of all time.

Some scholars believed the conflict was already resolved before this two-week period commenced.

Chris Evert, an 18-time Grand Slam champion, told Time magazine last month that Serena’s dominance over other women in her generation and her 20-4 record in major finals (now 21-4) is remarkable.

After watching her matches and watching her closely, these players get close, they’re doing really well, and then she’ll get to another level where she slaps winners and she starts acing people. It’s not one level. All of a sudden, she’s up two or three levels better than the field. It’s not about the other women. It’s about how good Serena is.

Pam Shriver, Evert’s ESPN coworker and a former Women’s Tennis Association player herself, agrees with that feeling.

Shriver informed Susie Arth of espnW that following the conclusion of the French Open, Serena Williams surpasses Graf and Margaret Court in various aspects such as her endurance, her extensive time spent at the top ranking, being the oldest individual to ever hold the No. 1 spot, taking into account her achievements in doubles, her performance in the Olympics, and even considering her accomplishments in mixed doubles.

Serena Graf has only finished as the No. 1 year-end four times, compared to Graf’s eight times, and she has only spent 247 weeks at No. 1, compared to Graf’s 377 weeks. It’s worth noting that there are plenty of categories where Serena Graf has excelled, of course.

Serena, however, still remains at No. 1, despite there being a significant gap that she is determined to narrow down, with all that has been done and said.

Serena significantly lags behind Steffi in various statistics, including the number of matches won overall (Graf 900; Serena 723) and singles titles (Graf 107; Serena 68).

From a certain perspective, it is highly likely that we are able to perceive the individual numbers that Graf, like many others, sees. These days, the game of tennis has become much more focused on the physical aspects, with the fields being much deeper. In terms of singles, Navratilova has won a remarkable 167 finals and a staggering 1,442 matches.

In 2015, thanks to her longevity, Serena is making the biggest impact in Slams, which are the most important numbers in tennis.

On various instances, despite being behind by a set and a break, she emerged victorious at the French Open even though she was suffering from the flu. In the championship match, despite facing a relentless attack from Maria Sharapova, she managed to secure a victory at the Australian Open despite not showcasing her finest tennis skills.

In the semifinals, Sharapova and Azarenka faced each other, while in the fourth round, Venus Williams advanced to the quarterfinals. Venus Williams managed to make it to the fourth round after surviving a scare from Heather Watson, a British player, in the third round. This week at Wimbledon, Heather Watson, a British player, survived a scare in the third round.

She hit a total of 111 winners and made only 40 unforced errors, along with five double-faults and 40 aces, in those three combined matches.

Since 2012, Serena emerged victorious to claim her inaugural Wimbledon championship despite her evident anxiety and the strength and competitiveness of her Spanish adversary, but she wasn’t quite as precise in the ultimate match.

She now turns her focus to the next task on her calendar, which is Slam Calendar A on June 22nd, where she will make all those insignificant others.

Therefore, the question still stands: Is she capable of accomplishing it?

Serena appears to have the ideal group surrounding her to maintain her composure and concentration. Moreover, despite the possibility of being overwhelmed by pressure, she is showcasing the finest performance of her professional tennis journey. In terms of talent, undoubtedly.

“Each and every day brings me immense joy,” she expressed during the prize-giving ceremony at Wimbledon following her triumph, “I never envisioned that I would still be present in this arena, let alone emerging victorious. I am thoroughly enjoying my time on this court.”

Serena’s greatness has long been an indisputable fact, as her late-career surge is finally racking up the numbers that showcase her talent and work ethic, leaving no doubt in completing her almost doubting-defying resume.

So keep your schedule available this summer, especially for the weeks surrounding Labor Day. We’re about to experience something extraordinary.