BD0333EC-AAF7-47B9-B6D7-19EC37514701

By Richard Pagliaro
© Fred Mullane and Susan Mullane/Camerawork USA

(July 7, 2010) Serena Williams wrapped up a whirlwind Wimbledon that saw her earn an audience with the Queen, turn opponents into spectators by whipping a Wimbledon women's record 89 aces, sweep a shell-shocked Vera Zvonareva in straight sets to successfully defend her Wimbledon crown and surpass Hall of Famer Billie Jean King for sixth place on the all-time list in collecting her 13th career major.

In short, Serena took a major step toward solidifying her status as one of the greatest players of all time.

"I'm just happy to have won it and hopefully I can have actually a little better form going into Team Tennis and the summer tournaments," Williams told the media today in a conference call to promote her upcoming apperances in World TeamTennis.

And if opponents are already a little leery of facing her in majors now consider that this and imagine how the fear factor intensifies.

Williams, who celebrates her 29th birthday on September 26th, may well be playing the best tennis of her career, which means if she stays healthy, fit and focused, she has a strong shot of surpassing Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova (18 majors apiece) to become No. 1 on the list of American major singles champions and make a run at Steffi Graf's mark of 22 career Grand Slam singles titles.



If Williams gets to 20 majors you could make a strong case she is the greatest of all time given the fact she's won the career Grand Slam in both singles and doubles, collected two Olympic gold medals in doubles, played for a Fed Cup championship team and topped the world rankings in singles and doubles. Actually, you could make that case for her as GOAT right now, given her 13-3 career record in major finals and the fact that her game is more explosive than any elite champion who came before her including Margaret Court (24 singles majors), Graf, Navratilova and Evert.

"I think it's great.  I think her next goal now should be to beat Chris and Martina's 18 singles (majors), then thereafter she can go on to Steffi Graf (22 majors)," World TeamTennis founder Billie Jean King told the media in Tuesday's conference call to promote this season of World TeamTennis. "There's no reason Serena Williams shouldn't be the greatest woman player that's ever played."

Ask Williams what gives her the greatest satisfacation and she'll tell you its building hope rather than hitting into history.

"The most rewarding thing I've done hasn't been on the tennis court," Williams told Tennis Now today. "It's been my opportunity to open my school in Africa and help kids. So that was definitely my most precious moment. And I wouldn't have been able to do it had I not been so successful in tennis. So that means a lot to me."

Williams, like another great American champion, Andre Agassi, who was once widely derided for wasting his great gift for the game, has turned her focus outward as she's matured into a champion.

Like Agassi, she's playing the best tennis of her career after her 28th birthday and like Agassi she's been able to rebound from negative experiences  — Agassi admitted testing positive for crystal meth and then lying about how it entered his system in a letter to the ATP and Serena was fined for her obscene outburst at a lineswoman, who hit her with a foot fault call in the US Open semifinals that led to her default and fine  — to prevail on the game's greatest stages.

In less than 10 months since Serena stepped over the line in New York, she's won two of the three Grand Slam tournaments she's played and very well could have won Roland Garros had she converted the match point against Samantha Stosur in the quarterfinals. Equally as impressive, she's re-sculpted her body through a Pilates regimen to get fitter and refined her image that took a hit in New York last fall as some saw her playing the role of spoiled-brat star outraged by an official.

Williams hasn't just talked the talk, she's walked the walk in putting her money where her mouth is and building her school in Africa. Williams said her off-court pursuits, including her charity, designing and acting endeavors, have helped her strengthen her focus on tennis when she competes and have may extend her career in that taking time to step off the tennis treadmill has helped prevent burn-out.

"It definitely contributed to my success," Williams said today.  "Whether I play 100 tournaments a year or just five, I feel like I'm just gonna do what I have to do."



