Following is a list of Serena Williams' 23 grand slam singles titles after the American surpassed Steffi Graf's professional era record with victory at the Australian Open on Saturday:
Samantha Stosur has paid her dues, now she is reaping the rewards as what was a relatively low-key professional career has suddenly taken off.
United States were the only team to take a lead after Saturday's Fed Cup World Group first round ties where Serbia's Ana Ivanovic continued her woeful form.
Australian Samantha Stosur pulled off a stunning 6-2, 6-7, 8-6 victory over top seed Serena Williams on Wednesday to reach the semi-finals of the French Open for the second year in succession.
Aravane Rezai blasted her way to the biggest singles title of her career when she stunned fourth seed Venus Williams 6-2, 7-5 in the Madrid Open final on Sunday.
Jelena Jankovic thrashed local favourite Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-2, 6-0 to make the quarter-finals of the Madrid Open but it was a gutsy display from Aravane Rezai that caught the eye on Thursday.
Serena Williams blamed an "apple in her throat" for her failure to reach the final of the Italian Open after Jelena Jankovic came back from the brink against the American in Rome on Friday. Jankovic saved a match point before pulling off a thrilling 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 win over the world number one to set up a showdown with Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, a 6-4, 6-2 winner over former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic.
Justine Henin continued her impressive return to tennis when she fought back to beat former World No 1 Jelena Jankovic 3-6, 7-6, 6-3 in Stuttgart on Friday, leaving her opponent exasperated.
Jelena Jankovic came from 2-4 down in the second set to book her place in the semi-finals of the Indian Wells WTA tournament with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Russian Alisa Kleybanova on Thursday.
Jelena Jankovic had to fight her way into the fourth round of the Indian Wells WTA tournament on Monday while former world number one Kim Clijsters was upset by Russian Alisa Kleybanova. Serbian sixth seed Jankovic beat Italian Sara Errani 2-6, 7-6, 6-4 in an error-strewn marathon on the stadium court before twice champion Clijsters of Belgium tumbled out 6-4, 1-6, 7-6.
Germany's Angelique Kerber has clinched the eighth and final spot at the WTA's season-ending championships in Istanbul later this month after reaching the semi-finals of the Linz Open.
Former world number one Ana Ivanovic will warm up for next year's Australian Open at the Brisbane International tournament, organisers said on Thursday.
Serena Williams returned to the top of the world with a routine win at the China Open on Tuesday but Andy Roddick and Jelena Jankovic plumbed the depths when their title defences ended in their opening matches.
Former world number one Maria Sharapova continued her salvage operation at the Pan Pacific Open by screeching into the quarter-finals on Wednesday.
World number two Simona Halep beat Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-2 in the China Open third round on Wednesday for her first win over the Russian in eight attempts.
Round-robin formats at tennis tournaments can cause confusion but Serena Williams has an easy solution, just keep winning.
The 28-year-old Serb's initial slow accumulation of major silverware after his breakthrough at the 2008 Australian Open has accelerated to such an extent that talk of him surpassing the likes of Bjorn Borg, Rafael Nadal and even Roger Federer is no longer fanciful.
Following is a list of biggest shocks in women's tennis after Italian outsider Roberta Vinci, ranked 43rd, beat world number one Serena Williams in the US Open semi-finals on Friday to deny the American a chance to complete a calendar year Grand Slam.
Holder Venus Williams completed her circuitous route to the WTA Championships final, beating Serbia's Jelena Jankovic 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 on Saturday to set up yet another showdown with sister Serena. Serena, who will end the year as world number one for the first time since 2002, got past Caroline Wozniacki after the Dane pulled out with a stomach injury when trailing 6-4, 0-1.
The vivacious teenager Melanie Oudin is living her own dream on the greatest stage in tennis after knocking out sixth seed Jelena Jankovic to take her place in the last 16 at Wimbledon.
Serena Williams rarely backs down in a scrap but she was spared a fight for the honour of ending the year as world number one on Wednesday when her rival Dinara Safina quit the WTA Championships with injury.
Defending champions Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis brushed aside Christina Mchale and Jelena Ostapenko to move into the quarter-finals of the Wimbledon Championships on Monday.
Former world number one Maria Sharapova won her second Pan Pacific Open title after Jelena Jankovic retired with a wrist injury in Saturday's final. It was Sharapova's first title since shoulder surgery last October and the 20th of her career. Her last tournament win came at Amelia Island in April 2008.
