Serena Williams May Miss Her Grand Slam Record, But Does It Really Matter?

Serena Williams is certainly keen to match Margaret Court’s all-time Grand Slam record of 24 titles and become the first woman to achieve the feat in the Open Era. She is currently stuck at 23 major titles since winning the 2017 Australian Open, but does it really matter if she cannot advance the count?

The American has had multiple opportunities at grabbing the record since returning to the game after giving birth to daughter Alexis Olympia Ohanian in 2018. Williams has made four Grand Slam finals in 2018 and 2019 but has lost each one in straight sets making her seem vulnerable and not the all-conquering force she once was.

Williams won 22 of her first 25 major finals after claiming her first title in 1999 but has since lost six of her last eight finals. Despite looking dominant during the course of the tournaments, she has looked vulnerable in the summit clash, and it was surprising that two of her losses came against two players just at the start of their careers – Naomi Osaka, who was 21; and 19-year-old Bianca Andreescu.

After her fourth straight loss at the 2019 U.S. Open women’s singles final, many are now questioning if she can ever cross that hurdle and equal Court’s record of 24 major titles. Williams will turn 38 at the end of the month, which means time is certainly not on her side and she will have to be at her best when the 2020 Australian Open comes along.

But the question remains: Does it matter if Serena Williams does not claim the Grand Slam record? Perhaps it is something driving Willaims. But whether she gets the no. 24 or not, she will still be the greatest-ever women’s singles player in the history of the sport. It can also be argued that she is overall one of the greatest ever to play the game even if you include the male players.

There are few players who have dominated the game like Williams has over the last 20 years since she claimed her first major at the U.S. Open in 1999. The 23 major titles is top of the tree when it comes to Williams’s achievements but the list goes on and her dominance of the game does not end there.

Apart from the singles titles, the American has 14 Grand Slam doubles titles alongside sister and fellow tennis great Venus Williams. The duo have never lost a major final they have entered as a pair, and it also includes three Olympic gold medals. Williams also has a singles Olympic gold medal, which she won at the 2012 London Games. She has also claimed women’s year-end championship title on five occasions.

For Williams, Grand Slam title no. 24 could very well be on the cards in 2019 and that achievement will be more important than any other record she holds-- it will be the first title for the American after she became a mother. That singular achievement will certainly take precedence over everything else and it will be seen as empowering for women across the globe.