After 26 years in professional tennis, Serena Williams is gearing up for her final tournament.
This last opportunity is a chance to further cement the Williams name into the fabric of tennis history in her homeland and around the world.
Williaмs has becoмe an Aмerican icon, transcending sports thanks to her constant activisм
Unmistakably, Serena is exiting the sport on her terms. The 40-year-old announced in Vogue that she will retire from tennis and transition into a life beyond the sport, focusing on family.
Her last major singles tournament was in 2017, at the Australian Open.
Certainly, Williams' retirement has been anticipated for several years, but now that it has arrived, many fans will find it hard to bid farewell.
Let's look back at some of Serena Williams' remarkable victories at the US Open:
#1 – 1999: Williams def. Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6 (7-4)
Williams entered the tournament as the seventh seed despite her youthful age.
The 17-year-old did not drop a set until the third round against Kim Clijsters but managed to defeat the Belgian in a third-set tie-break.
Williams had three-set victories all the way to the final, defeating Monica Seles and reigning champion Lindsay Davenport.
On the big stage, Serena didn't disappoint, defeating No. 1 seed Martina Hingis in straight sets for her first Grand Slam title.
Serena Williaмs celebrated her first Grand Slaм singles мajor aged jυst 17 years old in 1999
#2 – 2002: Williams def. Venus Williams 6-4, 6-3
The Williams sisters entered the tournament as the top two seeds.
Serena, ranked higher, showed her dominance in the final by defeating Venus in straight sets.
In fact, Serena didn't drop a set throughout the tournament as she claimed her fourth Grand Slam title and second US Open crown.
This victory marked the third straight major where Serena defeated Venus.
#3 – 2008: Williams def. Jelena Jankovic 6-4, 7-5
Serena advanced to the quarterfinals before edging past seventh-seeded sister Venus in two tie-break sets.
Once again, Serena did not drop a set throughout the tournament.
In the final, she defeated Serbia's No. 2 seed, Jelena Jankovic, gaining revenge for her quarterfinals loss at that year's Australian Open.
The triumph returned her to the No. 1 ranking, with Jankovic dropping to world No. 2.
#4 – 2012: Williams def. Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 2-6, 7-5
Serena experienced consecutive semifinal losses to Kim Clijsters in 2009 and 2010 before falling to Samantha Stosur in the 2011 final.
2012 was Serena's year. Following her Wimbledon success, she continued her form at Flushing Meadows.
The 30-year-old didn't drop a set until midway through the final against world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka.
Azarenka even served for the match in the third set but failed to capitalize.
Serena went on to win her fourth US Open title and fifteenth Grand Slam singles title overall in September 2012.
#5 – 2013: Williams def. Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1
In a rematch of the 2012 final, Serena and Azarenka battled once again.
Fortunately for the home crowd, the result was identical and equally impressive.
Serena became the oldest US Open champion ever at the age of 31. Despite frustration with the weather and play, Serena recovered from tossing her racket to claim her 17th Grand Slam title.
The victory marked back-to-back US Open titles and over $50 million in career earnings.
2013 win took her to two-consecυtive US Open titles and over $50мillion in career earnings
Williaмs hit the high-five after her second consecυtive US Open final defeat of Azarenka
#6 – 2014: Williams def. Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-3
After a challenging year at other Grand Slam tournaments, Serena responded strongly.
Both on the WTA circuit and at the US Open, Serena dominated without dropping a set throughout the tournament.
Wozniacki dropped two sets en route to the final, but she was no match for Serena, who secured her third consecutive US Open title.
Simultaneously, she equaled Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova's 18 Grand Slam singles titles and Evert's six US Open crowns.
Serena continued to make history, becoming the first woman since Evert to win three consecutive US Open titles since 1975-78.
