Tennis News

DOHA, Qatar – No.2 seed Karolina Pliskova put together a dominating performance over Caroline Wozniacki to take home her eighth career title – and her second of 2017 – at the Qatar Total Open.

The Dane went into their final matchup with a 3-0 lead in the pair’s head-to-head record, but Pliskova didn’t read the script and overpowered the former World No.1, 6-3, 6-4.

“I think I’m having a great start to the year, which is always important,” Pliskova said after the match.

“To beat players like Cibulkova and Wozniacki is something amazing. I’ve never beat them before, but I was trying really hard this week so I’m really happy with my wins here.”

Unbelievable tennis from @KaPliskova! ?? pic.twitter.com/S7zVMZ9F3W

— WTA (@WTA) February 18, 2017

The Czech was in charge from the start, not showing any signs of fatigue after playing two matches on the same day on Friday, where she set a personal record for most aces in a single match. She continued her momentum against Wozniacki, employing her trademark controlled aggression to surge ahead a double break and take a 4-0 lead.

Wozniacki changed up her strategy to get on board and halt her opponent’s momentum, stepping into the court and running Pliskova from side to side to target the Czech’s biggest weakness: her court movement. But after dropping three straight games, Pliskova got right back on track to reel off the final two and pocket the opening set.

The pair stayed on par in a tightly drawn final set, Pliskova brushing aside Wozniacki’s lone break chance to stay on course. The Czech finally got her chance in the final game, flicking over a short, low-floating forehand which Wozniacki buried into the net to give Pliskova the match.

.@KaPliskova captures @QatarTennis title!

Beats Wozniacki 6-3, 6-4! pic.twitter.com/28rO130GKX

— WTA (@WTA) February 18, 2017

Pliskova’s dominating performance is reflected in the numbers: despite Wozniacki hitting a meager five unforced errors during the entire match, she was only to hit nine winners – just a third of Pliskova’s 27. The Czech’s serve was in full swing too, winning 69% of first serve points and hitting four aces.

“It’s been a great week, despite the tough conditions for all of us,” Wozniacki reflected at the trophy ceremony. “To be here in the final is something to be really proud of, the way I’ve been playing this week.

“I’m very disappointed with the loss but Karolina was playing really well. She deserved this one, but I’m going to try to get my revenge next time.”

With the victory, Pliskova will jump to No.2 on the Road To Singapore Leaderboard, leapfrogging Australian Open finalist Venus Williams.

A rain-affected Tuesday means Wimbledon has some catching up to do, but second-round action nonetheless begins in earnest on Wednesday at the All England Club. We preview the key matchups and look inside the numbers here on wtatennis.com, courtesy of contributor Chris Oddo.

Wednesday

Second Round

[5] Simona Halep (ROU #5) vs. Francesca Schiavone (ITA #111)
Head-to-head: Schiavone leads, 1-0
Key Stat: Schiavone snapped a three-year Wimbledon losing streak with her first round win on Monday.

Simona Halep has only won back-to-back matches at SW19 on one occasion, but that occasion was quite special because it led to an appearance in the semifinals in 2014. Can the Romanian, who has suffered from patchy form and a nagging Achilles injury in recent months, rekindle the magic on grass this year? Standing in her way will be one of the tour’s most revered veterans in Francesca Schiavone. The 36-year-old snapped a three-year Wimbledon drought on Monday with a straight set win over Anastasija Sevastova, but the challenge will be elevated on Wednesday when the Italian tries to win against a Top 10 player on grass for the first time. Halep had to skip Birmingham with injury, but she told reporters on Monday that despite her lack of match play on grass this summer, her extra practice time on the surface is starting to pay off. “I had many days practicing here,” she said. “I feel the grass. I feel the court. I feel the atmosphere here… I’m looking forward for the next round, and maybe I will play better after two days.”

Pick: Halep in two

[9] Madison Keys (USA #9) vs. Kirsten Flipkens (BEL #51)
Head-to-head: Tied, 1-1
Key Stat: Keys enters on six-match winning streak.

