Separated in age by 25 years, their careers overlapped only briefly and Martina Navratilova, who herself won 18 Grand Slam singles crowns, never faced Serena Williams on a singles court.
The World No 1 becomes earliest qualifier for WTA Finals
Even the Parisian stormclouds cleared for Serena Williams on Tuesday, as the new mother's baby steps back to Grand Slam tennis became a stride into the second round of the French Open.
Spain's Rafael Nadal was at his dominant best against Pablo Carreno Busta on Saturday, brushing aside his compatriot 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 to move into the fourth round at the Australian Open. Images from Day 6 of the Australian Open at Melbourne Park on Saturday.
Factbox on Rafael Nadal's French Open final wins
McEnroe had claimed that Serena, who is the best player of her gender, would be ranked 700 if she plays on the men's circuit.
Images from Day 2 of the French Open matches played at Roland Garros on Monday
A six-time champion at Flushing Meadows, Williams was once money in the bank when it came to the US Open
A quick guide into the life of Serena Williams, the GOAT - The Greatest of All Time!
The Romanian broke Williams's serve in the first game but that was the only one she managed for the rest of the opening set as the American bulldozed her way through the set in 20 minutes, serving it out with an ace.
India's star tennis player Sania Mirza says she has achieved everything in her path-breaking career and has 'nothing to prove' in her second innings, which is likely to begin by January 2020.
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.
The draw for the first Grand Slam of the season was made on Thursday and the top seeds could face some early tests of their credentials when play gets underway in Melbourne on Monday.
Serena had said on Monday that she "can't wait for the future" as she warmed up for her return to the WTA Tour at the Tie Break Tens exhibition at Madison Square Garden.
Serena was drawn on Friday to play doubles in a potentially decisive fifth rubber in this week's Fed Cup first round tie against the Netherlands in what will be her first competitive match in over a year. The doubles rubber, which is scheduled for Sunday on an indoor hard court in Asheville, North Carolina, will be played even if one side clinches the best-of-five match series through the opening four singles matches.
Four times now, twice at Wimbledon (2018, 2019) and at the US Open (2018, 2019) Serena Williams has come agonizingly close to that 24th Grand Slam only to fall at the final hurdle.
Showing great mobility, the towering Czech neutralised the potentially tricky world number 25 in a sometimes tetchy two-hour contest on Margaret Court Arena.
Rafael Nadal claimed a record-stretching 12th French Open title by beating Austrian fourth seed Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 in a repeat of last year's final on Sunday.
Croatia's Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, who made the third round of the 1997 US Open also at 15, was the previous youngest player to advance to that stage of a grand slam.
Andy Murray would not have continued playing at the Australian Open if his father-in-law's health had deteriorated following his collapse at Rod Laver Arena, the world number two said on Monday.
Thirteen years on and his record next to the Bois de Boulogne stands at an incredible 85 wins and two losses.
Images from Day 4 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Thursday.
Serena Williams has never been one to take too much notice of convention.
Serena Williams added to one of the longest resumes in sports by collecting the Sportsperson of the Year award from Sports Illustrated, becoming only the third individual woman to claim the honour since its 1956 inception. Williams, 34, won the first three grand slam singles titles of 2015 after taking last year's U.S. Open to hold all four crowns at once for her second career 'Serena Slam'.
Sloane Stephens will be defending her title at the U.S. Open but all eyes will be on Serena Williams over the coming two weeks as the six-times champion attempts to win her first Grand Slam title since becoming a mother.
Play was held up during the Australian Open men's final on Sunday when a banner was unfurled protesting against the treatment of refugees, with one person jumping on centre court.
'007, Why not? Maybe this is the year. Seven in 17. I'm not a numerologist but it sounds good'
Bernard Tomic bowed out of the Australian Open on Sunday with a stinging rebuke of the scheduling.
Factbox on American Serena Williams, who plays sister Venus in the final of the Australian Open on Saturday.
Images from Day 3 of the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday.
With her post-pregnancy comeback, the tennis champ is shattering stereotypes and inspiring women everywhere.
This is not the first time that Murray has won our hearts with his stance against sexism.
Austria's Dominic Thiem strained every sinew trying to cling on to the 32-year-old Spaniard and at times even gained a precarious foothold in his first Grand Slam final.
Italian tennis ace Francesca Schiavone has said that she regards Serena Williams better than Steffi Graf after she drew within four Grand Slam titles of the former German great's Open-era record.
Photos from matches on Day 2 at the Australian Open on Tuesday
Garbine Muguruza's chances of winning her maiden grand slam title -- and achieving the rare feat of beating Serena Williams twice in three years at Roland Garros -- may well depend on which version of the world number one turns up on Sunday.
amiliar names, however, are tipped to take off with the winners' trophies. The following is a list of talking points at the Australian Open:
American tennis player Serena Williams is all set to make her comeback at the Australian Open, organisers confirmed.
Mirjana Lucic-Baroni could barely contain her joy after continuing her remarkable run at the Australian Open to reach her first grand slam quarter-final since the 1999 Wimbledon championships on Monday.
Images from the action on Day 2 at the Australian Open.
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