Serena never wanted her win over her sister Venus in the 2017 Australian Open final to be her Grand Slam swan song. Even though she was 35 at the time, was entering her third decade as a pro, and would give birth later that year, she soldiered on for five more seasons, and reached four more major finals.
But as far as swan songs go, it doesn’t get much better than this one. With it, she won her 23rd major title and passed Steffi Graf for second on the all-time list, behind Margaret Court, who has 24. Serena admitted she would have loved to have passed Court, too—“I’d by lying if I said I didn’t want that record”—but she also realized she didn’t need to: “I showed up 23 times, and that’s fine. Actually, it’s extraordinary.”
When it comes to Open Era champions, Graf is Serena’s closest competition, and on this day she rose above her. Yet this final was about more than a number or a GOAT race. It was about a sister, too. This was the 20th meeting between the Williamses, and like many others, it was a tough, tense, back-and-forth fight that never soared to the stylistic heights. The match opened with four breaks, a stretch that included a Serena racquet smash. But after some stubborn play from Venus, Serena gradually grabbed control. It started with a backhand return and a drop volley at 3–3, and continued with a series of thumping aces.