When she returns to New York next month she comes back as a World No. 1, a Grand Slam champion and a philanthropic force who has invested some of those multi-million earnings into education in Africa rather than a domineering diva who behaved like a spoiled brat star screaming at a staffer when hit with the foot fault call. On that New York night, Williams suffered the tennis equivalent of road rage in losing her cool at the very critical match moment she's accustomed to mastering.

Determined not to let that outburst define her, Serena has been even more focused in her major matches ever since, winning 18 of her last 19 Grand Slam matches.

The only thing New Yorkers love more than winners are comeback stories and what Williams has effectively done this season is make a very successful public comeback without the steep personal or professional plummet it usually requires.

Serena stepped over the line last fall, she's been stepping it up ever since.

Williams says believes she will come back feeling less pressure because she's not the defending champion.

"I think I just will be happy to get there," Williams said of returning to the US Open. "And obviously not happy I didn't win the last one, but I won't have to worry about defending my title and it's always easier going into a tournament where you don't have to defend your title. I'll be happy about that and looking to just do my best."

Williams isn't exactly kicking her feet up and watching World Cup or Sex In The City re-runs since defending Wimbledon. She boards a plane bound for Beligum where she will face Kim Clijsters in a rematch of that infamous US Open semifinal.

Williams and Clijsters square off in the "Best of Belgium" exhibition event that could break record for the most spectators at a tennis match. The match will be staged at the King Baudouin stadium in Brussels tomorrow.

Organizers say the event could draw as many as 40,000 people.

"I'm excited about that," Williams said. "I'm looking forward to coming to New York and doing the best I can."

If the match draws 40,000 it would break the record for most spectators at a tennis match set at the famed 1973 Battle of the Sexes match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs held at the Houston Astrodome. That match drew 30,492 fans.

Returning to the States after Thursday's exhibition, Williams will hit the court running when she resumes playing for 2009 champion Washington Kastles and this year sister Venus joins Serena on a strong Kastles team that includes Leander Paes, Angela Haynes, Rennae Stubbs and Bobby Reynolds.

"I'm really excited about her being my new teammate," Serena said of Venus. "When I first found out was I like 'Yeah, we'll be on the same team.'  It's fun We just want to give the fans' a good show more than anything."

Showtimes starts on Friday when Serena travels to Glens Falls, NY to take on former arch rival Martina Hingis and the New York Buzz.

"I always go along with Martina, she's always talkative," Williams said. "I saw her at Wimbledon and she was walking out to play a match. We always kind of just got on. I get on with pretty much everyone on tour."

And how is her game getting on? What is the difference between the Serena Williams who won her 13th major on Saturday and the teenage Serena who won her first major title at the 1999 US Open?

"Probably my serve (has improved) at least as of last week," Williams said. "And my consistency, I think, more than anything else."



Known for bringing her own sense of style to New York City for the Open, Williams, who has worn everything from the skin-diver tight black catsuit, to a distressed denim skirt, biker boots and a black sports bra, to the bright yellow Tiger-inspired dress she wore when winning her first Open, was tight lipped when asked what she'll wear in New York next month.

"As for what I'm wearing, you'll have to wait and see," Williams told Tennis Now.

Successfully defending her Wimbledon crown to raise the Rosewater Dish for the fourth time, Williams' real rivals are the game's greatest champions, including King and Navratilova, who watched the final from the royal box. Williams' 13th major title moves her one ahead of King for sixth place on the all-time list behind Margaret Court (24), Graf (22), Helen Wills Moody (19) and Evert and Navratilova (18).

While she continues to climb the legendary ladder, Williams refuses to be cloaked in controversy during the next stage of the trip.

"It's always special to play in New York, very few places are nicer," Williams said. When asked if she has concerns over the crowd reaction when she returns to the Open, Williams shot back:  "No, I don't think about those things. You probably shouldn't either."

"My life is so much more than that," she added. "I can't be bothered with that. I just have to think about what I can do to improve and help others more than anything. I try to focus on the positive."