Madison Keys, American storm. The 21-year-old may possess a calm and easy going demeanor, but it’s clear to anyone that watches her play that she enjoys playing rock-n-roll tennis when she’s on court. She did that to great effect in winning the Birmingham title a few weeks back and she looked stunning in hammering her way past Germany’s Laura Siegemund on Day 1. But Keys knows her next test against the crafty Belgian Kirsten Flipkens will force her to problem solve a bit more. Will she prove up to the task? She says she’s ready. “It will be tough,” she told reporters on Monday, when asked about the challenge of facing the former Wimbledon semifinalist. “I played her in Miami. It was a tough match. She’s obviously done well on grass before and can be really crafty, is really good with dropshots and slices and mixing it up. That’s going to be a tough match. I think I’ll have to go in with a similar game plan as I did today.”

Pick: Keys in two

Sabine Lisicki (GER #81) vs. [14] Sam Stosur (AUS #16)
Head-to-head: Stosur leads, 5-2
Key Stat: Lisicki improved to 26-7 lifetime at Wimbledon with her win over Shelby Rogers on Monday.

Samantha Stosur holds the significant edge in the pair’s head-to-head, but Sabine Lisicki’s Wimbledon magic could play a role in the eighth meeting between these two hard-serving veterans. Stosur, making her 14th Wimbledon appearance, is well aware of the Lisicki aura at SW19. “I mean, it’s no doubt this is a tournament she feels very comfortable at no matter kind of what she’s been doing in the lead-up,” Stosur said. “I’m sure when she walks through the gates here she probably feels like she’s No. 1 in the world. You have to be aware of that and know she has a very big serve.” Lisicki has won just two of seven tilts against the Aussie, but she’s once again brimming with confidence and a certain je ne sais quoi at Wimbledon. “I really liked this place from the beginning,” she said. “I think in this place you feel the history. It’s just a magical place. When I come here, I just feel really special to have the opportunity to play here.”

Pick: Lisicki in three

Around the Grounds: Garbiñe Muguruza will look to continue her eight-match winning streak at major tournaments when she takes on world No.124 Jana Cepelova of Slovakia. Muguruza owns a 6-1 record against players ranked outside of the Top 100 at majors. Venus Williams will square off with Greek qualifier Maria Sakkari. World No.115 Sakkari won her first Wimbledon match on Monday; Williams owns 77 wins at the All England Club, second only to her sister Serena among active players. Karolina Pliskova will continue her quest to make the second week of a major for the first time when she meets Misaki Doi on Day 2. In 16 major appearances, Pliskova has only reached the third round three times.

By the Numbers:

8 – Number of Wimbledon finals that Venus Williams has played, winning five.

89 – Percentage of first-serve points that Stosur won in her Day 1 victory over Magda Linette.

18 – Number of American women that entered the main draw – most of any country.

122 – The speed of Sabine Lisicki’s fastest serve on Day 1, which was the fastest recorded by all players in action on Monday.

LONDON, Great Britain – For the first time since 2009, Serena Williams and Venus Williams have made the semifinals of the same Slam. Serena booked her spot on Tuesday with a clean 6-4, 6-4 win over Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, and Venus followed suit with her own straight set win, 7-6(5), 6-2 over Yaroslava Shvedova.

So is an All-Williams final in the cards? Not if Angelique Kerber or Elena Vesnina have something to say about it.

The Australian Open champion beat No.5 seed Simona Halep, 7-5, 7-6(2) in her toughest test of the tournament, while Vesnina played her best match of the fortnight to beat Dominika Cibulkova, 6-2, 6-2 to make her first major semifinal.

Serena Williams has her swagger back: Serena has been taking care of business on court. With her win over Pavlyuchenkova to advance to her eighth straight Slam semifinal, she has lost just one set at Wimbledon. Since her second round three-set win over Christina McHale – where she hit 40 unforced errors – she has cleaned things up dramatically, hitting no more than 19 unforced in any single match since. In her five matches she’s also dished out two bagel sets. It’s all shaping up perfectly for the World No.1 on court.

But off-court, her swagger has been even more apparent. Through much of last year, as she marched toward a possible Calendar Grand Slam, there was an intentional, purposeful humility about Serena. When asked to talk about herself the frequent phrases were some iteration of, “I’m just trying the best I can can.” She worked overtime to diffuse any pressure, talking up the qualities of the field and the task at hand. There was an air of uncertainty about her, despite the results she was racking up.

That has not been the case at Wimbledon. From the get-go Serena has been on edge. In a good way. In a very refreshing way. In a way that should worry the remaining semifinalists.

Serena is backing herself here. She is not shying away from her accomplishments or her qualities. Serena is reminding everyone, not just with her play but now with her own words, that’s the World No.1, the best player on the planet, and one of the greatest of all time.

Here’s a sample of some of what we’re hearing in the interview room:

Q. In the interview when you came off court after your win, you said, I know mentally no one can break me. What did you mean by that?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think it says it in itself. I’ve been through a lot in my career, on the court and off the court. I’ve been in every position you can be in. So I know mentally I’m, hands down, one of the toughest players out here. It’s very difficult to break me down mentally.

Q. This is your eighth straight Grand Slam semifinal. How happy are you with the sort of consistency you’ve had getting through these first five rounds?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I think it’s great. You know, like I said, it just shows another mental toughness of mine, just being able to come through and consistently get to this stage of the tournament. I think it’s something that is really noteworthy.

Q. Your serve is described as the single greatest stroke in the history of women’s tennis. We know about your mental toughness. Can you compare those two elements in your game?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, my serve is usually really good. I don’t know how it came about, though. Like, I’m not as tall as all the other players. So it’s strange that I have such a strong, hard serve.

But I have to say what I think really is my game is my mental toughness because just not only to be able to play, to win, but to be able to come back when I’m down. Both on the court and after tough losses, just to continue to come back and continue to fight, it’s something that takes a lot of tenacity.

Q. Her mobility is outstanding, she’s a great retriever. Your ground game looked really sharp. What are the keys for you on grass and how are you able to get to so many balls, crack those unbelievable backhands.
SERENA WILLIAMS: I move very well, as well especially when I want to (smiling). Yeah, I guess I’ve been wanting to lately just kind of get out there and pretty much get every ball back.

That’s one thing I’ve been working on, is my defensive game. I feel like I’ve got an extremely strong defensive game, and always have throughout my career. I wanted to bring it up to par again the way it was, so… I’m glad you noticed.

Q. Could you talk about your intensity. Do you feel it’s just you? Is it something you embrace and love? Do you step away and say, Whoa, a bit too much?
SERENA WILLIAMS: Yeah, I mean, it’s no secret, I’m a very intense player. I’m so passionate at my job, just like you guys are with writing. I hope you are just as passionate. This is what I do, and I love what I do.

I wake up since I was three years old to do this. These are the moments that I live for. The passion and the intensity that I have is what makes me Serena. I can’t change, nor would I ever want to be different.

Q. Those sort of bright spots, how much can that give you confidence, you’re moving in the right direction or where you want to be?
SERENA WILLIAMS: It gives me a lot of confidence. I know what it takes to win these tournaments. It’s just about now just doing it.

Q. If you’re going to struggle and fight, is this the best venue for you to do it at where you have the grass underfoot, big serve going?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I don’t think that’s a fair statement. I think I’ve struggled and fought on every surface and I’ve come out on top. It really doesn’t matter what surface it is for me.

Q. There seems to be a notion out there that trying to get your 22nd major singles title to equal Graf’s mark wears on you. I want to ask you how much you think about that. What do you think of the idea that some people think it’s a difficult mental thing for you? How much do you think about that number 22?
SERENA WILLIAMS: I think more or less about winning Australia, I think about winning the French Open. Didn’t happen. I think about winning Wimbledon. I don’t necessarily think about winning 22.

Mentally I’ve been further down than anyone can be. Well, maybe not anyone, but I’ve been pretty low. There’s nothing that’s not mentally too hard for me.

Through it all she’s been as gracious as she has in the past in complementing her opponents and celebrating in the success of her fellow Americans at Wimbledon. But the tone has been different here in London compared to Roland Garros or the Australian Open. Serena is sending a clear message both on and off the court: She’s done feeling sorry for herself or being scared of failure. She’s here to win Wimbledon.

Venus Williams turns back the clock: The feel good story of the fortnight is, without a doubt, Venus Williams. At 36 years old she’s back in the Wimbledon semifinals for the first time since 2009. She’s brushed aside three young upstarts in Donna Vekic, Maria Sakkari, and Daria Kasatkina in the first three rounds, before rolling past two veteran opponents in Carla Suárez Navarro and Yaroslava Shvedova. And she’s not done yet. Put aside those patronizing questions about everything now being a bonus for Venus, that she should just be happy to have made the semifinals.

The five-time Wimbledon champion wants more, and she’s one win away from a possible final showdown against her sister. “Semifinals feels good,” a smiling Venus said. “But it doesn’t feel foreign at all, let’s put it that way.”

