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Serena Williams: Looking back at her six US Open titles

Serena Williams won her first U.S. Open as a 17-year-old in 1999. (Jamie Squire/Allsport)

Serena Williams and Arthur Ashe Stadium go back. Way back.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion is expected to retire from tennis following the 2022 US Open — a fitting cap to her career, as the New York tournament provided the setting for her first major title back in 1999.

But don’t count her out in her swan song.

Williams has won her first two matches, including an upset victory Wednesday against No. 2 seed Anett Kontaveit in the second round. She advances to face Ajla Tomljanović on Friday in the round of 32.

As Williams eyes another electric run at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Just Women’s Sports takes a look back at her six previous US Open championships.

1999: A star is born

A teenager entered the 1999 final as the world No. 1 and a five-time major champion – and it wasn’t Williams. Martina Hingis entered as the seasoned veteran at all of 18 years old, while 17-year-old Williams came in as the upstart looking for her first major victory.

The No. 7 seed, Williams faced off against four eventual Hall of Famers on the way to the final: Kim Clijsters, Conchita Martinez, Monica Seles and finally No. 2 seed Lindsay Davenport in the semifinals.

In the championship match, Williams won in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6 (9-7), announcing herself as a star in her own right. She even beat older sister Venus to a major title – Venus won her first two in 2000 at Wimbledon and back at the US Open.

“Even though Richard Williams had already been making noise about how Serena ultimately was going to be the better player, better than Venus, we didn’t think it was going to happen quite yet,” Hall of Fame tennis journalist Steve Fink told USOpen.org. “I just remember it really surprised me. A year or two later it wouldn’t have, but I thought Martina was still going to have the edge at that stage in the final, with her experience.”

2002: The Venus and Serena Show

After winning her first US Open, Williams did not win another major until 2002 – but that year, she went on a tear. She won the French Open and Wimbledon before capping her year with another win in New York, and all three titles came against sister Venus.

She blazed through the year’s last major. In her first five matches, she conceded just 14 games through 10 sets, then dispatched No. 4 seed Davenport in straight sets in the semifinal. Finally, the younger Williams sister then took down the elder 6-4, 6-3.

“Serena was the best player the whole tournament this year,” Venus said at the time. “I have to give it to her for that. My game went down after the fourth round and I just couldn’t do a thing to bring it back up.”

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(Bongarts/Getty Images)

This major saw Serena turn heads not just for her play but also for her fashion sense. The now infamous catsuit, designed by Puma, drew worldwide attention following her first match.

“If you don’t have a decent shape, this isn’t the outfit to have,” Williams said. “It makes me run faster and jump higher and it’s really sexy. [Venus told me it’s] really fun, really exciting and very sexy. I mean, she just basically described me.”

While Williams received blowback for the outfit, she shut down the critics, saying, “Nobody is ever going to tell me what to wear.”

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(Gary M. Prior/Getty Images)

2008: Reclaimed glory

Williams reached No. 1 in the world for the first time in 2002, but she lost the ranking in 2003. She didn’t regain the top spot again until her third US Open win in 2008.

Entering as the No. 4 seed, Williams did not drop a set en route to the title. Her most troublesome match of the tournament came in the quarterfinals against Venus, who took Serena to tiebreakers in both sets.

From there, Williams sailed through the semifinal against Dinara Safina and the final against Jelena Jankovic.

While she walked away with her ninth major, Williams asserted after the match that she wasn’t satisfied. Of course, she eventually compiled a total of 23 Grand Slam singles titles.

“I’m pushing the doors to double digits, which I obviously want to get to,” she said. “I feel like I can do it.”

2012: 30 and thriving

With her win over Victoria Azarenka in 2012, Williams became the third woman in history to win Wimbledon, the US Open and the Olympics in the same season, joining Steffi Graf (1988) and sister Venus (2000).

The world No. 1 made a near-flawless run, with her only lost set coming in the final against Azarenka, which she won 6-2, 2-6, 7-5. Williams served up 13 total aces in the final and hit a peak serve of 125 mph at one point in the match.

Despite her dominant play, Williams found herself on the verge of defeat – two points away from it, in fact – before she rallied to take the final four games and win the final set.

After winning her 15th major at the age of 30, Williams would rattle off another eight majors in her 30s.

2013: Back-to-back titles

The duo of Azarenka and Williams met once again in the US Open final, and once again, it was a three-set thriller, with Williams winning 7-5, 6-7 (10-8), 6-1. In another repeat of the previous year, Williams’ lone dropped set came against Azarenka in the final.

The 2013 major marked the 17th of her career, officially beginning the chants proclaiming Williams to be the greatest of all time. It also marked her fourth major in 16 months, a record for a women’s player over the age of 30.

Five majors away from Steffi Graf’s record of 22 in the Open era, 32-year-old Williams shut down questions about age as an obstacle to her success.

