Serena Williams: Four agonising times the star missed out on record 24th Grand Slam

Serena Williams recently announced that she will be stepping away from the tennis court in an emotional letter to the world.

Writing for Vogue, the 40-year-old superstar confirmed “the countdown has begun” towards the day where she hangs up her racquet.

The athlete, mother, and businesswoman described this transition as “evolving away” from the sport she has dominated for more than two decades.

For Williams, this was not an easy decision — she said as much in her farewell feature.

In 2017, she won her 23rd Grand Slam title, putting her one away from equalling Margaret Court’s all-time record. Williams was 35 at the time, with years still ahead of her. It looked to be written in the stars.

However, the elusive 24th Grand Slam kept evading her — it is looking more than likely that the legendary Serena Williams will retire without writing one last piece of history.

While Williams’ Grand Slam count is the highest of any player during the Open Era, she has admitted she wants to equal Court’s all-time tally.

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that record. Obviously I do,” she wrote for Vogue. “But day to day, I’m really not thinking about her. If I’m in a Grand Slam final, then yes, I am thinking about that record. Maybe I thought about it too much, and that didn’t help.

“The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus Grand Slams. I had my chances after coming back from giving birth. I went from a C-section to a second pulmonary embolism to a grand slam final. I played while breastfeeding. I played through postpartum depression. But I didn’t get there.

“I didn’t show up the way I should have or could have. But I showed up 23 times, and that’s fine. Actually it’s extraordinary.”

Since earning her 23rd major title, Williams