Venus’s journey back to this stage at a major tournament has been five years in the making. Diagnosed with an auto-immune disease in 2011, she has played on, showing flashes of brilliance but struggling to string it together at the Slams. The whispering voices wondered why she continued to play when it appeared her glory days were behind her.

“Retiring is the easy way out,” Venus said. “I don’t have time for easy.

“The most difficult part of the journey is just not being in control because when you’re an athlete, you’re used to being in control, being able to work for anything,” Venus said, when asked about how she’s learned to manage being a high-level athlete and Sjogren’s Syndrome. “Not being able to do that is a challenge. Also it was a relief for me to know what was wrong with me because I hadn’t felt well in a while. That was, Okay, I’m not crazy. So that was a good moment.

“This has been my life. What can I say? I wouldn’t wish it any other way. It’s been my life. It’s been a beautiful life. It’s been a great experience. It’s been everything.”

As for what the last five years have taught her, Venus pointed to the two qualities that have always defined her career: fearlessness and self-belief in the face of the odds.

“It’s easy to be afraid. You have to let fear go. Another lesson is you just have to believe in yourself. You just have to. There’s no way around it. You’ve got to believe in yourself. No matter how things are stacked against you, you just have to every time.”

Angelique Kerber on a roll: Under the radar suits Angelique Kerber’s personality. She’s a quiet champion. The spotlight can be blinding. Sometimes it can burn. Kerber felt that when she arrived in Paris in May as the Australian Open champion. People were talking about her. That wasn’t the case here in London.

“When I arrived in Paris, I was feeling much more pressure,” Kerber said. “I did it actually by myself, to put a lot of pressure on me. Also, I was not handling it so well to do everything also off court. It was everything too much, I think.

“When I arrived here, I was telling myself, just like in Australia, Just be relaxed, playing round by round, not making things actually too much complicated, not putting pressure on myself. So that was actually what I changed, what I learn also from Paris. Just also focusing on the tennis thing, on my practice, being more relaxed.”

Kerber’s career about the work. When she can block out the distractions and just focus on the work, her best results have come. Last year she won four titles but never progressed past the third round at any major. This year she start the season with her first major win and she she’s a win away from contesting another major final.

“I know that I have the game to win the big tournament,” she said. “I know that I know how to do it right now. But the pressure is there, of course. I mean, I’m just looking forward to it. I know that I have a lot of confidence right now. I’m feeling good on grass court. This is what counts.”

Kerber is the only semifinalist who has yet to lose a set, and though her first four matches were against unseeded opponents, she played a confident match to dispatch of No.5 seed Simona Halep in the quarterfinals. Kerber has not been broken in three of her five matches, and she’s put more than 90% of her returns in in her last three matches.

Elena Vesnina’s Grand Slam breakthrough: With a 6-2, 6-2 decimation of the streaking No.19 seed Dominika Cibulkova, Elena Vesnina betters her already career-best run by reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal in singles. With a winking nod towards her apparent Lendl Effect boost, stay tuned for a full Insider take on the Russian veteran.

Rankings Watch: Kerber is set to move back to No.2 after Wimbledon. She can overtake Serena for No.1 if she wins the title and Serena loses in the semifinals.

Venus will move to No.7 by reaching the semifinals and can climb to No.6 by reaching the final, which would be her highest ranking since week of Feb. 14, 2011. She could move to No.5 by winning the title.

Vesnina was ranked No.122 in mid-February this year. By reaching the semifinals she will move into the Top 25. She would move to a career-high No.18 by reaching the final and would make her Top 10 debut (at No.9) if she wins the title.

Emotional rescue: Players and pundits focus on the importance of physical recovery. It’s no surprise that a team of physios, trainers, and a regular regimen of ice baths are standard in today’s game. But what about emotional recovery? There are no massage tables or tape jobs for that.

That was the dilemma for Dominika Cibulkova, who came out flat and just couldn’t get things going against Vesnina.

“I think it was the biggest issue today for me,” Cibulkova said. “When you see me play, I get really, really emotional. Some players, they don’t get so many emotions, but I just play with it. That’s how I am. Maybe if I would get the day off, it would help me. But it was just so close playing today’s match after yesterday. So I think that was the toughest for me, I would say. It was more tough for me than maybe physically.”

“I have to say Vesnina played really, really well,” Cibulkova said. “It was just all together. She was playing really well.”

And for those who are on Domi Wedding Watch: It will go forward as planned on Saturday.