Former world number one Maria Sharapova stormed into the Pan Pacific Open semi-finals by outfoxing Czech Iveta Benesova 6-4 7-5 on Thursday.
Former Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard successfully negotiated the qualifying draw on Thursday, beating Colombian Mariana Duque-Marino 6-3, 6-2 to secure a spot in next week's main draw.
When it comes to tennis parties, there is none bigger than the WTA Pre-Wimbledon Party. Check out some images from the party.
Top seed Roger Federer faces a tough opener against Russia's Dmitry Tursonov while Rafael Nadal begins his quest for an Olympic gold medal against Italian Potito Starace.
Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova ended Jelena Jankovic's two-year reign as Italian Open champion when she beat the Serbian 6-1, 7-6 Thursday to go through to the semi-finals. Former US Open champion Kuznetsova will now be up against sixth seeded Belarussian Victoria Azarenka, who won a scrappy affair against Estonia's Kaia Kanepi 7-6, 6-3.
Former world No. 4 Jelena Dokic has won a direct wildcard entry into next month's Australian Open by winning a qualifying tournament in Melbourne on Sunday. Dokic, who came from a set down to beat Queensland junior Monica Wejnert 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 will now attempt to qualify for lead-up tournaments in Brisbane and Hobart in the New Year.
Serb Jelena Jankovic has rediscovered her form in time for the U.S. Open, while compatriot and fellow former world number one Ana Ivanovic is still looking to turn her season round.
Russian Maria Sharapova and Serbia's Jelena Jankovic waited for a deadly storm to pass before thundering into the Toronto Cup quarter-finals on Thursday. World number two Serena Williams avoided all the nasty weather, racing into the quarter-finals with a 6-1, 6-4 demolition of Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko before the storms hit.
World number four Jelena Jankovic beat Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues 7-5, 6-2 to reach the final of the Andalucia Tennis Championships on Saturday. The Serbian second seed, by far the highest-ranked player remaining after Wednesday's shock exit of world number one Serena Williams, will be aiming to win her first title of the season when she meets Carla Suarez Navarro in Sunday's final.
A rejuvenated Jelena Jankovic upset world number one Dinara Safina 6-4, 6-2 to win the Cincinnati Open on Sunday. The fifth-seeded Serb took advantage of an error-strewn display from the Russian to clinch her second title of the year.
World number one Dinara Safina will take on a rejuvenated Jelena Jankovic in the final of the Cincinnati Open after hugely contrasting wins on Saturday. Russian Safina stormed into her eighth final of the year with a 6-2, 6-0 demolition of Italian Flavia Pennetta, while fifth seed Jankovic saved four match points to beat fourth seed Elena Dementieva 7-6, 0-6, 7-6 after two hours and 46 minutes.
Venus and Serena Williams enter the women's Wimbledon quarter-finals on Tuesday with even their next opponents conceding they are strong favourites for another final appearance. Defending champion Venus faces Tamarine Tanasurgan and the unseeded Thai, who defeated second seed Jelena Jankovic to reach her first grand slam quarter-final, is not brimming with confidence.
Venus Williams will play Vera Zvonareva in the final of the WTA Championships after both women achieved difficult three-set victories on Saturday. Wimbledon champion Williams overcame Serbian world number one Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, and Zvonareva beat fellow-Russian Elena Dementieva 7-6, 3-6, 6-3.
Reputations counted for little at the French Open on Thursday when Amelie Mauresmo, James Blake and David Nalbandian were toppled by opponents ranked outside the world's top 75.
Russian second seed Maria Sharapova pulled out of Saturday's Italian Open semi-final with Serb title holder Jelena Jankovic because of injury, organisers said. In the final, fourth seed Jankovic will meet the winner of the match between Russian sixth seed Anna Chakvetadze and 18-year-old French qualifier Alize Cornet.
Second seed Dinara Safina slumped out of the Dubai Tennis Championships in the second round on Tuesday after losing 6-4 6-2 to Virginie Razzano of France.
Sania Mirza tamed world No 51 Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 to advance to the second round of the ladies singles at Wimbledon on Monday. The Indian ace next faces 28th seed Sorana Cirstea of Romania, who beat countrywoman Edina Gallovits 7-5, 6-1.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances