BOISE, Idaho — THIS DAY IN SPORTS…January 28, 2017, five years ago today:
Serena Williams cements herself as the best women’s tennis player of all-time when she wins a record 23rd career major championship at the Australian Open, surpassing Steffi Graf’s Open Era standard. And this one couldn’t have been set up any better, as the 35-year-old Serena was going against her 36-year-old sister, Venus, winning 6-4, 6-4. One day later, the Australian Open produced more nostalgia—and drama—as 35-year-old Roger Federer defeated Rafael Nadal in five sets. It was Federer’s 18th title in a major, but his first since 2012.
Less than three months after the Aussie title, Serena announced that she was pregnant, and she hasn’t won a major since. But her place in history is secure. She and Graf are the only two women’s players ever to hold all four major titles two different times. Serena has also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, all of them with Venus as her partner. As for the sibling rivalry, Serena is 11-5 all-time against Venus in singles in Grand Slam tournaments and 7-2 in major finals.
Majors have been a challenge for her of late. Senena had to withdraw from the U.S. Open last year due to a leg injury, and she had to pull out of the first round of Wimbledon last summer when she injured an ankle. Lingering effects of that kept her out of this month’s Australian Open. Serena’s now 40. Will she ever win another Grand Slam event?
(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.)
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