Serena Williams ‘evolving away from tennis’ as women’s all-time greatest player

Serena Williams has announced her imminent retirement from tennis.

The 23-time grand-slam champion has committed to playing at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati next week as well as the US Open which begins later this month, and it appears that will be her final tournament.

Here, the PA news agency assesses where the American stands in a women’s top 10.

Williams may have fallen just short in her bid to surpass Margaret Court’s all-time record of grand slam singles titles but she deserves her spot at the top of the standings. Williams won every slam title at least three times and held all four titles on two occasions. She also won four Olympic gold medals and 16 slam titles in doubles. Her serve was the best in the history of women’s tennis and her powerful game was much imitated but never bettered. Worked her way back to the top several times after health problems, and the birth of daughter Olympia in 2017.

A very strong case could be made for Graf to sit at the top of the list. A true all-rounder, the German’s powerful, athletic game – particularly her forehand – made her a force on all surfaces, and she won every slam title four times or more. She is the only tennis player in history to win the Golden Slam – all four titles and Olympic singles gold, doing so in 1988. She was ranked world number one for a record 377 weeks and retired aged 30 when she was ranked third.

Court stands alone as the most successful singles player in grand slam history but 11 of her 24 titles came on home soil in Australia at a time when not all the best players travelled Down Under. Nevertheless, she was a phenomenally successful player across the board, winning all the slams at least three times and the calendar Grand Slam in 1970.