“I don’t think about it. I always said, age for me, I feel great. I’ve never felt better,” she said. “I feel really fit. I haven’t felt like this in a number of years, and so I’m excited about the possibilities.

“I don’t know what can happen, I just keep playing and doing the best that I can.”

Of course, Williams would go on to win six more majors. Further defying the doubters, Williams would make the final at both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2018 mere months after giving birth to daughter Olympia Ohanian.

2014: Three-peat for the ages

Williams won her third consecutive US Open in 2014, just one off the record of Chris Evert, who rattled off four in a row from 1975-78. For a record-matching third time, she did not lose a set en route to the title.

She also equaled the record for US Open singles titles in the Open era.

In the final, Williams took down friend Caroline Wozniacki, 6-3, 6-1. The match lasted just 75 minutes, and Williams was emotional as she accepted the trophy on the same court on which she won her first at 17 years old.

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(Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

“It is a pleasure for me to win my first Grand Slam here and then this No. 18,” Williams said. “So I’m really emotional. I couldn’t ask to do it at a better place.”

For her win, Williams won a record $4 million – $3 million in prize money plus $1 million as a bonus for having the best record during the North America summer hard court circuit. The match also made her the first women’s athlete to earn more than $60 million in prize money.

US Tennis Stars Advance as Wimbledon Field Narrows

Italy's Jasmine Paolini celebrates her first-round win over Latvia's Anastasija Sevastova at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships
World No. 4 Jasmine Paolini fell in the second round of the 2025 Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday. (Daniel Kopatsch/Getty Images)

The 2025 Wimbledon Championships wrapped its second round on Thursday, with the grass court Grand Slam seeing just 15 of the tournament's 32 seeded players advance to the Friday and Saturday's third round.

A full half of the WTA's Top 10 players did not survive the week, with 2024 Wimbledon finalist and world No. 5 Jasmine Paolini joining four first-round star exits by falling to unseeded Kamilla Rakhimova in a three-set, second-round battle on Wednesday.

At the same time, unseeded fan favorites like Japan's No. 53 Naomi Osaka and England's own No. 40 Emma Raducanu secured third-round spots at the London Slam, joining top surviving contenders like No. 4 Iga Świątek and defending Wimbledon champion No. 16 Barbora Krejčíková.

Notably, a full five US players managed to move ahead, tied for the largest national contingent still standing at the tournament.

Led by 2025 Australian Open champion No. 8 Madison Keys, the US group also includes No. 10 Emma Navarro and No. 12 Amanda Anisimova, as well as unseeded players No. 54 Danielle Collins and No. 55 Hailey Baptiste.

With matches against Świątek and No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, respectively, Collins and Baptiste have a tough third round ahead — though Navarro's battle against the 2024 champ Krejčíková arguably headlines Saturday's slate.

US tennis star Emma Navarro eyes a return during a 2025 Wimbledon match.
US star Emma Navarro will face 2024 champ Barbora Krejčíková in Wimbledon's Round of 32. (Rob Newell/CameraSport via Getty Images)

How to watch Wimbledon this weekend

While world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka is still holding strong in the dwindling field, this year's Wimbledon play is proving that the London Slam is anyone's to take, as the grass court humbles even the sport's top stars.

Expect the twists and turns to continue as tennis's best battle for spots in Sunday's Round of 16.

Round-of-32 Wimbledon play kicks off at 6 AM ET on Friday, with live continuous coverage of the tournament airing on ESPN.

Finland Opens Women’s Euro 2025 with Upset Upset Win Over Iceland

Finland's Katariina Kosola and Emma Koivisto celebrate a goal during their opening 2025 Euro match.
Finland earned a surprise 1-0 win over Iceland in their 2025 Euro opener on Wednesday. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The 2025 European Championship is officially underway, as Euro action kicked off with a group-stage upset on Wednesday.

Though the 2025 UEFA tournament's opener was a sweltering affair amid a European heat wave, world No. 26 Finland prevailed, earning a 1-0 upset win over No. 14 Iceland in Group A.

Finnish winger Katariina Kosola played hero, curling in the winning goal in the match's 70th minute — just 12 minutes after Iceland midfielder Hildur Antonsdóttir picked up the competition's first red card.

"The result is important for our confidence," Kosola said after Finland's first major tournament win since the 2009 Euro. "It was the kind of goal I have been practicing a lot."

"It's terrible to lose and we feel frustrated," said Iceland head coach Thorsteinn Halldórsson. "It is an even group and we knew Finland were good, but our first half wasn't good enough."

Elsewhere, No. 16 Norway closed out Wednesday's slate on top of Group A, taking three points by defeating host No. 23 Switzerland in day's second match.

Led by captain and 2018 Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg — who pulled the match even with a second-half strike — Norway battled to a 2-1 comeback win, despite the Swiss side outshooting and out-possessing the Norwegians.

