Sport
Serena Williams is the AP Female Athlete of 2013
– her .951 winning percentage was the best since Steffi Graf’s .977 in 1989;
– her 11 titles were the most since Martina Hingis’ 12 in 1997;
– her winning streak was the longest since her sister, Venus, had a 35-match run in 2000.
“She just continues to be an inspiration to American tennis,” said Gordon Smith, the executive director of the U.S. Tennis Association, which runs the US Open. “Her year this year? Unforgettable.”
By adding a fifth career US Open championship and a second French Open title, Williams also moved within one Grand Slam trophy of the 18 apiece won by Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert. The record is 24 by Margaret Court.
“Serena already has provided significant contributions to taking our sport to the next level. She is chasing records and no doubt will break many records before she’s finished,” WTA chairman Stacey Allaster said. “That obviously just brings a lot more attention to our sport.”
Two particular moments in 2013 stuck out to Allaster.