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova looks to build: The 25-year-old was into her first Slam quarterfinal in five years, a good reward for the hard works she’s been putting in with her coach Dieter Kindlmann. Could this be the spark that Pavlyuchenkova needed to get her prodigious career back on track? She was a three-time junior Slam champion but her transition to the pro tour has been spotty for someone of her pure talent.

This was quite the chunk of junior talent. Junior Slam winners start with AO left to right. pic.twitter.com/bbBxEPsZvu

— Courtney Nguyen (@FortyDeuceTwits) July 5, 2016

The best news to come out of the week for Pavlyuchenkova was her expressed ambition. She told reporters that after Miami she realized she had to take a more disciplined approach to her tennis and hiring Kindlmann was a big part of that. Against Serena, she played with purpose and her performance was one to be proud of.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long, so it’s very special right now playing against Serena on Centre Court here,” she said after the match. “I was very nervous today before the match because I didn’t want to go out there and just enjoy, I really wanted to win.” That was very good to hear.

The foolishness of youth: Let’s end it on this.

Q. A few years ago you said that you would never expect to be playing tennis being 35 years old, still in the pro career. If someone would tell you you’d be still playing being 40 in the pro tennis, do you think it’s feasible or not?
VENUS WILLIAMS: Well, you have to understand that 21 year olds are foolish. I didn’t think I was going to be here at 36. Now, if I’m here at 46, I will say that 46 year olds are foolish. I don’t think I’ll be here, but we’ll see.

LONDON, England – History is on the line at Wimbledon on Saturday as Serena Williams chases her 22nd Grand Slam title when she faces the in-form Angelique Kerber.

Before the two face off on Centre Court, here are 10 points to ponder…

(1) Serena Williams (USA #1) vs (4) Angelique Kerber (GER #4)
Head-To-Head: Williams leads Kerber, 5-2

1) Williams is attempting to equal the Open Era record of major titles.
If Williams wins, she will equal Steffi Graf’s Open Era record of 22 Grand Slam titles, and move to within touching distance of Margaret Court’s all-time leading tally of 24.

2) And she has a magnificent record in Grand Slam finals.
Serena has only lost six of her 27 Grand Slam finals: the 2001 US Open (to Venus Williams), 2004 Wimbledon (to Maria Sharapova), 2008 Wimbledon (to Venus Williams), 2011 US Open (to Sam Stosur), 2016 Australian Open (to Kerber) and 2016 Roland Garros (to Garbiñe Muguruza). This is the second-best winning percentage in the Open Era after Court (11-1)

3) Kerber was eight years old the last time a German won Wimbledon.
If Kerber wins, she will be the first German woman to win the Wimbledon title since Steffi Graf in 1996.

4) History repeating itself?
If Kerber is looking for good omens, then she will find several by studying the 1996 Championships: Kerber and Graf overcame opponents from five different countries en route to the final; both beat their opponent in a major final earlier in the season – Graf defeated Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario at Roland Garros.

The 1996 final also pitted the No.1 and No.4 seeds against one another. Although, unfortunately for Kerber, on that occasion the No.4 seed came out second best. 

5) Serena is trying to become the oldest Grand Slam champion in the Open Era. Again.
If Serena wins, she will break her own record as the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam title in the Open Era. Serena was 33 years and 285 days when she won her 21st major, at last year’s Wimbledon; she will be 34 years and 283 days on Saturday.

6) Kerber displaying her bouncebackability…
Less than seven weeks ago, Kerber was crashing out in the first round of Roland Garros to Kiki Bertens. Victory over Williams in Saturday’s final will see her become just the third player in the Open Era to bounce back from an opening round defeat in Paris by lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish. The other two? Serena (2012) and Venus (2001), of course.

7) Achieving the Serena-Venus double.
Kerber is bidding to become just the eighth woman to beat both Williams sisters at the same tournament. Click here to find out the identity of the magnificent seven to have achieved the feat.

8) Kerber will be back up to No.2 after Wimbledon.
Serena’s semifinal victory over Elena Vesnina ended Kerber’s slim hopes of overhauling her atop the rankings. However, should the German lift the title, she will trail Williams by less than 500 points.

Meanwhile, the results in south-west London have maintained the status quo atop the Road To Singapore leaderboard; Williams and Kerber will stay in the top two spots, although both are yet to secure qualification for the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global. 

