Serena Williams clinched the year-end World No 1 ranking for the fourth time without hitting a ball on Friday after Maria Sharapova, the only woman with any chance of overtaking her, was eliminated from the WTA Finals.
Top ranked Serena Williams made a successful return to hard courts with a 6-3, 6-2 thrashing of former French Open champion Francesca Schiavone in the second round of the Rogers Cup on Wednesday.
Tournament favourite Novak Djokovic beat Finnish veteran Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 on Tuesday, kicking off his quest for a first ever Paris trophy to add to his eight other Grand Slams.
After four days of play, the French Open was left without a Williams sister in the draw on Wednesday when former runner-up Venus joined 2002 champion Serena in making an early exit.
Naomi Osaka's return a boost for women's tour, says Mouratoglou
Roger Federer and Serena Williams both swept into the third round of the US Open on Thursday with the sort of ruthless performances that have made them the king and queen of tennis.
IMAGES from the French Open played at Roland Garros, in Paris, France, on Sunday.
The United States survived a fright from little Latvia on Saturday before winning 3-2 in a Fed Cup qualifier as Serena Williams suffered her first career singles loss in the team event. Switzerland, Spain, Belgium, Slovakia, Germany, Russia and Belarus also moved through to the inaugural 12-nation showdown in Budapest.
Top seed Serena Williams made short work of Kazakhstan's Zarina Diyas in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open.
IMAGES from Day 8 of the matches played at the US Open at Flushing Meadows on Monday
Williams sisters Serena and Venus had been hoping to provide fans with the first all-Williams sisters clash at a Grand Slam since the 2009 Wimbledon final in the semi-finals.
Serena Williams did not need the help of a fan-filled Arthur Ashe Stadium to provide a lift during her 7-5, 6-4 win over the 96th ranked Kristie Ahn.
It would be hard to bet against the Williams sisters meeting in their first Wimbledon final since 2009, but Angelique Kerber and Elena Vesnina won't just be making up the numbers in the last four on Thursday. While unseeded Vesnina has described her semi-final against world number one Serena Williams as a dream, she is playing inspired tennis, bringing the guile from two doubles slams to deliver baseline power and a deft touch at the net.
Wondering how the celebs got ready for their big OSCAR night? Namrata Thakker brings you some behind-the-scenes pictures.
Through their triumphs and struggles, these athletes have not only rewritten the narrative of women in sports but have also ignited a flame of empowerment and inspiration, asserts Laxmi Negi.
Serena, a six-times champion in New York who is seeded 17th, will start her campaign against Polish world number 60 Magda Linette and could face Venus in the third round before a possible fourth-round showdown with Romanian top seed Halep.
Revenge will again be in the air when the top seed meets Henin in a semi-final grudge rematch on Thursday.
Maria Sharapova's fellow players described her as inspirational and praised her fighting spirit following the Russian's announcement of her retirement from tennis at the age of 32 on Wednesday. The injury-plagued Sharapova, renowned for her never-say-die approach to the sport despite regularly being hampered by shoulder problems, won five Grand Slam titles.
A year after Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka were both caught up in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, both will be trying to make history in the US Open final on Saturday.
As the fans head toward Flushing Meadows, tennis stars gear up with ground-breaking styles to rule the courts.
Serena Williams is on the brink of the grandest achievement in tennis, the single season Grand Slam, and even the leading men at the US Open championships starting on Monday are cheering her on.
The first teenager to play in a US Open final since Serena in 2001 there was symmetry to the moment as Gauff rallied to beat the second seeded Belarusian 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 and end a six-year barren stretch for American tennis fans, who were finally able to celebrate a homegrown champion.
'It's such an honor to be a part of the Barbie Role Model series'
Serena Williams must navigate a heavily American quarter of the draw including sister Venus to complete a calendar sweep of the four Grand Slams, while two sensational quarter-finals loom on the men's side after Thursday's U.S. Open draw.
Images from the women's singles quarter-finals at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
Serena Williams made the most of a break in her match against 13th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova on Monday, when the Centre Court roof was closed after she threatened to sue organisers if she fell and injured herself on the slippery turf.
Serena Williams squandered four match points and blew a 5-1 lead in the decider to fall to seventh seed Karolina Pliskova 6-4 4-6 7-5 in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open.
Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki shocks tennis world with comeback announcement
Top seed Serena Williams shook off a spirited attempt by Agnieszka Radwanska and moved into the final of the Rogers Cup with a 7-6(3), 6-4 victory on Saturday and will meet Romania's Sorana Cirstea, whose surprising run continued when she beat China's Li Na 6-1, 7-6(5).
Serena Williams, who has a history of blood clots and pulmonary embolisms, said she has concerns over travelling to New York and is living in a rented house instead of the official players' hotel as a precaution.
World No 1 Serena Williams showed plenty of rust in her first competitive outing of the year ahead of the Australian Open, but battled through to defeat Andrea Petkovic in straight sets at the Brisbane International on Tuesday.
Madison Keys, 29, is the fourth-oldest first-time Grand Slam champion in the professional era.
Olympic champion and world number one Serena Williams tumbled out of the Rio de Janeiro singles competition in the third round on Tuesday after a shock defeat to Ukraine's Elina Svitolina.
Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki have been enjoying an end of season break in a luxurious resort in the Bahamas. Both have been showing their fans some flesh, via their Instagram accounts.
'For me, I don't feel sad because I wouldn't even know what I'm expected to feel'
US tennis powerhouse Serena Williams dispatched France's Alize Cornet in two sets on Monday, ending a streak of weak family performances that saw older sister Venus eliminated from singles on Saturday and the pair knocked out in doubles on Sunday.
Venus Williams said she was 'overjoyed' that Wimbledon organisers gave women the spotlight on the tournament's main showcourts on Wednesday.
Serena Williams and defending champion Maria Sharapova remained on course for a heavyweight Madrid Open final.
Reigning champions Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams have been named top seeds for the Australian Open starting on Monday.
Serena Williams will be wary of another semi-final slip-up when she takes to the Arthur Ashe Stadium court on Thursday to face 10th seed Karolina Pliskova for a spot in the US Open final.
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