"I prayed hard. Prayers not to win but for strength. All glory to God," the World No 1 said.
Serena Williams recently faced a social media criticism after she posted a photoshopped picture of herself.
There is no secret to beating Serena Williams, says her US Open semi-final opponent Victoria Azarenka, the only chance to win is to fight hard, execute well and remember the 23-times Grand Slam champion is never out of it, no matter the score.
She remained philosophical in defeat, however, saying that her expectations coming into the tournament had not been high.
IMAGES from the Australian Open matches played at Melbourne Park in Melbourne on Thursday.
Serena Williams became just the fourth player ever to win a particular tournament at least seven times when she triumphed in the Sony Open last week. Here's a look at three players who preceded the American to the feat.
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.
Sharapova's quarter-final defeat by Williams at the 2016 Australian Open was the last competitive match the Russian played for 15 months after she received a doping ban while American Williams was on a maternity break for most of 2017.
Aryna Sabalenka inched closer to becoming the first woman since Serena Williams (2012-14) to win consecutive US Open titles.
Victoria Azarenka is relishing her return to Melbourne Park as double defending champion and while Serena Williams is a hot favourite to deny her a hat-trick of titles, the Belarusian says she will not focus solely on the challenge from the World No 1.
Storm Hunter and Elise Mertens picked up the Doubles Team of the Year award, China's Zheng Qinwen was named Most Improved Player while Russian Mirra Andreeva won Newcomer of the Year.
Serena Williams has pulled out of this week's Dubai Tennis Championships.
Coco Gauff was dumbstruck after beating world number one Aryna Sabalenka in the French Open final on Saturday
On Wednesday the 23-time Grand slam winner took to Twitter to express her anguish.
Despite former world No 1 Serena Williams not being in action for almost a year, British No 1 Johanna Konta still views Williams as the player to beat at the Australian Open in 2018.
Sets up Venus tie on return after COVID-19 hiatus at the Top Seed Open.
Serena Williams has been stuck on 23 slams since triumphing at the Australian Open in January 2017.
Steamrolls Dutch Rus to proceed to Round 2
American tennis star Serena Williams rose early on Saturday to get ready for her friend Meghan Markle's wedding to Britain's Prince Harry with a gold face treatment mask and personal make-up artist.
Serena Williams shook off some COVID-19 layoff rust to grind out a 7-6(6), 3-6, 7-6(0) win over Dutch qualifier Arantxa Rus on Monday to move into the third round of the Western and Southern Open.
Serena Williams will be favourite for a fourth French Open title if she survives into the second week, former men's champion Jim Courier believes.
'I just don't want to face that hate again.'
The five time US Open champion was given the loudest cheer at the Arthur Ashe stadium.
Stars Watch As Eagles Win Super Bowl; Serena steals show at half-time
World No 1 Serena Williams retired from her Hopman Cup match against Australian Jarmila Wolfe on Tuesday with a knee injury barely two weeks before launching her bid for a seventh Australian Open title.
Serena Williams had no intention of sharing her pregnancy with the world last week but spilled the beans when she accidentally uploaded the photo of herself.
For many African-American celebrities, visiting Africa satisfies a yearning to return to their distant ancestral homeland. Not so for tennis player Serena Williams.
It was third time lucky for American Serena Williams as she finally matched Steffi Graf's professional era record of 22 grand slam singles titles by beating Angelique Kerber to claim a seventh Wimbledon crown on Saturday.
Roger Federer and Serena Williams, holders of a combined 43 singles Grand Slam titles, will face each other for the first time on Tuesday when they feature in the Hopman Cup mixed doubles match.
The Wimbledon dinner was an evening with an exciting mix of tradition and fun as newly crowned singles champions Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams shook a leg together, bringing a superb end to the best grand slam event of the year.
Twenty-three time grand slam champion Serena Williams will play her first match since the birth of her daughter when she faces off against French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi next week.
Tennis world No 1 Serena Williams's love-life is always in the news - that is when she is not doing anything spectacular on court.
Former champions Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams have all entered next month's Western & Southern Open in New York, which will serve as a tune-up for the US Open, tournament organisers said on Wednesday. Organisers of the August 20-28 event, which was relocated from Cincinnati this year because of COVID-19, said defending champions Daniil Medvedev and Madison Keys are also among the initial entries.
Mondo Duplantis was named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, while American gymnast Simone Biles bagged the top women's honour at the Laureus World Sports Awards.
Serena Williams and her sister Venus are in preliminary talks to become part-owners of the NFL's Miami Dolphins, the 11-time grand slam winner confirmed on Wednesday.
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.
Overpowers Svitolina to reach second straight US Open final
Serena Williams can 'absolutely' surpass Margaret Court's all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles if the American returns to tennis after giving birth earlier this year, former world No 1 Steffi Graf said on Sunday.
I have to be two feet in tennis or two feet out.'
If players, pundits and bookmakers are to be believed, Serena Williams has already sewn up her sixth Australian Open title and the other 127 women in the draw may as well pick up their racquets and head home.