9) Kerber’s unblemished record.
Kerber has not dropped a set on her way to the final. The last player to win a major without losing a set was Serena at the 2014 US Open. Marion Bartoli was the last to achieve the feat at Wimbledon, in 2013.

10) The exclusive leftie club.
Kerber is attempting to become just the fourth left-hander to be crowned Wimbledon champion in the Open Era. The other three are Ann Jones (1969) Martina Navratilova (1978, 1979, 1982-87, 1990) and Petra Kvitova (2011, 2014). The only other leftie to reach the final was 1992 runner-up Monica Seles.

LONDON, England – Serena Williams has resumed her relentless march towards tennis history this fortnight at Wimbledon. As she closes in on a 22nd Grand Slam crown, here are some noteworthy numbers on the WTA’s indomitable World No.1.

(updated after her semifinal win at Wimbledon)

Serena & Grand Slams
~ Serena has the second-most Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era with 21 (Graf 22)
~ Serena has the third-most Grand Slam singles titles all-time with 21 (Court 24, Graf 22)
~ Serena has the second-most Grand Slam match wins in Open Era with 303 (Navratilova 306)
~ Serena is trying to win her seventh Wimbledon title (won it in 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2015); a seventh title would tie her with Steffi Graf and Dorothea Lambert Chambers on the all-time leaderboard
~ This is Serena’s 22nd time being the No.1 seed at a Grand Slam (she’s won 11 of the first 21)
~ Serena is 21-6 in Grand Slam final matches (her six defeats came against Venus Williams (2001 US Open, 2008 Wimbledon), Maria Sharapova (2004 Wimbledon), Samantha Stosur (2011 US Open), Angelique Kerber (2016 Australian Open) and Garbiñe Muguruza (2016 Roland Garros))

Serena & Finals
~ Serena is 21-6 in Grand Slam singles finals, the second-best winning percentage Open Era (Court was 11-1)
~ Serena won eight straight Grand Slam singles finals between 2012 Wimbledon and 2015 Wimbledon; losses on each side were 2011 US Open (l. Stosur) and 2016 Australian Open (l. Kerber)
~ Serena has won 31 of her last 36 finals (only losses: Azarenka at 2013 Doha, 2013 Cincinnati, 2016 Indian Wells, Kerber at 2016 Australian Open and Muguruza at 2016 Roland Garros)

Serena & Age-Related Stats
~ Serena is the oldest woman to win a major in the Open Era (33y & 285d at 2015 Wimbledon)
~ Serena is the oldest No.1 in WTA history (set record when returned to No.1 on February 18, 2013)
~ Serena has the longest winning span between majors of any woman Open Era at 15 years and 10 months between 1999 US Open and 2015 Wimbledon (Evert, Navratilova and Graf had 12-year spans)
~ Serena has won eight majors since turning 30, the most after 30 by far in the Open Era (Court and Navratilova three each, King and Evert two each and Jones, Wade, Li and Pennetta one each)

Miscellaneous
~ Serena will spend her 176th & 177th straight weeks at No.1 during the Wimbledon fortnight (second-longest streak at No.1 in WTA history after Graf’s 186)
~ Serena is spending her 299th & 300th career weeks at No.1 during the Wimbledon fortnight (second-most weeks at No.1 in WTA history after Graf’s 377)
~ Serena has the most career prize money in WTA history ($77.6M – next-most is Sharapova’s $36.8M)
~ Serena has the fifth-most WTA titles in Open Era with 70 (after Navratilova, Evert, Graf, Court)

Before & After Patrick Mouratoglou
Serena joined forces with Patrick Mouratoglou after falling first round at the 2012 French Open, and the dynamic duo’s numbers speak for themselves – here’s a comparison of before and after Mouratoglou:

Pre-Patrick Mouratoglou
win-loss: 523-107 (.830)
WTA titles: 41
Grand Slam titles: 13 out of 47 (.277)
vs Top 10: 111-59 (.653)

Post-Patrick Mouratoglou
win-loss: 244-20 (.924)
WTA titles: 29
Grand Slam titles: 8 out of 16 (.500)
vs Top 10: 56-7 (.889)

Since Regaining World No.1
Since returning to the top spot on the WTA Rankings on February 18, 2013, Serena’s been fantastic:
win-loss: 201-17
WTA titles: 23 of 33
Grand Slam titles: 6 of 13
vs Top 10: 41-5 (.891)