Serena Williams Has Now Won a Title In Four Different Decades
Williams wins Auckland to claim first title since 2017
The last time Serena Williams won a set in a final was on her way to the Australian Open title in 2017. Shortly after that victory, the American announced she was expecting her first child.
It’s been a long road back to lifting a trophy for Williams, who has appeared in multiple finals since, but has not found the game that has seen her dominate the sport for more than 20 years. In several of those finals, and particularly in her straight-set losses in the 2018 and 2019 US Opens to Naomi Osaka and Bianca Andreescu respectively, it’s been clear that pressure has not felt like such a privilege to the 23-time slam champion.
Today’s final against Jessica Pegula looked at first like it may follow a similar pattern. The younger American looked relaxed to start the match, winning an immediate break of serve and having points to win a second and go up 3–0. Williams, on the other hand, seemed immediately frustrated.
That third game was key — Williams’ intensity elevated, her grunts became louder, her shots loaded with more venom. Holding for 1–2 in a first set may look insignificant on a scoreboard, but it set the tone for the rest of the match.
Spurred on by the adrenaline of the third game, Williams played the remainder of the first set with brilliant aggression. It wasn’t Serena at her best, but it was Serena doing her best to overcome her understandable tension. Although Pegula fought hard, her game couldn’t match up to Williams in this elevated mode.
The 6–3 first set was the first Serena had won in any final since 2017 — a landmark moment for those on the look out for signs Williams may finally close out a certain slam record that’s long been on her radar.
Pegula didn’t fade in the second, but she couldn’t lift her level significantly either. Although she fell behind in the score, she asked Williams the right question, serving out a tight game at 3–5 to make her opponent step forward to the baseline and serve for the championship.
Williams had appeared far calmer in the third, playing contained and aggressive tennis, appearing more confident in her ability to do what she’s always done best: win. Serving for the set at 5–4, there were no apparent nerves, no hesitation. The laser-sharp serve for which she’s famous fired as it should, bringing her to the brink.
The Championship was eventually won with a backhand-down-the-line, Williams’ arms lifting into the air in celebration of the 6–3 6–4 victory. After the win, Williams sat down in her chair and released a heavy sigh. “I think you can see the relief on my face,” she said in her on-court interview.
For the first time in the new decade, for the first time as a mother, and for the first time since 2017, Serena Williams is a champion again.
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