Serena Williams once featured among Heather Watson's bedroom posters but after the Briton almost ran her idol out of Wimbledon.
Not just because Serena Williams looks capable of landing a 24th Grand Slam title against all the odds having returned from maternity leave and Maria Sharapova is seeking redemption after a 15-month doping ban with a third French Open title.
Serena Williams, who had come into the first Grand Slam since in Auckland claiming her first title since becoming a mother, suffered an error-strewn 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 defeat by China's Wang Qiang in the third round at the Australian Open on Friday.
After two weeks of intriguing tennis where the world's best fought hard to assert their dominance on clay, we have the champions out there.
The German fifth seed kicks off her campaign against compatriot Tatjana Maria on Tuesday, but could potentially face three former champions in Serena Williams, Garbine Muguruza and Maria Sharapova if she goes deep into the tournament.
Here is a list of athletes, some of who just turned up the heat while some created ripples with their bold photos. Scroll down to find out who these athletes are...
Some players and pundits have criticised the rule as being hard to police, spottily enforced and highly subjective, and called for the ban on coaching from the players' box to be lifted.
Former world number one Serena Williams has pulled out of the French Open because she has not fully recovered from health issues, organisers said on Thursday.
Summary of sports events and persons who made news on Saturday.
With a 6-2, 6-1 3rd round win over Swedish Johanna Larsson at the US Open at Flushing Meadows on Saturday, Serena recorded her 307th Grand Slam victory and in doing so went past legendary Martina Novratilova to record the most wins in a major by a woman.
While the United States has the highest number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the world, New York seems to have a better handle on the virus and reported less than 5,000 new cases last week.
Victoria Azarenka, 31, won a bronze medal for Belarus in singles and a gold in mixed doubles at the 2012 Summer Games in London. Angelique Kerber, 33, won the silver in singles for Germany at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
IMAGES from Day 6 of the Wimbledon Championships at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on Saturday.
Djokovic said he was '50-50' about competing at the Tokyo Olympics
Williams's publicist Kelly Bush Novak was responding to a report on website Deadspin that an officer from the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) had visited seeking to drug test Williams outside the allotted daily window.
If Serena Williams' rivals were hoping that the American would take some time out to savour drawing level with Steffi Graf's professional-era record of 22 grand slam titles, her coach Patrick Mouratoglou fired off an immediate warning.
Russian Daria Kasatkina will replace Sharapova in the main draw
Defending champion Serena Williams finished her last US Open tune-up in style by beating Romanian third seed Simona Halep 6-3, 7-6(5) to win the Western & Southern Open on Sunday.
While trying to surpass Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam titles might be one of the reasons she pushed herself to get back on court despite all her complications in childbirth, she also wants to see if she recover her pre-pregnancy form.
Tennis players and venues stick to strict guidelines aimed at minimising health risks.
SSerena Williams swept past Anastasija Sevastova 6-3, 6-0 on Thursday and into the final of the US Open to sit one win away from a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title.
Serena returned from a maternity break to lose 6-2, 3-6, 10-5 to the 20-year-old Latvian.
Serena William powered her way to within two victories of a seventh US Open title on Tuesday and while she refused to look ahead there are many willing to do it for her, and what they see is a suddenly open path to a 24th Grand Slam.
Wimbledon champions and World No 1s Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams head the field for the men's and women's events at this year's US Open.
Here are some of those lucky celebrities who were invited to watch the Ladies Singles Finals.
Germany's experienced Angelique Kerber stands in the way of the 36-year-old American and an eighth, and arguably most impressive, All England Club singles crown which would see her match Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam titles.
Homeland favorite Ashleigh Barty and Serbia's Novak Djokovic are the top seeds for the upcoming Australian Open.
Social media applauded the team for their excellent efforts, appreciating the mind behind the eye-relaxing visuals.
Rediff.com brings you the buzz around celebrity sportspersons and their glamorous lives!
Making her Grand Slam comeback in Paris following the birth of her daughter Alexis Olympia last September, Serena Williams will renew her fierce on-court rivalry with Maria Sharapova on Monday when they meet in a highly-anticipated fourth-round showdown at the French Open.
Images from the women's singles quarter-finals at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
Serena Williams said the latest chapter in her tennis life was "just beginning" on Saturday after seeing her hopes of a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam title dashed in the Wimbledon final.
In the 18 years that she has been on tour, Sania Mirza was the standard-bearer for tennis in the country. Never before had an Indian player dominated from the back court with such conviction. Deepti Patwardhan Salutes the Incomparable Sania Mirza.
World No 1 Serena Williams has backed Danish tennis star Caroline Wozniacki's accusations of ' sexist scheduling' at the Wimbledon Championships.
Serena Williams was fined $10,500 on Sunday by officials at the US Open and could face further sanctions after an investigation was launched into her angry outburst during her semi-final defeat by Kim Clijsters.
Coach Patrick Mouratoglou claimed Serena Williams' fitness had since gone up a notch and Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles may well be in peril at the Australian Open.
Mavericks won the men's doubles and men's legends singles rubber, but the Slammers clinched the women's singles, mixed doubles and men's singles to come out trumps.
Serena Williams crashed out of the Auckland Classic after fellow American Madison Brengle pulled off a 6-4, 6-7(3), 6-4 upset in a see-saw second round contest.
The 36-year-old has been practising hard on the grass and few would bet against her becoming the first mother to win the title since Evonne Cawley 38 years ago.
Tennis sensation Maria Sharapova yet again rules the Forbes' list of highest-paid female athletes.
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