Spain jersey hang in lockers ahead of the team's 2025 Euro opening match against Portugal.
Reigning World Cup champions Spain will open their 2025 Euro account against Portugal. (Aitor Alcalde - UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)

How to watch this week's 2025 Euro action

Group B steals the 2025 Euro spotlight on Thursday.

While No. 13 Italy snagged a 1-0 opening win over No. 20 Belgium to kick off the day, 2023 World Cup champions and tournament favorite No. 2 Spain will face No. 22 Portugal at 3 PM ET.

Friday's Group C slate will pit No. 12 Denmark against No. 6 Sweden at 12 PM ET, before No. 3 Germany contends with No. 27 Poland at 3 PM ET.

Closing out the first group-stage matches will be arguably the toughest draw of the 2025 Euro pool.

Saturday's Group D slate features major tournament debutants No. 30 Wales against the No. 11 Netherlands at 12 PM ET, with No. 10 France taking on defending champions No. 5 England to cap the day at 3 PM ET.

Live coverage of 2025 Euro matches will air across Fox Sports platforms.

USWNT Caps Summer Friendlies with 3-0 Canada Shutout

Yazmeen Ryan, Michelle Cooper, Claire Hutton, Mandy McGlynn, and Izzy Rodriguez and the rest of the USWNT huddle after their July 2025 friendly win over Canada.
The USWNT finished the summer international window with 11 goals, conceding none, across three matches. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)

The world No. 1 USWNT ruled the pitch on Wednesday night, shutting out North American rivals No. 8 Canada 3-0 to finish the international window on a high note.

Catching the Canada backline sleeping, US midfielder Sam Coffey opened the scoring at the 17-minute mark before 19-year-old Claire Hutton claimed her first-ever USWNT goal by heading in a Rose Lavelle corner kick in the game's 36th minute.

Houston Dash forward Yazmeen Ryan then padded the US tally in the waning minutes of the match, finding the back of the net just eight minutes after subbing onto the field.

Despite fielding a young roster, the US overpowered a veteran-heavy Canada side in almost every category, topping their Northern neighbors in shots, shots on target, possession, and — most notably — set pieces.

Canada ultimately couldn't match the game's mental pace or physical battle, as the USWNT scored all three goals off dead ball situations — a free kick, a corner kick, and a throw-in.

"It's not about the opponent," US head coach Emma Hayes said after the match. "It's about what we do, and I felt that was extremely dominant."

With Wednesday's contributions, the USWNT finishes the summer window with 11 goals scored across the three friendlies — and zero goals conceded.

The US now enters an extended break before reconvening for another as-yet-unannounced friendly series in October — but players will be expected to perform in the meantime.

"I said to the players in the end in the huddle, if you want to compete to win the biggest things, it's not what you do here that matters," said Hayes. "It's what you do when you go back to your club."

Seattle Storm Looks to Climb the WNBA Standings in Weekend Gauntlet

Seattle Storm star Nneka Ogwumike high-fives teammates as she's introduced before a 2025 WNBA game.
The No. 5 Seattle Storm will face No. 4 Atlanta and No. 3 New York this weekend. (Soobum Im/NBAE via Getty Images)

The 2025 WNBA regular season returns on Thursday night, with teams at the top of the league standings looking to prove their mettle against close competition across the long holiday weekend.

The No. 5 Seattle Storm have arguably the toughest weekend assignments, taking on the No. 4 Atlanta Dream on Friday before tackling the No. 3 New York Liberty on Sunday.

Four middle-of-the-pack teams will look to close in on a double-digit season win tally while the league's frontrunners strive to maintain their advantage in this weekend's slate:

  • No. 7 Las Vegas Aces vs. No. 8 Indiana Fever, Thursday at 7 PM ET (Prime): Though still without star Caitlin Clark, the Fever hope to harness their 2025 WNBA Commissioner's Cup victory momentum against an Aces side tied with Indiana with an 8-8 season record.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 4 Atlanta Dream, Thursday at 7:30 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): Seattle will look to make strides against a strong Atlanta side while putting last Sunday's stinging 84-57 loss to up-and-comer Golden State in their rearview.
  • No. 6 Golden State Valkyries vs. No. 1 Minnesota Lynx, Saturday at 8 PM ET (WNBA League Pass): The rising Valkyries must face a Lynx side hunting redemption, as the league-leaders look to bounce back from their stifling Tuesday Commissioner's Cup upset loss.
  • No. 5 Seattle Storm vs. No. 3 New York Liberty, Sunday at 1 PM ET (CBS): With injured Liberty center Jonquel Jones still sidelined, the Seattle Storm will have a chance to steal a weekend game against the reigning champs, as New York struggles to re-find their footing.

With the 2025 WNBA All-Star break looming, early top performers must keep standards high if they want to hold the line when the season crosses the midway point.

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