Serena Williams is just one Grand Slam tournament win away from matching Margaret Court’s record of 24 titles in tennis’ big four events. The American is now in the closing stages of her career but still remains a big threat within the sport.
It has been four years since Williams last won a Grand Slam title. She was successful at the 2017 Australian Open, a tournament she has won seven times during her incredible career, so far. Since then she has reached four Grand Slam finals but has sadly been beaten in each of them.
The American’s next opportunity to match Court’s 24 titles will come in Melbourne at the 2022 Australian Open. She is currently +1800 in the outright betting at that tournament. Given her record there, she is sure to become one of the most popular tennis betting tips to prevail.
Williams has achieved so much for the sport, having won 73 career titles and has achieved the elusive feat of being number one in the sport for a record-breaking 319 weeks.
There hasn’t been any indication that Williams is considering retiring any time soon. It looks as though she remains committed to playing in 2022, but it remains to be seen how long she will play beyond that. The longer she does go on, the harder it will be for her to capture a 24th or 25th Grand Slam title.
Injuries Have Been A Problem For Williams In 2021
It has been a tough year for Williams in 2021: she has had to miss a lot of tennis due to injuries. Her last appearance came at Wimbledon where she was forced to retire in her first-round match with Aliaksandra Sasnovich.
The hamstring injury, which was picked up midway through the year, also kept her out of her home Grand Slam, the US Open. It now looks unlikely that Williams will play again in 2021 and will more likely be realistically aiming for a return in January in Melbourne.
Now at the age of 40, recovery is a much longer process for Williams than it used to be. For continuing on at this age, Williams has already distinguished herself from historical female tennis players by achieving the record for the oldest female Grand Slam winner of the modern era (she was 35 years and four months old when she won the 2017 Australian Open).
Williams Is Still Feared On Women’s Tour
Although she is not as consistent as she once was, Williams remains a big threat on the WTA Tour. Her opponents know exactly what she is capable of and many have struggled and will continue to struggle against her sheer power and precision.
Ashleigh Barty currently leads the way in the rankings but there remains a power void as many of the leading players in the women’s game have struggled for consistency. This opens the door for Williams if she can stay fit for those crucial two weeks during a Grand Slam event.
Williams has achieved so much in the sport that a 24th Grand Slam is hardly needed. However, if she can win one of the big events again, it would rank as her greatest ever achievement.